[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 123 (Tuesday, June 27, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36525-36526]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-10103]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-8189-3; Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-2006-0500]


Draft Toxicological Review of Dibutyl Phthalate (Di-n-Butyl 
Phthalate): In Support of the Summary Information in the Integrated 
Risk Information System (IRIS)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of peer-review workshop and public comment period.

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SUMMARY: EPA is announcing that the Oak Ridge Institute of Science and 
Education (ORISE), under an Interagency agreement between the 
Department of Energy and EPA, will convene an independent panel of 
experts and organize and conduct an external peer-review workshop to 
review the external review draft document titled, Toxicological Review 
of Dibutyl Phthalate (Di-n-Butyl Phthalate): In Support of Summary 
Information in the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) (NCEA-S-
1755). The EPA also is announcing a public comment period for the draft 
document. EPA will consider comments and recommendations from the 
public and the expert panel meeting when EPA finalizes the draft 
document.
    The public comment period and the external peer-review workshop are 
separate processes that provide opportunities for all interested 
parties to comment on the document. In addition to consideration by 
EPA, all public comments submitted in accordance with this notice will 
also be forwarded to EPA's contractor for consideration by the external 
peer-review panel prior to the workshop.
    EPA is releasing this draft document solely for the purpose of pre-
dissemination peer review under applicable information quality 
guidelines. This document has not been formally disseminated by EPA. It 
does not represent and should not be construed to represent any Agency 
policy or determination.
    ORISE invites the public to register to attend this workshop as 
observers. In addition, ORISE invites the public to give brief oral 
comments at the workshop regarding the draft document under review. The 
draft document and EPA's peer-review charge are available via the 
Internet on NCEA's home page under the Recent Additions and the Data 
and Publications menus at http://www.epa.gov/ncea. When finalizing the 
draft document, EPA will consider ORISE's report of the comments and 
recommendations from the external peer-review workshop and any public 
comments that EPA receives in accordance with this notice.

DATES: The peer-review panel workshop will begin on July 28, 2006, at 9 
a.m. and end at 4 p.m. The public comment period begins June 27, 2006 
and ends July 21, 2006. Technical comments should be in writing and 
must be received by EPA by July 21, 2006. Comments from the public 
received by July 14, 2006, will be submitted to the panel prior to the 
workshop.

ADDRESSES: The peer-review workshop will be held at The American 
Geophysical Union, 2000 Florida Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20009-1277. 
The EPA contractor, ORISE, is organizing, convening, and conducting the 
peer-review workshop. To attend the workshop, register by July 11, 
2006, by calling ORISE at 865-241-5784, sending a facsimile to 865-241-
3168, or sending an e-mail to Leslie Shapard, [email protected]. You 
may also register via the Internet at http://www.orau.gov/dibutyl_phthalate. You must register by July 11, 2006, if you wish to provide 
brief oral comments at the workshop.
    The draft Toxicological Review of Dibutyl Phthalate (Di-n-Butyl 
Phthalate): In Support of Summary Information in the Integrated Risk 
Information System (IRIS) is available via the Internet on the National 
Center for Environmental Assessment(s (NCEA) home page under the Recent 
Additions and the Data and Publications menus at http://www.epa.gov/ncea. A limited number of paper copies are available from NCEA(s 
Technical Information Staff. Please contact the Technical Information 
Staff by telephone at 202-564-3261 or by facsimile at 202-565-0050. If 
you are requesting a paper copy, please provide your name, mailing 
address, and the document title. Copies are not available from ORISE.
    Comments may be submitted electronically via http://www.regulations.gov, by mail, by facsimile, or by hand delivery/
courier. Please follow the detailed instructions as provided in the 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this notice.

[[Page 36526]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on the peer review 
workshop, contact Leslie Shapard, ORISE, P.O. Box 117, MS 17, Oak 
Ridge, TN 37831-0117, at 865-241-5784 or 865-241-3168 (facsimile), 
[email protected] (e-mail).
    For information on the public comment period, contact the Office of 
Environmental Information Docket; telephone: 202-566-1752; facsimile: 
202-566-1753; or e-mail: ORD.[email protected].
    If you have questions about the document, contact Jamie C. 
Benedict, IRIS Staff, National Center for Environmental Assessment, 
(8601D), U.S. EPA, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460; 
telephone: 202-564-3386; facsimile: 202-565-0075; 
[email protected] (e-mail).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Summary of Information About the Integrated Risk Information System 
(IRIS)

    IRIS is a database that contains potential adverse human health 
effects information that may result from chronic (or lifetime) exposure 
to specific chemical substances found in the environment. The database 
(available on the Internet at http://www.epa.gov/iris) contains 
qualitative and quantitative health effects information for more than 
500 chemical substances that may be used to support the first two steps 
(hazard identification and dose-response evaluation) of a risk 
assessment process. When supported by available data, the database 
provides oral reference doses (RfDs) and inhalation reference 
concentrations (RfCs) for chronic health effects, and oral slope 
factors and inhalation unit risks for carcinogenic effects. Combined 
with specific exposure information, government and private entities use 
IRIS to help characterize public health risks of chemical substances in 
a site-specific situation and thereby support risk management decisions 
designed to protect public health.

II. Workshop Information

    Members of the public may attend the workshop as observers, and 
there will be a limited time for comments from the public. Please let 
ORISE know if you wish to make oral comments during the workshop prior 
to the meeting. Space is limited, and reservations will be accepted on 
a first-come, first-served basis.

III. How To Submit Technical Comments to the Docket at 
www.regulations.gov

    Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD 2006-
0500 by one of the following methods:
     www.regulations.gov: Follow the on-line instructions for 
submitting comments.
     E-mail: ORD [email protected].
     Fax: 202-566-1753.
     Mail: Office of Environmental Information (OEI) Docket 
(Mail Code: 2822T), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 
Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460. The phone number is 202-
566-1752.
     Hand Delivery: The OEI Docket is located in the EPA 
Headquarters Docket Center, EPA West Building, 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. Such deliveries are only accepted during 
the Docket's normal hours of operation, and special arrangements should 
be made for deliveries of boxed information.
    If you provide comments in writing, please submit one unbound 
original with pages numbered consecutively, and three copies of the 
comments. For attachments, provide an index, number pages consecutively 
with the comments, and submit an unbound original and three copies.
    Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-
2006-0500. Please ensure that your comments are submitted within the 
specified comment period. Comments received after the closing date will 
be marked ``late,'' and may only be considered if time permits. It is 
EPA's policy to include all comments it receives in the public docket 
without change and to make the comments available online at 
www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided, 
unless a comment includes information claimed to be Confidential 
Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is 
restricted by statute. Do not submit information that you consider to 
be CBI or otherwise protected through www.regulations.gov or e-mail. 
The www.regulations.gov Web site is an ``anonymous access'' system, 
which means EPA will not know your identity or contact information 
unless you provide it in the body of your comment. If you send an e-
mail comment directly to EPA without going through www.regulations.gov, 
your e-mail address will be automatically captured and included as part 
of the comment that is placed in the public docket and made available 
on the Internet. If you submit an electronic comment, EPA recommends 
that you include your name and other contact information in the body of 
your comment and with any disk or CD-ROM you submit. If EPA cannot read 
your comment due to technical difficulties and cannot contact you for 
clarification, EPA may not be able to consider your comment. Electronic 
files should avoid the use of special characters, any form of 
encryption, and be free of any defects or viruses. For additional 
information about EPA's public docket visit the EPA Docket Center 
homepage at http://www.epa.gov/epahome/dockets.htm.
    Docket: Documents in the docket are listed in the 
www.regulations.gov index. Although listed in the index, some 
information is not publicly available, e.g., CBI or other information 
whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Certain other materials, 
such as copyrighted material, are publicly available only in hard copy. 
Publicly available docket materials are available either electronically 
in www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at the OEI Docket in the EPA 
Headquarters Docket Center.

    Dated: June 21, 2006.
Peter W. Preuss,
Director, National Center for Environmental Assessment.
[FR Doc. E6-10103 Filed 6-26-06; 8:45 am]
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