[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 107 (Monday, June 5, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32365-32366]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-8677]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health


National Toxicology Program (NTP); Center for the Evaluation of 
Risks to Human Reproduction (CERHR); Availability of the Draft NTP 
Brief on Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate; Request for Public Comments

AGENCY: National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS); 
National Institutes of Health (NIH).

ACTION: Request for comments.

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SUMMARY: CERHR invites the submission of public comments on the draft 
NTP Brief for di-(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP). The draft NTP Brief is 
available from the CERHR Web site (http://cerhr.niehs.nih.gov see 
``CERHR Reports & Monographs'') or in hardcopy from CERHR (see 
ADDRESSES below). Public comments will be considered during the peer 
review and finalization of the NTP Brief.

DATES: Written comments on the draft NTP Brief for DEHP should be 
received by July 5, 2006.

ADDRESSES: Public comments and any other correspondence should be 
addressed to Dr. Michael D. Shelby, CERHR Director, NIEHS, P.O. Box 
12233, MD EC-32, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709 (mail), (919) 541-
3455 (phone), (919) 316-4511 (fax), or [email protected] (e-mail). 
Courier address: CERHR, 79 T.W. Alexander Drive, Building 4401, Room 
103, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    DEHP (CAS RN: 117-81-7) is a high production volume chemical used 
as a plasticizer of polyvinyl chloride in the manufacturer of a wide 
variety of consumer products, such as building products, car products, 
clothing, food packaging, children's products (but not in toys intended 
for mouthing) and in polyvinyl chloride medical devices. On October 10-
12, 2005, CERHR convened an expert panel to conduct an updated 
evaluation of the potential reproductive and developmental toxicities 
of DEHP.

[[Page 32366]]

The expert panel report was released for public comment on November 21, 
2005 (Federal Register Vol. 70, No. 220, pp. 69567, November 16, 2005). 
Following this public comment period, CERHR staff prepared the draft 
NTP Brief for DEHP that provides in plain language:
     Background information on the substance(s).
     Findings of the expert panel.
     Discussion of any relevant data available after the expert 
panel meeting.
     NTP's conclusions on the potential for the substance to 
cause adverse reproductive and/or developmental effects in exposed 
humans.
    Upon finalization, the NTP Brief for DEHP will be included in the 
CERHR Monograph for DEHP. The draft NTP Brief for DEHP and related 
background materials, including the DEHP expert panel report and 
previously received public comments, are available on the CERHR Web 
site (http://cerhr.niehs.nih.gov see Di-(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate under 
``CERHR Reports & Monographs'').

Request for Comments

    The NTP invites written public comments on the draft NTP Brief for 
DEHP. Any comments received will be posted on the CERHR Web site and 
considered during the peer review and finalization of the NTP Brief for 
DEHP. Persons submitting written comments are asked to include their 
name and contact information (affiliation, mailing address, telephone 
and facsimile numbers, e-mail, and sponsoring organization, if any) and 
submit comments to Dr. Shelby (see ADDRESSES above) for receipt by July 
5, 2006.

Background Information on CERHR

    The NTP established CERHR in June 1998 [Federal Register, December 
14, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 239, page 68782)]. CERHR is a publicly 
accessible resource for information about adverse reproductive and/or 
developmental health effects associated with exposure to environmental 
and/or occupational exposures.
    CERHR invites the nomination of agents for review or scientists for 
its expert registry. Information about CERHR and the nomination process 
can be obtained from its homepage (http://cerhr.niehs.nih.gov) or by 
contacting Dr. Michael Shelby, CERHR Director (see ADDRESSES). CERHR 
selects chemicals for evaluation based upon several factors including 
production volume, potential for human exposure from use and occurrence 
in the environment, extent of public concern, and extent of data from 
reproductive and developmental toxicity studies. Expert panels conduct 
scientific evaluations of agents selected by CERHR in public forums. 
Following these evaluations, CERHR prepares the NTP-CERHR monograph on 
the agent evaluated. The monograph is transmitted to appropriate 
federal and state agencies and made available to the public.

    Dated: May 25, 2006.
Samuel H. Wilson,
Deputy Director, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences 
and National Toxicology Program.
[FR Doc. E6-8677 Filed 6-2-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P