[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 31 (Thursday, February 15, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Page 7435]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-2768]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-8278-9]


Notice of Availability of the Final Nanotechnology White Paper.

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of Document Availability.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing 
the availability of the final ``Nanotechnology White Paper'' (EPA/100/
B-07/001, February 2007). The purpose of the White Paper is to inform 
EPA management of the science issues and needs associated with 
nanotechnology, to support related EPA program office needs, and to 
communicate these nanotechnology science issues to stakeholders and the 
public. Nanotechnology is the understanding and control of matter at 
dimensions of roughly 1 to 100 nanometers, where unique phenomena 
enable novel applications. Encompassing nanoscale science, engineering 
and technology, nanotechnology involves imaging, measuring, modeling 
and manipulating matter at this length scale. At the nanoscale, the 
physical, chemical and biological properties of materials may differ in 
fundamental and valuable ways from the properties of individual atoms 
and molecules or bulk matter. Nanotechnology presents new opportunities 
to improve how we measure, monitor, manage and minimize contaminants in 
the environment. New generations of nanomaterials will evolve and with 
them new and possibly unforeseen environmental issues.
    The White Paper provides a basic description of nanotechnology, why 
EPA is interested in it, potential environmental benefits of 
nanotechnology, risk assessment issues specific to nanotechnology, and 
a discussion of responsible development of nanotechnology and the 
Agency's statutory mandates. The paper then provides an extensive 
review of research needs for both environmental applications and 
implications of nanotechnology. To help EPA focus on priorities for the 
near term, the paper concludes with staff recommendations for 
addressing science issues and research needs, and includes prioritized 
research needs within most risk assessment topic areas (e.g., human 
health effects research, fate and transport research). In addition, the 
White Paper includes as Appendix C ``EPA's Nanotechnology Research 
Framework.'' The Nanotechnology Research Framework outlines how EPA 
will strategically focus its own research program to provide key 
information on potential environmental impacts from human or ecological 
exposure to nanomaterials in a manner that complements other federal, 
academic, and private-sector research activities. The Framework was 
developed by a cross agency team as a follow-up effort to the White 
Paper. The White Paper and Framework note the importance of 
complementing EPA's own research program by collaborating with other 
researchers.

ADDRESSES: The final document is available electronically through the 
Office of the Science Advisor's Web site at: http://www.epa.gov/osa/nanotech.htm. A limited number of paper copies will be available from 
EPA's National Service Center for Environmental Publications (NSCEP), 
P.O. Box 42419, Cincinnati, OH 45242; telephone 1-800-490-9198; 
facsimile 301-604-3408; e-mail lmit.com">NSCEP@bps-lmit.com. Please provide your 
name and mailing addresses and the title and EPA number of the 
requested publication.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Kathryn Gallagher, Office of the 
Science Advisor, Mail Code 8105-R, Environmental Protection Agency, 
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: 
(202) 564-1398; fax number: (202) 564-2070, E-mail: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In December 2004, EPA's Science Policy 
Council created a cross-Agency workgroup charged with describing key 
science issues EPA should consider to ensure that society accrues the 
important benefits to environmental protection that nanotechnology may 
offer, as well as to better understand any potential risks from 
exposure to nanomaterials in the environment. This paper is the product 
of that workgroup. The draft paper was released as an external peer 
review draft in December 2005, and a Federal Register Notice (70 FR 
75812) announced its availability and the opening of a docket for 
public comments. The document underwent independent peer review during 
an April 2006 expert peer review meeting (71 FR 14205), which was 
convened, organized and conducted by an EPA contractor. The external 
peer review meeting was publicly held, all public comments received in 
the docket were shared with the peer reviewers, and members of the 
public were also invited to give oral or provide written comments at 
the workshop regarding the draft document under review. The EPA revised 
the draft following the peer review meeting, and peer review and public 
comments were taken into consideration in finalizing the document.

    Dated: February 12, 2007.
George M. Gray,
EPA Science Advisor.
 [FR Doc. E7-2768 Filed 2-14-07; 8:45 am]
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