[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 160 (Monday, August 20, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46483-46484]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-16321]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-8457-5; Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-2007-0599]


Draft Toxicological Review of Tetrahydrofuran: 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 Tetrahydrofuran: In Support of Summary Information on the 
Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS)'' (NCEA-S-1620). The EPA also 
is announcing a public comment period for the draft document. EPA 
intends to 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. EPA intends to forward public 
comments submitted in accordance with this notice to ORISE 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 intends to 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 November 1, 2007, 
at 9 a.m. and end at 3 p.m. The public comment period begins August 20, 
2007, and ends October 18, 2007. Technical comments should be in 
writing and must be received by EPA by October 18, 2007. EPA intends to 
submit comments from the public received by this date to ORISE prior to 
the workshop for consideration by the panel.

ADDRESSES: The peer-review workshop will be held at the American 
Geophysical Union, 2000 Florida Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20009. 
ORISE is organizing, convening, and conducting the peer-review 
workshop. To attend the workshop, register by October 22, 2007, via the 
Internet at http://www.orau.gov/tetrahydrofuran. 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, [email protected]. You must 
register by October 22, 2007, if you wish to provide brief oral 
comments at the workshop.
    The draft Toxicological Review of Tetrahydrofuran: In Support of 
Summary Information on 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 the Technical Information Staff, NCEA-
W; telephone: 202-564-3261; facsimile: 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. The National 
Toxicology Program studies referenced in the Toxicological Review of 
Tetrahydrofuran are available by calling EPA's IRIS Hotline at 202-566-
1676, by fax at 202-566-1749 or by e-mail at [email protected].
    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 46484]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on the peer review 
workshop, contact Margaret Lyday, ORISE, P.O. Box 117, MS 17, Oak 
Ridge, TN 37831-0117, 865-576-2922 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: [email protected].
    If you have questions about the document, contact Jamie Strong, 
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 can 
use IRIS data 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 oral comments from the public. Please 
let ORISE know if you wish to make comments during the workshop prior 
to the meeting by registering on the Web site at http://www.orau.gov/tetrahydrofuran and indicating your intent to make oral comments. 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 http://www.regulations.gov

    Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-2007-
0599 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.
    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-
2007-0599. 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 consider to 
be CBI or otherwise protected through http://www.regulations.gov or e-
mail. The http://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 http://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: All documents in the docket are listed in the http://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 material, such 
as copyrighted material, will be publicly available only in hard copy. 
Publicly available docket materials are available either electronically 
in http://www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at the OEI Docket in the 
EPA Headquarters Docket Center.

    Dated: August 14, 2007.
Peter W. Preuss,
Director, National Center for Environmental Assessment.
[FR Doc. E7-16321 Filed 8-17-07; 8:45 am]
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