[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 248 (Friday, December 28, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 73803-73807]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-25226]
[[Page 73803]]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-HQ-OPPT-2006-0794; FRL-8345-6]
Review of Chemical Proposals for Addition under the Stockholm
Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants; Solicitation of
Information for the Development of Risk Management Evaluations and Risk
Profiles
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: This notice solicits information relevant to the development
of risk management evaluations pursuant to the Stockholm Convention on
Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) (hereafter Convention) for the
following chemicals which are being reviewed for possible addition to
the Convention's Annexes A, B, and/or C as POPs: Commercial
octabromodiphenyl ether (c-octaBDE) (CAS No. 32536-52-0 ),
pentachlorobenzene (PeCB) (CAS No. 608-93-5), alpha-
hexachlorocyclohexane (alpha-HCH) (CAS No. 319-84-6), and beta-
hexachlorocyclohexane (beta-HCH) (CAS No. 319-85-7). Additionally, this
notice solicits additional information relevant to the development of
the risk profile pursuant to the Convention for the following chemical
which is also being reviewed for possible addition to the Convention's
Annexes A, B, and/or C as POPs: Short-chained chlorinated paraffins
(SCCP) (CAS No. 85535-84-8). EPA is issuing this notice to alert
interested and potentially affected persons of these proposals and the
status of their review under the Convention, and to encourage such
persons to provide information relevant to the development of risk
profiles and risk management evaluations under the Convention.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before January 22, 2008.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by docket identification
(ID) number EPA-HQ-OPPT-2006-0794, by one of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.
Follow the on-line instructions for submitting comments.
Mail: Document Control Office (7407M), Office of Pollution
Prevention and Toxics (OPPT), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200
Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001.
Hand Delivery: OPPT Document Control Office (DCO), EPA
East Bldg., Rm. 6428, 1201 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC.
Attention: Docket ID Number EPA-HQ-OPPT-2006-0794. The DCO is open from
8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The
telephone number for the DCO is (202) 564-8930. Such deliveries are
only accepted during the DCO's normal hours of operation, and special
arrangements should be made for deliveries of boxed information.
Instructions: Direct your comments to docket ID number EPA-HQ-OPPT-
2006-0794. EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included
in the docket without change and may be made available on-line at
http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information
provided, unless the 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 regulations.gov or e-
mail. The regulations.gov website 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 regulations.gov,
your e-mail address will be automatically captured and included as part
of the comment that is placed in the 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 docket index
available in regulations.gov. To access the electronic docket, go to
http://www.regulations.gov, select ``Advanced Search,'' then ``Docket
Search.'' Insert the docket ID number where indicated and select the
``Submit'' button. Follow the instructions on the regulations.gov
website to view the docket index or access available documents.
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 electronically at http://www.regulations.gov, or, if only available in hard copy, at the OPPT
Docket. The OPPT Docket is located in the EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC) at
Rm. 3334, EPA West Bldg., 1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC.
The EPA/DC Public Reading Room hours of operation are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30
p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding Federal holidays. The telephone
number of the EPA/DC Public Reading Room is (202) 566-1744, and the
telephone number for the OPPT Docket is (202) 566-0280. Docket visitors
are required to show photographic identification, pass through a metal
detector, and sign the EPA visitor log. All visitor bags are processed
through an X-ray machine and subject to search. Visitors will be
provided an EPA/DC badge that must be visible at all times in the
building and returned upon departure.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information contact: Colby
Lintner, Regulatory Coordinator, Environmental Assistance Division
(7408M), Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, Environmental
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460-
0001; telephone number: (202) 554-1404; e-mail address: [email protected].
For technical information contact: Amy Breedlove, Chemical Control
Division (7405M), Office Pollution Prevention and Toxics, Environmental
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460-
0001; telephone number: (202) 564-9823; e-mail address:
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. General Information
A. Does this Action Apply to Me?
This action is directed to the public in general, and may be of
particular interest to chemical substance and pesticide manufacturers,
importers, and processors. Since other entities may also be interested,
the Agency has not attempted to describe all the specific entities that
may be affected by this action. If you have any questions regarding the
applicability of this action to a particular entity, consult the person
listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
B. What Should I Consider as I Prepare My Comments for EPA?
1. Submitting CBI. Do not submit this information to EPA through
regulations.gov or e-mail. Clearly mark the part or all of the
information that
[[Page 73804]]
you claim to be CBI. For CBI information in a disk or CD-ROM that you
mail to EPA, mark the outside of the disk or CD-ROM as CBI and then
identify electronically within the disk or CD-ROM the specific
information that is claimed as CBI. In addition to one complete version
of the comment that includes information claimed as CBI, a copy of the
comment that does not contain the information claimed as CBI must be
submitted for inclusion in the public docket. Information so marked
will not be disclosed except in accordance with procedures set forth in
40 CFR part 2.
2. Procedures for preparing confidential information related to
pesticides and industrial chemicals. Procedures for preparing
confidential information related to pesticides and industrial chemicals
are in Unit I.B.1. Send confidential information about industrial
chemicals using the submission procedures under ADDRESSES. Send
confidential information about pesticides to: Janice K. Jensen, Office
of Pesticide Programs (7506P), Environmental Protection, 1200
Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001 or hand delivered to:
Janice K. Jensen, Government and International Services Branch, Office
of Pesticide Programs, Potomac Yard South, 2777 S. Crystal Dr., Rm.
S11315, Arlington, VA 22202. If you have CBI pesticide
information to submit or questions about delivering CBI to Janice,
please contact her at [email protected].
3. Incorporation of comments in U.S. response. Commenters should
note that none of the CBI information received by EPA will be forwarded
to the Stockholm Convention Secretariat (hereafter Secretariat).
Information from submissions containing CBI may be considered by EPA in
the development of the U.S. response. If commenters wish EPA to
consider incorporating information in documents with CBI as part of the
U.S. response, commenters should provide a sanitized copy of the
documents. Sanitized copies must be complete except that all
information claimed as CBI is deleted. EPA will place sanitized copies
in the public docket.
4. CD-ROMs. Please note that due to incoming mail being x-rayed,
CD-ROM's tend to melt and become unusable. It is recommended that they
not be sent through the mail.
5. Tips for preparing your comments. When submitting comments,
remember to:
i. Identify the document by docket ID number and other identifying
information (subject heading, Federal Register date and page number).
ii. Follow directions. The Agency may ask you to respond to
specific questions or organize comments by referencing a Code of
Federal Regulations (CFR) part or section number.
iii. Explain why you agree or disagree; suggest alternatives and
substitute language for your requested changes.
iv. Describe any assumptions and provide any technical information
and/or data that you used.
v. If you estimate potential costs or burdens, explain how you
arrived at your estimate in sufficient detail to allow for it to be
reproduced.
vi. Provide specific examples to illustrate your concerns and
suggest alternatives.
vii. Explain your views as clearly as possible, avoiding the use of
profanity or personal threats.
viii. Make sure to submit your comments by the comment period
deadline identified.
II. Background
A. What Action is the Agency Taking?
The Agency is issuing this notice to increase awareness of the
proposals concerning the chemicals subject to this notice, and to
provide interested persons with an opportunity to provide relevant
information to EPA for its consideration in the development of the
United States' submissions relevant to Convention Annexes E and F for
the chemical substances under review at this time for possible addition
to Annexes A, B, and/or C of the Convention. On December 3 and 4, 2007,
the Secretariat invited Parties and observers to submit to the POPs
Review Committee (POPRC) (via the Secretariat) information specified in
Annex E and Annex F of the Convention, and other relevant information
(the Secretariat's invitation letters can be found at http://www.pops.int/documents/meetings/poprc/docs/comments.htm). The United
States is an observer. EPA is requesting that any information be
submitted to EPA no later than January 22, 2008. The United States
intends to make a submission by February 4, 2008, to meet the
Secretariat's deadline. In addition, EPA will consider the information
during its review of the draft risk management evaluations developed by
ad hoc working groups established under POPRC in the coming months. The
chemical listing process is discussed in more detail in Unit II.B.
Individuals or organizations that wish to submit information directly
to POPRC via the Secretariat should work through their respective
observer organizations, if any.
B. The Convention Chemical Listing Process
The Convention is a multilateral environmental agreement designed
to protect human health and the environment from persistent organic
pollutants. The United States signed the Convention in May of 2001 but
has not yet ratified it (and thus is not a Party to the Convention).
The United States currently participates as an observer in Convention
activities. The Convention, which went into force in May of 2004,
requires the Parties to reduce or eliminate the production and use of a
number of intentionally produced POPs used as pesticides or industrial
chemicals. The Convention also calls upon Parties to take certain
specified measures to reduce releases of certain unintentionally
produced POPs with the goal of their continuing minimization and, where
feasible, ultimate elimination. The Convention also imposes controls on
the handling of POPs wastes and on trade in POPs chemicals.
In addition, there are specific science-based procedures that
Parties to the Convention must use when considering the addition of new
chemicals to the Convention's Annexes. Article 8 of the Convention
provides the process that must be followed for listing new chemicals in
Annexes A, B, and/or C, and is described in summary in this unit with
certain associated implementation procedures being followed by POPRC:
1. A Party to the Convention may submit a proposal to the
Secretariat for listing a chemical in Annexes A, B and/or C of the
Convention. The proposal shall contain the information specified in
Annex D of the Convention (``Information Requirements and Screening
Criteria'').
2. The Secretariat verifies that the proposal contains the
information specified in Annex D of the Convention, and if the
Secretariat is satisfied, the proposal is forwarded to POPRC.
3. POPRC examines the proposal, applies the Convention Annex D
screening criteria, and determines whether the screening criteria have
been fulfilled.
4. If POPRC is satisfied that the criteria have been fulfilled,
POPRC, through the Secretariat, will make the proposal and POPRC's
evaluation available to all Parties and observers and invite them to
submit the information specified in Annex E (``Information Requirements
for the Risk Profiles'') of the Convention.
5. Draft risk profiles are prepared by ad hoc working groups under
POPRC in accordance with Annex E of the
[[Page 73805]]
Convention for consideration by POPRC and made available to all Parties
and observers to collect technical comments.
6. POPRC reviews the draft risk profile and technical comments,
completes the risk profile, and determines whether the chemical is
likely, as a result of its long-range environmental transport, to lead
to significant adverse human health and/or environmental effects, such
that global action is warranted.
7. If POPRC determines that action is warranted, then POPRC,
through the Secretariat, will ask Parties and observers to provide
information specified in Annex F (``Information on Socio-Economic
Considerations'') of the Convention to aid in the development of risk
management evaluations (that include an analysis of possible control
measures).
8. Draft risk management evaluations are prepared by ad hoc working
groups under POPRC in accordance with Annex F of the Convention for
consideration by POPRC and made available to Parties and observers to
collect technical comments.
9. POPRC reviews the draft risk management evaluation prepared by
the ad hoc working group and completes it.
10. On the basis of the risk profile and the risk management
evaluation for each chemical, POPRC recommends whether the chemical
should be considered by the Conference of the Parties (COP) for listing
in Convention Annexes A, B, and/or C. (The type(s) of control
measure(s) that might be introduced for a specific chemical would
dictate whether the chemical would be listed in Annex A (elimination),
Annex B (restriction), and/or Annex C (unintentional production) of the
Convention.)
11. The COP makes the final decision on listing the chemical in
Annexes A, B, and/or C of the Convention.
EPA anticipates issuing Federal Register notices soliciting
information, when appropriate, during the listing process.
C. What Information is Being Requested for Risk Management Evaluations?
For the chemicals currently at the risk management stage (see Unit
II.G.), EPA is seeking information that is supplementary to the
information provided during previous stages in the review process;
i.e., information relevant to Convention Annexes D and E; the
proposals, evaluations and risk profiles. These documents, as well as
the Secretariat's letter soliciting information, are available at the
Convention website (http://www.pops.int/documents/meetings/poprc/poprc.htm). In addition, POPRC identified specific areas where
information and data relevant to the chemicals under consideration
would be particularly useful for the future process. This information
is discussed in Unit II.G.
When providing information, keep in mind that the possible control
measures under the Convention include, among others, the prohibition or
severe restriction of production and use. Therefore, the provision of
accurate, high-quality information, as described in this notice and in
the Secretariat letter soliciting information, is a priority for
POPRC's evaluation.
Commenters are invited to provide information they deem relevant to
POPRC's development of the risk management evaluation, such as that
specified in Annex F of the Convention and other related information,
as described in this unit and in Unit II.G. Provide summary information
and relevant references for:
1. Efficacy and efficiency of possible control measures in meeting
risk reduction goals:
i. Describe possible control measures.
ii. Technical feasibility.
iii. Costs, including environmental and health costs.
2. Alternatives (products and processes):
i. Describe alternatives.
ii. Technical feasibility.
iii. Costs, including environmental and health costs.
iv. Efficacy.
v. Risk.
vi. Availability.
vii. Accessibility.
3. Positive and/or negative impacts on society of implementing
possible control measures:
i. Health, including public, environmental and occupational health.
ii. Agriculture, including aquaculture and forestry.
iii. Biota (biodiversity).
iv. Economic aspects.
v. Movement towards sustainable development.
vi. Social costs.
4. Waste and disposal implications (in particular, obsolete stocks
of pesticides and clean-up of contaminated sites):
i. Technical feasibility.
ii. Cost.
5. Access to information and public education.
6. Status of control and monitoring capacity.
7. Any national or regional control actions taken, including
information on alternatives, and other relevant risk management
information.
8. Other relevant information for the risk management evaluation.
9. Other information requested by POPRC.
POPRC would also like to collect more Convention Annex E
information and has requested additional or updated information for the
following:
Production data, including quantity and location.
Uses.
Releases, such as discharges, losses and emissions.
D. What Information is Being Requested for Risk Profiles?
For chemicals at the risk profile stage (see Unit II.H.), EPA is
seeking information that is supplementary to the information in the
proposals on the chemicals and POPRC's evaluation of the proposals
against the Convention`s Annex D screening criteria. The proposals and
the evaluations, as well as the Secretariat's letter inviting Parties
and observers to provide information, are available at the Convention
website: http://www.pops.int/documents/meetings/poprc/poprc.htm.
Commenters are invited to provide information they deem relevant to
POPRC's development of risk profiles, such as that specified in Annex E
of the Convention and other related information, as described in this
unit and in Unit II.H.:
1. Sources, including as appropriate:
i. Production data, including quantity and location.
ii. Uses.
iii. Releases, such as discharges, losses and emissions.
2. Hazard assessment for the endpoint(s) of concern (as identified
in the proposals and/or POPRC's evaluation of the proposals against the
screening criteria of Convention Annex D), including a consideration of
toxicological interactions involving multiple chemicals.
3. Environmental fate, including data and information on the
chemical and physical properties of a chemical as well as its
persistence and how they are linked to its environmental transport,
transfer within and between environmental compartments, degradation and
transformation to other chemicals.
4. Monitoring data.
5. Exposure in local areas and, in particular, as a result of long
range environmental transport, and including information regarding bio-
availability.
E. How Should the Information be Provided?
1. EPA requests that commenters, where possible, use the
questionnaire developed by POPRC to provide their information. The
questionnaire with
[[Page 73806]]
explanatory notes can be found on the Convention website at: http://www.pops.int/documents/meetings/poprc/request.htm. Information does not
need to be provided for each item in the questionnaire. The explanatory
notes under each item have been developed by POPRC and are meant to
guide and assist the providers of information. Commenters are requested
to include clear and precise references for all sources. Without the
exact source of the information, POPRC will not be able to use the
information. If the information is not readily available in the public
literature, commenters may consider attaching the original source of
the information to their submission. Commenters should indicate clearly
on the questionnaire which chemical the information concerns and use
one questionnaire per chemical. If for some reason the questionnaire
does not provide an adequate mechanism for a type of comment or
information, EPA requests that such comment or information be submitted
using a similar format.
2. Although POPRC has developed provisional arrangements for the
treatment of confidential information, as mentioned in Unit I.B.3., no
CBI will be forwarded to the Secretariat. EPA will, however, consider
such information in development of the U.S. response to the
Secretariat. Instructions on where and how to submit comments and
confidential information can be found in Unit I.B.2. and 3. and
ADDRESSES.
3. Anyone wishing to have an opportunity to communicate with EPA
orally on this issue should consult the technical person listed under
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
F. What is the Agency's Authority for Taking this Action?
EPA is requesting comment and information under the authority of
section 102(2)(F) of the National Environmental Policy Act, 42 U.S.C.
4321 et seq., which directs all agencies of the Federal Government to
``[r]ecognize the worldwide and long-range character of environmental
problems and, where consistent with the foreign policy of the United
States, lend appropriate support to initiatives, resolutions and
programs designed to maximize cooperation in anticipating and
preventing a decline in the quality of mankind's world environment.''
Section 17(d) of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act
(FIFRA) also provides additional support in that it directs the
Administrator of the EPA ``in cooperation with the Department of State
and any other appropriate Federal agency, [to] participate and
cooperate in any international efforts to develop improved pesticide
research and regulations.''
G. What is the Status of Chemicals at the Risk Management Stage?
The second meeting of POPRC took place on November 6-10, 2006, in
Geneva, Switzerland. EPA provided notice of this meeting and POPRC's
intention to consider proposals for the five chemicals listed in this
unit in the Federal Register notice of October 6, 2006 (71 FR 59108)
(FRL-8099-2). Information about the November 2006 POPRC meeting is
available at the Convention website http://www.pops.int. POPRC had
before it five proposals which were submitted for its consideration by
Parties to the Convention for addition to Annexes A, B, and/or C of the
Convention.
1. Two of the five proposals were for industrial chemicals:
i. Octabromodiphenyl ether.
ii. Short-chained chlorinated paraffins.
2. One of the five proposals was for a chemical with both
industrial and pesticidal uses: Pentachlorobenzene.
3. Two of the five proposals were for pesticides:
i. Alpha-hexachlorocyclohexane.
ii. Beta-hexachlorocyclohexane.
In accordance with the procedure in Article 8 of the Convention and
discussed in Unit II.B., during the November 2006 meeting, POPRC
examined the proposals and applied the screening criteria in Annex D of
the Convention. With regard to all five chemicals, POPRC decided that
it was satisfied that the screening criteria had been fulfilled and,
that further work should therefore be undertaken to develop risk
profiles. Therefore, POPRC, through the Secretariat, on December 8,
2006, requested that Parties and observers provide information relevant
to POPRC's development of risk profiles for the five chemicals listed
in this unit. In addition to the Convention Annex E information
discussed in Unit II.D., POPRC determined, and the Secretariat
requested in their December 2006 letter, that additional information on
the environmental fate of SCCP or information relating to their
properties which would enable a fuller evaluation of environmental fate
as being particularly useful for the future process. In the Federal
Register notice of December 20, 2006 (71 FR 76325) (FRL-8109-1), EPA
invited commenters to provide EPA with information for the risk
profiles.
Using the information in the proposal and information submitted by
Parties and observers in response to the Secretariat's request in
December 2006 in accordance with paragraph 4(a) of Article 8 of the
Convention, risk profiles were prepared for each of the chemicals to,
as noted in Convention Annex E, ``evaluate whether the chemical is
likely, as a result of its long-range environmental transport, to lead
to significant adverse human health and/or environmental effects, such
that global action is warranted.'' The risk profile must further
evaluate and elaborate on the information referred to in Annex D of the
Convention and include, as far as possible, the information listed in
Convention Annex E. A draft outline of the risk profile has been
developed by POPRC, available at http://www.pops.int/documents/meetings/poprc/request.htm. The draft risk profiles developed by ad hoc
working groups established by POPRC were presented in November 2007 at
the third meeting of the POPRC (POPRC 3) for consideration.
In accordance with the procedure in Article 8 of the Convention and
described Unit II.B., POPRC 3 examined the risk profiles and decided
that the chemicals, except for SCCP, are likely, as a result of their
long-range environmental transport, to lead to significant adverse
human health and/or environmental effects such that global action is
warranted. At that meeting, POPRC 3 also examined the draft risk
profile for SCCP, but considered that the information available was
insufficient to support the Convention Annex E-related decision on
likely significant adverse effects from long-range environmental
transport and did not approve the risk profile for the chemical.
Therefore, POPRC 3 agreed to defer its final Convention Annex E-
related decision on SCCP to its fourth meeting. POPRC, through the
Secretariat, as described in Unit II.H., has asked for additional
information for the SCCP risk profile.
The next step in the process for substances found by POPRC to be
likely, as a result of their long-range environmental transport, to
lead to significant adverse human health and/or environmental effects
such that global action is warranted is for POPRC to prepare a risk
management evaluation that includes an analysis of possible control
measures, which as noted in Annex F (``Information on Socio-Economic
Considerations'') of the Convention should encompass ``the full range
of options, including management and elimination.'' The risk management
evaluation shall further evaluate and elaborate on the information
referred to in Annexes D and E of the Convention. Relevant information
should include socio-economic considerations
[[Page 73807]]
associated with possible control measures (see Unit II.C.) and should
reflect due regard for the differing capabilities and conditions among
the Parties. A draft outline of the risk management evaluation has been
developed by POPRC and is available at http://www.pops.int/documents/meetings/poprc/request.htm. The risk management evaluation will take
into account information to be submitted by Parties and observers as
requested by POPRC through the Secretariat on December 4, 2007. Draft
risk management evaluations developed by ad hoc working groups
established under POPRC will be considered by the full POPRC and
proceed as discussed in Unit II.B.
In addition to the Convention Annex F information discussed in Unit
II.C., POPRC 3 identified the following specific areas where
information and data relevant to the chemicals under consideration
would be particularly useful for the future process.
1. Commercial octabromodiphenyl ether (c-octaBDE). When evaluating
commercial c-octaBDE against the criteria contained in Annex D of the
Convention and during the preparation of the risk profile as described
in Annex E of the Convention, there was a further need identified for
information on octabromodiphenyl ether (octaBDE) and nonabromodiphenyl
ether (nonaBDE) related to risk estimations and bioaccumulation,
including the environmental and health relevance of debromination. The
POPRC 3 invited the intersessional working group on c-octaBDE to
explore the information and if appropriate revise the risk profile for
consideration by POPRC at its fourth meeting. Therefore, in addition to
Convention Annex F information, POPRC is seeking:
i. Information on octa-BDE and nona-BDE related to risk estimation
and bioaccumulation.
ii. Information on quantitative assessments of the role of
debromination.
iii. Toxicological and ecotoxicological information for the
commercial mixture and its components.
Further, EPA notes that:
The POPRC 3 Convention Annex E/risk profile-related
decision on c-octaBDE actually was based on the hexabromodiphenyl ether
(hexaBDE) through nonaBDE congeners that are components of the
commercial mixture.
The POPRC 3 Convention Annex F/risk management-related
recommendation that related to the commercial pentabromodiphenyl ether
risk management evaluation actually covered the tetrabromodiphenyl
ether and pentabromodiphenyl ether congener components of that
commercial mixture. (These decisions will be reflected in the POPRC 3
final report which will be available at: http://www.pops.int/documents/meetings once it is finalized.)
Given this history, EPA believes there is a reasonable possibility that
the POPRC will consider recommending the listing of the component
congeners of c-octaBDE at its next meeting in October 2008 (POPRC 4).
As such, EPA believes the type of information described in Annex F of
the Convention (as described in Unit II.C.) relating to the hexaBDE
through nonaBDE congeners that are components of the commercial mixture
would be of use to POPRC, and is interested in information in this
regard to inform its decisions and recommendations at POPRC 4.
2. Pentachlorobenzene (PeCB). At its third meeting of POPRC, it was
noted that there were information gaps in the risk profile regarding
environmental burden caused by intentional use and unintentional
releases of PeCB. It was discussed that the comparison of exposure and
effect data would provide a more complete basis for decisionmaking on
the relative risk posed by a substance and such information is
particularly important with a substance like PeCB that has both
intended uses and unintentional sources. Quantitative data would
provide useful understanding of the toxicity of the chemical and enable
a clearer estimation of the costs and benefits that might be expected
from listing it. Therefore, in addition to seeking information under
the headings listed in Convention Annex F information, POPRC is
seeking:
i. Information related to environmental burden caused by
intentional use of PeCB.
ii. Information related to environmental burden caused by
unintentional releases of PeCB.
H. What is the Status of the Chemical at the Risk Profile Stage?
In accordance with paragraph 7(a) of Article 8 of the Convention
POPRC at its third meeting in November 2007 examined the draft risk
profile for SCCP and considered that the information available was
insufficient to support a decision on the risk profile. Therefore,
POPRC agreed to defer its final decision to its fourth meeting and in
its letter of December 3, 2007, the Secretariat invited Parties and
observers to submit to the Secretariat additional information specified
in Annex E of the Convention, particularly information on toxicity and
ecotoxicity.
In addition, EPA is interested in receiving other information that
would help support a determination of whether SCCP are likely, as a
result of long-range environmental transport, to lead to significant
adverse human health and/or environmental effects, such that global
action is warranted. In particular, EPA would be interested in
comparisons of toxicity or ecotoxicity data with detected or predicted
levels of the substances resulting or anticipated from long-range
environmental transport.
List of Subjects
Environmental protection, Chemicals, Hazardous substances.
Dated: December 20, 2007.
Wendy C. Hamnett,
Acting Director, Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics.
[FR Doc. E7-25226 Filed 12-27-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-S