[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 62 (Monday, April 2, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15695-15696]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-6080]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES


National Toxicology Program (Ntp); Center for the Evaluation of 
Risks to Human Reproduction (CERHR); Announcement of the Second 
Bisphenol A Expert Panel Meeting and Availability of Interim Draft 
Expert Panel Report

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

ACTION: Announcement of a meeting and request for public comment.

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SUMMARY: CERHR announces the second meeting of the expert panel on 
bisphenol A on May 21-23, 2007, tentatively planned for the Washington, 
DC area. The interim draft expert panel report will be posted on the 
CERHR Web site (http://cerhr.niehs.nih.gov) and available in printed 
text from CERHR (see ``FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT'' below) by 
April 20. CERHR invites submission of written public comments on the 
interim draft expert panel report (see ``SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION'' 
below). The expert panel meeting is open to the public with time 
scheduled for oral public comment. Attendance is limited only by the 
available meeting room space. CERHR also announces that the working 
groups for sections 3 and 4 of the expert panel report will meet April 
5-6, 2007, in Durham, NC to continue discussions not completed at the 
March meeting.

DATES: The second CERHR expert panel meeting on bisphenol A will be 
held May 21-23, 2007. The interim draft expert panel report containing 
sections 1-4 will be available for public comment by April 20, 2007. 
Written public comments on the interim draft report must be received by 
May 14. Time will be set-aside at the expert panel meeting on May 21 
for oral public comments. Individuals wishing to make oral public 
comments are asked to

[[Page 15696]]

contact Dr. Michael D. Shelby, CERHR Director, by May 14, 2007, and if 
possible, send a copy of their PowerPoint slides, statement, or talking 
points at that time. Persons needing special assistance, such as sign 
language interpretation or other reasonable accommodation in order to 
attend, should contact 919-541-2475 (voice), 919-541-4644 TTY (text 
telephone), through the Federal TTY Relay System at 800-877-8339, or by 
e-mail to [email protected]. Requests should be made at least 
seven business days in advance of the event.

ADDRESSES: The location of the second expert panel meeting on bisphenol 
A is not yet set. Comments on the interim draft expert panel report 
should be sent to Dr. Michael D. Shelby, CERHR Director, NIEHS, P.O. 
Box 12233, MD EC-32, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709 (mail), (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. The working groups will meet in Durham, NC.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Michael D. Shelby, CERHR Director, 
919-541-3455, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    CERHR convened the first expert panel meeting on March 5-7 in 
Alexandria, VA to assess the potential reproductive and developmental 
hazards of bisphenol A. The panel discussed the scientific evidence and 
made revisions to the draft expert panel report on bisphenol A, but 
because of the length and complexity of this evaluation, the panel was 
unable to complete its task (a meeting summary is available at http://cerhr.niehs.nih.gov/chemicals/bisphenol/bisphenol.html).
    The expert panel will reconvene on May 21-23, 2007, for a second 
meeting. The meeting location, which is not yet set, will be posted on 
the CERHR Web site when finalized along with a schedule for the 
meeting. The meeting will begin each day at 8:30 a.m. and continue 
until adjournment. It is expected to adjourn by noon on May 23, 
although adjournment may occur earlier or later depending upon the time 
needed for the expert panel to complete its work. The expert panel will 
(1) continue its review, (2) finalize sections 1-4 of the draft report, 
(3) reach conclusions regarding whether exposure to bisphenol A is a 
hazard to human reproduction or development, and (4) write Section 5 
Summary, Conclusions, and Critical Data Needs.
    At the March meeting, working groups for sections 1-4 of the draft 
report met periodically to discuss their sections and prepare materials 
for deliberation by the panel during public plenary sessions. The 
working groups for Section 3 Developmental Toxicity Data and Section 4 
Reproductive Toxicity Data will meet on April 5-6 in Durham, NC to 
continue discussions not completed at the March meeting. Their edits 
will be included in the interim draft expert panel report, which will 
be posted on the CERHR Web site and available for public comment by 
April 20, and brought before the expert panel during the public plenary 
sessions at the May 21-23 meeting.
    The interim draft report, which will show all edits to date, will 
be posted on the CERHR Web site by April 20 and serve as the starting 
point for the panel's discussions at its May meeting.
    Bisphenol A (CAS RN: 80-5-07) is a high production volume chemical 
used in the production of epoxy resins, polyester resins, polysulfone 
resins, polyacrylate resins, polycarbonate plastics, and flame 
retardants. Polycarbonate plastics are used in food and drink 
packaging; resins are used as lacquers to coat metal products such as 
food cans, bottle tops, and water supply pipes. Some polymers used in 
dental sealants and tooth coatings contain bisphenol A. Exposure to the 
general population can occur through direct contact to bisphenol A or 
by exposure to food or drink that has been in contact with a material 
containing bisphenol A. CERHR selected this chemical for evaluation 
because of (1) high production volume, (2) widespread human exposure, 
(3) evidence of reproductive toxicity in laboratory animal studies, and 
(4) public concern.

Request for Comments

    The CERHR invites written public comments on the interim draft 
expert panel report on bisphenol A. Any comments received will be 
posted on the CERHR Web site prior to the second meeting and 
distributed to the expert panel and CERHR staff for their consideration 
in revising the draft report and/or preparing for the second meeting. 
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 
send them to Dr. Shelby (see ADDRESSES above) for receipt by May 14, 
2007.
    Time will be set-aside on May 21, 2007, for the presentation of 
oral public comments at the expert panel meeting. Seven minutes will be 
available for each speaker (one speaker per organization). When 
registering to comment orally, please provide your name, affiliation, 
mailing address, telephone and facsimile numbers, e-mail and sponsoring 
organization (if any). If possible, send a copy of the PowerPoint 
slides, statement, or talking points to Dr. Shelby by May 14. This 
statement will be provided to the expert panel to assist them in 
identifying issues for discussion and will be noted in the meeting 
record. Registration for presentation of oral comments will also be 
available at the meeting on May 21, 2007, from 7:30-8:30 a.m. Persons 
registering at the meeting are asked to bring 20 copies of their 
statement or talking points for distribution to the expert panel and 
for the record.

Background Information on CERHR

    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. Expert panels conduct scientific 
evaluations of agents selected by the CERHR in public forums.
    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. Shelby (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT above). 
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.
    CERHR follows a formal, multi-step process for review and 
evaluation of selected chemicals. The formal evaluation process was 
published in the Federal Register on July 16, 2001 (Volume 66, Number 
136, pages 37047-37048) and is available on the CERHR Web site under 
``About CERHR'' or in printed copy from CERHR.

    Dated: March 21, 2007.
David A. Schwartz,
Director, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and 
National Toxicology Program.
[FR Doc. E7-6080 Filed 3-30-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P