[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 36 (Thursday, February 23, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9333-9336]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-2576]



[[Page 9333]]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-8036-1; Docket No. ORD 2003-0016]


Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS); Announcement of 2006 
Program

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

ACTION: Notice; announcement of IRIS 2006 program agenda.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing 
the IRIS 2006 agenda.
    The Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) is an EPA database 
that contains the Agency's scientific positions on human health effects 
that may result from exposure to chemical substances in the 
environment. On March 4, 2005, EPA announced the 2005 IRIS agenda 
(42FR10616), with solicitation of scientific information from the 
public for consideration in assessing health effects from specific 
chemical substances. All assessments currently in progress are listed 
in this notice. EPA is not initiating new assessments in 2006 in order 
to focus on completion of existing assessments. This notice also 
provides an update on EPA's efforts to improve the IRIS health 
assessment development and review processes.

DATES: While EPA is not expressly soliciting comments on this notice, 
the Agency will accept information related to the substances included 
herein. Please submit any information in accordance with the 
instructions provided at the end of this notice.

ADDRESSES: Please submit relevant scientific information identified by 
docket ID number EPA-HQ-ORD-2003-0016, online at http://www.regulations.gov (EPA's preferred method); by e-mail to 
[email protected]; mailed to EPA Docket Center, Environmental 
Protection Agency, Mail Code: 2822T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., 
Washington, DC 20460-0001; or by hand delivery or courier to EPA Docket 
Center, EPA West, Room B102, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, 
DC, between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding 
legal holidays. Comments on a disk or CD-ROM should be formatted in 
Word or as an ASCII file, avoiding the use of special characters and 
any form of encryption, and may be mailed to the mailing address above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on the IRIS program, 
contact Amy Mills, IRIS Program Director, National Center for 
Environmental Assessment, (mail code: 8601D), Office of Research and 
Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC. 
20460; telephone: (202) 564-3204, facsimile: (202) 565-0075; or e-mail: 
[email protected].
    For general questions about access to IRIS, or the content of IRIS, 
please call the IRIS Hotline at (202) 566-1676 or send electronic mail 
inquiries to [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    IRIS is an EPA database containing Agency scientific positions on 
potential adverse human health effects that may result from exposure to 
chemical substances found in the environment. (EPA notes that 
information in the IRIS database has no preclusive effect and does not 
predetermine the outcome of any rulemaking. When EPA uses such 
information to support a rulemaking, the scientific basis for, and the 
application of, that information are subject to comment.) IRIS 
currently provides information on health effects associated with more 
than 500 chemical substances.
    The database includes chemical-specific summaries of qualitative 
and quantitative health information in support of the first two steps 
of the risk assessment process, i.e., hazard identification and dose-
response evaluation. Combined with specific situational exposure 
assessment information, the information in IRIS is an important source 
in evaluating potential public health risks from environmental 
contaminants.
    EPA's overall process for developing IRIS assessments consists of: 
(1) An annual Federal Register announcement of EPA's IRIS agenda and 
call for scientific information from the public on selected chemical 
substances; (2) a search of the scientific literature; (3) development 
of IRIS Summaries and support documents; (4) EPA-wide review; (5) 
external peer review; (6) management review and approval; and (7) entry 
of IRIS Summaries and support documents into the IRIS database (http://www.epa.gov/iris).

The IRIS Annual Agenda

    Each year, EPA develops an annual agenda for the IRIS program and 
announces new assessments under review. A focus of the IRIS Program for 
2006 is to move forward the 76 assessments already in progress. In 
light of this focus, EPA will not initiate any new assessments in 2006. 
This notice provides: (1) A list of IRIS assessments in progress; (2) 
an update on improvements made to the IRIS program and preliminary 
notice of further improvements under consideration.

Assessments in Progress

    The following assessments are underway. Each was listed in the 2005 
IRIS agenda. The status and planned milestone dates for each assessment 
can be found on the IRIS Track system, accessible from the IRIS 
database. All health endpoints due to chronic exposure, cancer and 
noncancer, are being assessed unless otherwise noted. For all endpoints 
assessed, both qualitative and quantitative assessments are being 
developed where information is available. Those substances denoted with 
an asterisk (*) may require additional time for analysis or peer review 
due to their large databases or complex assessment issues. Substances 
denoted with a double asterisk (**) are being evaluated for effects 
from acute and/or other less-than-lifetime exposure durations. These 
substances are part of a pilot test to evaluate the application of 
methods, procedures, and resource needs for adding health effects 
information for less-than-lifetime exposure durations to IRIS. 
Additional less-than-lifetime durations may be added to ongoing chronic 
assessments as needs arise and resources permit.

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                  Substance name                           CAS No.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
acetaldehyde......................................               75-07-0
acrolein**........................................              107-02-8
acrylamide........................................               79-06-1
acrylonitrile.....................................              107-13-1
aldicarb/aldicarb sulfoxide.......................    116-06-3/1646-87-3
aldicarb sulfone..................................             1646-88-4
arsenic...........................................             7440-38-2
asbestos*.........................................             1332-21-4
benzene**.........................................               71-43-2
benzo(a)pyrene....................................               50-32-8
beryllium (cancer effects)........................             7440-41-7
bromobenzene......................................              108-86-1
bromodichloro methane.............................               75-27-4
bromoform.........................................               75-25-2
butyl benzyl phthalate............................               85-68-7
cadmium...........................................             7440-43-9
carbon tetrachloride..............................               56-23-5
cerium............................................             1306-38-3
chloroethane......................................               75-00-3
chloroform (inhalation route).....................               67-66-3
chloroprene.......................................              126-99-8
cobalt............................................             7440-48-4
copper............................................             7440-50-8
Cryptosporidium...................................                 (\2\)
dibromochloro methane.............................              124-48-1
dibutyl phthalate (chronic; less-than-lifetime**                 84-74-2
 exposures).......................................
1,2-dichlorobenzene...............................               95-50-1
1,3-dichlorobenzene...............................              541-73-1
1,4-dichlorobenzene...............................              106-46-7
1,2-dichloroethylene..............................              540-59-0
di(2-ethylhexyl)adipate (DEHA)....................              103-23-1
di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate........................              117-81-7
1,4-dioxane.......................................              123-91-1
ethanol...........................................               64-17-5
ethyl tertiary butyl ether........................              637-92-3
ethylbenzene......................................              100-41-4
ethylene dichloride...............................              107-06-2
ethylene glycol monobutyl ether (cancer effects)..              111-76-2
ethylene oxide (cancer effects; noncancer acute**                75-21-8
 exp.)............................................
formaldehyde*.....................................               50-00-0
hexachlorobutadiene...............................               87-68-3
hexachloroethane..................................               67-72-1
hexachlorocyclo pentadiene**......................               77-47-4
hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-triazine (RDX)...........              121-82-4
2-hexanone........................................              591-78-6
hydrogen cyanide..................................               74-90-8
hydrogen sulfide**................................             7783-06-4
isopropanol.......................................               67-63-0
kepone............................................               43-50-0
methanol..........................................               67-56-1
methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE)....................             1634-04-4
methylene chloride (dichloromethane)..............               75-09-2
mirex.............................................             2385-85-5
naphthalene (inhalation route)*...................               91-20-3
nickel (soluble salts)............................                 (\2\)
nitrobenzene......................................               98-95-3
PAH mixtures*.....................................                 (\2\)
pentachlorophenol.................................               87-86-5
perfluorooctanoic acid-ammonium salt (PFOA).......             3825-26-1
perfluorooctane sulfonate-potassium salt (PFOS)...             2795-39-3
phosgene (acute** exposure).......................               75-44-5
platinum..........................................             7440-06-4
polybrominated diphenyl ethers (tetra, penta,                      (\2\)
 hexa, deca-BDEs).................................
polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) (noncancer                    1336-36-3
 endpoints).......................................
propionaldehyde...................................              123-38-6
refractory ceramic fibers.........................                 (\1\)
styrene...........................................              100-42-5
2,3,7,8-TCDD (dioxin)*............................             1746-01-6
1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane (chronic; less-than-                   79-34-5
 lifetime** exp.).................................
tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene)...........              127-18-4
tetrahydrofuran...................................              109-99-9
thallium..........................................             7440-28-0
trichloroacetic acid..............................               76-03-9
1,1,1-trichloroethane (chronic; less-than-                       71-55-6
 lifetime** exp.).................................

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trichloroethylene*................................               79-01-6
1,2,3-trichloropropane............................               96-18-4
2,2,4-trimethylpentane............................              540-84-1
uranium compounds.................................                 (\2\)
vinyl acetate.....................................              108-05-4
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Not applicable.
\2\ Not applicable--various.

    Note that the asbestos noncancer assessment has been expanded to 
include cancer effects. This is the only substantive change to the 2005 
IRIS agenda.
    IRIS Summaries and support documents for all substances listed as 
on-going assessments in 2006 will be provided on the IRIS Web site at 
http://www.epa.gov/iris as they are completed. This publicly available 
Web site is EPA's primary location for IRIS documents. In addition, 
external peer review drafts of IRIS assessments are posted for public 
information and comment. These drafts will continue to be accessible 
via the IRIS and NCEA Web sites. Note that these drafts are intended 
for public information only, and do not represent the Agency's final 
position.

Other Improvements to the IRIS Program--Update

    As discussed in the Federal Register notice announcing the 2005 
agenda, EPA is improving the IRIS program and its products through a 
series of program reforms. EPA has expanded its central IRIS Staff to 
better manage the program and promote scientific quality and 
consistency. In addition, external scientific peer reviews are being 
conducted routinely by panel meetings rather than by mail reviews. This 
step is being taken to provide the best possible scientific evaluation 
of each assessment. Further, EPA now conducts each external peer review 
at the end of each IRIS assessment review process, strengthening the 
role of peer review in informing the outcome of the process. A public 
comment period prior to panel peer review meetings is now standard 
practice, and the meetings are open to the public for observation. 
These program reforms facilitate scientific input from the public and 
make the peer review process more transparent.
    Further enhancements to the IRIS assessment development and review 
process are currently under consideration. A follow-up notice will be 
published in the Federal Register to announce a public workshop on 
proposed additions to the IRIS process in 2006.

General Information

    As of Monday, November 28, 2005, EPA's EDOCKET was replaced by the 
Federal Docket Management System (FDMS), the new federal government-
wide system. FDMS was created to provide a single point of access to 
all federal rulemaking activities. All materials previously found in 
EDOCKET are now available on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov.

A. How Can I Get Copies of Related Information?

    EPA has established an official public docket for this action under 
Docket ID No. ORD 2003-0016. The official public docket is the 
collection of materials that is available for public viewing at the 
Office of Environmental Information (OEI) Docket in the EPA Docket 
Center, EPA West, Room B102, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, 
DC. The EPA Docket Center Public Reading Room is open from 8:30 a.m. to 
4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The 
telephone number for the Public Reading Room is (202) 566-1744, and the 
telephone number for the OEI Docket is (202) 566-1752.
    An electronic version of the public docket is available through 
EPA's electronic public docket and comment system. EPA Dockets at 
http://www.regulations.gov may be used to submit or view public 
submissions, access the index listing of the contents of the official 
public docket, and to access those documents in the public docket that 
are available electronically. Once in the system, select ``search,'' 
then key in the appropriate docket identification number.
    It is important to note that EPA's policy is that public 
submissions, whether submitted electronically or in paper, will be made 
available for public viewing in EPA's electronic public docket as EPA 
receives them and without change, unless the submission contains 
copyrighted material, CBI, or other information whose disclosure is 
restricted by statute. Information claimed as CBI and other information 
whose disclosure is restricted by statute is not included in the 
official public docket or in EPA's electronic public docket. EPA's 
policy is that copyrighted material, including copyrighted material 
contained in a public comment, will not be placed in EPA's electronic 
public docket but will be available only in printed, paper form in the 
official public docket. Although not all docket materials may be 
available electronically, you may still access any of the publicly 
available docket materials through the EPA Docket Center.

B. How and To Whom Do I Submit Information?

    Information on chemical substances listed in this notice may be 
submitted as provided in the ADDRESSES section. If you submit 
electronic information, EPA recommends that you include your name, 
mailing address, and an e-mail address or other contact information in 
the body of your submission and with any disk or CD-ROM you submit. 
This ensures that you can be identified as the submitter of the 
information and allows EPA to contact you in case EPA cannot read your 
information due to technical difficulties or needs further information 
on the substance of your submission. Any identifying or contact 
information provided in the body of submitted information will be 
included as part of the submission information that is placed in the 
official public docket, and made available in EPA's electronic public 
docket. If EPA cannot read your information due to technical 
difficulties and cannot contact you for clarification, EPA may not be 
able to consider your information.
    Your use of EPA's electronic public docket to submit information to 
EPA electronically is EPA's preferred method for receiving submissions. 
The electronic public docket system is an ``anonymous access'' system, 
which means EPA will not know your identity, e-mail address, or other 
contact information unless you provide it in the body of your 
submission. In contrast to EPA's electronic public docket, EPA's 
electronic mail (e-mail) system is not an ``anonymous access'' system. 
If you send e-mail directly to the Docket without going through EPA's 
electronic public docket, your e-mail address is automatically captured 
and included as

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part of the submission that is placed in the official public docket, 
and made available in EPA's electronic public docket.

    Dated: February 15, 2006.
Peter Preuss,
Director, National Center for Environmental Assessment.
[FR Doc. E6-2576 Filed 2-22-06; 8:45 am]
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