[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 246 (Friday, December 22, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 77015-77017]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-21969]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-8260-3; Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-2006-0838]


Draft Toxicological Reviews of Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers 
(PBDEs): In support of the Summary Information in the Integrated Risk 
Information System (IRIS)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of External Peer-Review Panel Meeting 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 documents titled, ``Toxicological 
Review of TetraBDE (BDE-47): In Support of Summary Information in the 
Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS)'' (NCEA-S-2537); 
``Toxicological Review of PentaBDE (BDE-99): In Support of Summary 
Information in the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS)'' (NCEA-S-
2538); ``Toxicological Review of HexaBDE (BDE-153): In Support of 
Summary Information in the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS)'' 
(NCEA-S-2539); and ``Toxicological Review of DecaBDE (BDE-209): In 
Support of Summary Information in the Integrated Risk Information 
System (IRIS)'' (NCEA-S-2540). The EPA also is announcing a public 
comment period for the external review draft documents.
    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 ORISE for consideration by the external peer-
review panel prior to the workshop.
    EPA is releasing these draft documents solely for the purpose of 
pre-dissemination peer review under applicable information quality 
guidelines. These documents have not been formally disseminated by EPA. 
They do 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

[[Page 77016]]

oral comments at the workshop regarding the draft documents under 
review. The draft documents and EPA's peer-review charge are available 
via the Internet on NCEA's home page under the Recent Additions and the 
Publications menus at http://www.epa.gov/ncea. When finalizing the 
draft documents, 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 external peer-review panel workshop will begin on February 
22, 2007, at 9 a.m. and end at 4 p.m. The public comment period begins 
December 22, 2006 and ends February 5, 2007. Technical comments should 
be in writing and must be received by EPA by February 5, 2007. Comments 
from the public received by this date will be submitted to the external 
peer-review panel prior to the workshop.

ADDRESSES: The external peer-review workshop will be held at The 
American Geophysical Union, 2000 Florida Avenue NW., Washington, DC, 
20009-1277. ORISE is organizing, convening, and conducting the peer-
review workshop. To attend the workshop, register by February 8, 2007, 
via the Internet at http://www.orau.gov/pbde. You may also register by 
calling ORISE at 865-576-2922, sending a facsimile to 865-241-3168, or 
sending an e-mail to Margaret Lyday at [email protected]. You must 
register by February 8, 2007, if you wish to provide brief oral 
comments at the workshop.
    The draft documents, Toxicological Review of TetraBDE (BDE-47): In 
Support of Summary Information in the Integrated Risk Information 
System (IRIS); PentaBDE (BDE-99): In Support of Summary Information in 
the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS); HexaBDE (BDE-153): In 
Support of Summary Information in the Integrated Risk Information 
System (IRIS); and DecaBDE (BDE-209): In Support of Summary Information 
in the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS), are available via the 
Internet on the National Center for Environmental Assessment's (NCEA) 
home page under the Recent Additions and the 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 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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on the peer review 
workshop, contact Margaret Lyday, ORISE, by mail at P.O. Box 117, MS 
17, Oak Ridge, TN 37831-0117; by phone at 865-576-2922; by facsimile at 
865-241-3168; or by e-mail at [email protected].
    For information on the public comment period, contact the Office of 
Environmental Information Docket; by phone at 202-566-1752; by 
facsimile at 202-566-1753; or by e-mail at [email protected].
    If you have questions about the document, contact Samantha J. 
Jones, IRIS Staff, National Center for Environmental Assessment, by 
mail at U.S. EPA (8601D), 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 
20460; by phone at 202-564-2060; by facsimile at 202-565-0075; or by e-
mail at [email protected].

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 can 
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-
0838 by one of the following methods:
     http://www.regulations.gov: Follow the on-line 
instructions for submitting comments.
     E-mail: [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 3334, 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. Consult EPA's Web site at 
http://www.epa.gov/epahome/dockets.htm for current 
information on docket operations, locations and telephone numbers.
    If you provide comments by mail or hand delivery, 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-
2006-0838. 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 http://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

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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: December 14, 2006.
George Alapas,
Deputy Director, National Center for Environmental Assessment.
 [FR Doc. E6-21969 Filed 12-21-06; 8:45 am]
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