[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 16 (Thursday, January 24, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4213-4214]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-1224]



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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-8520-5; Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-2007-1095]


Draft Toxicological Review of Chlordecone (Kepone): 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 Versar, under a contract with EPA, will 
convene an independent panel of experts and organize and conduct an 
external peer-review workshop to review the external review draft 
document entitled, ``Toxicological Review of Chlordecone (Kepone): In 
Support of Summary Information on the Integrated Risk Information 
System (IRIS)'' (EPA/635/R-07/004). The EPA is also 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 the external 
peer-review panel prior to the workshop for their consideration.
    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.
    Versar invites the public to register to attend this workshop as 
observers. In addition, Versar 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 any public comments that EPA 
receives in accordance with this notice.

DATES: The peer-review panel workshop will be held on April 10, 2008 at 
9 a.m. The 60-day public comment period begins on January 24, 2008 and 
ends March 24, 2008. Technical comments should be in writing and must 
be received by EPA by March 24, 2008. EPA intends to submit comments 
from the public received by this date to Versar prior to the workshop 
for consideration by the panel.

ADDRESSES: The peer-review workshop will be held at the Westin 
Alexandria, 400 Courthouse Square, Alexandria, Virginia 22314. Versar 
is organizing, convening, and conducting the peer-review workshop. To 
attend the workshop, register by April 1, 2008 via the Internet at 
http://epa.versar.com/kepone. You may also register by calling Versar 
at 703-750-3000 extension 582, or sending an email to Gina Casciano at 
[email protected]. You must register by April 1, 2008 and indicate 
whether you wish to provide brief oral comments at the workshop.
    The draft ``Toxicological Review of Chlordecone (Kepone): 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 NCEA's 
Information Management Team; telephone: 703-347-8561; facsimile: 703-
347-8691. If you are requesting a paper copy, please provide your name, 
mailing address, and the document title.
    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 Gina Casciano at Versar; telephone: 703-750-3000 
extension 582 or e-mail [email protected]. 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 
Kathleen Newhouse, IRIS Staff, National Center for Environmental 
Assessment, (8601P), U.S. EPA, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., 
Washington, DC 20460; telephone: 703-347-8641; e-mail: 
[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 
540 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 may attend the 
workshop as observers, and there will be a limited time for oral 
comments from the public. Please let Versar know if you wish to make 
comments during the workshop prior to the meeting by registering on the 
Web site at http://epa.versar.com/kepone 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 
www.regulations.gov

    Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD2007-
1095 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

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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-
2007-1095. 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 
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 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: All 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 material, such 
as copyrighted material, will be 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: January 17, 2008.
Rebecca Clark,
Deputy Director, National Center for Environmental Assessment.
[FR Doc. E8-1224 Filed 1-23-08; 8:45 am]
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