[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 88 (Tuesday, May 6, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24982-24983]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-9947]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-8562-5; Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-2008-0111]


Draft Toxicological Review of Cerium Oxide and Cerium 
Compounds: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, Inc., 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 Cerium Oxide and 
Cerium Compounds: In Support of Summary Information on the Integrated 
Risk Information System (IRIS)'' (EPA/635/R-08/002). 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, Inc., invites the public to register to attend this 
workshop as observers. In addition, Versar, Inc., 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 or Recent Additions at 
http://www.epa.gov/ncea and is also accessible from the IRIS home page 
or Recent Additions at http://www.epa.gov/iris. 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 July 8, 2008, at 
9 a.m. The 60-day public comment period begins on May 5, 2008, and ends 
June 30, 2008. Technical comments should be in writing and must be 
received by EPA by June 30, 2008. EPA intends to submit comments from 
the public received by this date to Versar, Inc., prior to the workshop 
for consideration by the panel.

ADDRESSES: The peer-review workshop will be held at the Courtyard by 
Marriott Crystal City, 2899 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, VA 
22202. Versar, Inc., is organizing, convening, and conducting the peer-
review workshop. To attend the workshop, register by July 1, 2008, via 
the Internet at http://epa.versar.com/cerium/. You may also register by 
calling Karie Riley at 757-227-9552, or sending an e-mail to 
[email protected]. You must register by July 1, 2008, and indicate 
whether you wish to provide brief oral comments at the workshop.
    The draft ``Toxicological Review of Cerium Oxide and Cerium 
Compounds: In Support of Summary Information on the Integrated Risk 
Information System (IRIS)'' is available via the Internet on NCEA's 
home page or Recent Additions at http://www.epa.gov/ncea and is also 
accessible from the IRIS home page or Recent Additions at http://www.epa.gov/iris. 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 http://www.regulations.gov, by mail, by facsimile, or by hand delivery/
courier. Please follow the detailed instructions

[[Page 24983]]

as provided in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this notice.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on the peer review 
workshop, contact Karie Riley at 757-227-9552, or by e-mail at 
[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 Martin Gehlhaus, IRIS 
Staff, National Center for Environmental Assessment, (8601P), U.S. EPA, 
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone: 703-
347-8579; 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 as observers, and 
there will be a limited time for oral comments from the public. Please 
let Versar, Inc., 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/cerium/ 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-2008-
0111 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-
2008-0111. 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: April 24, 2008.
Rebecca Clark,
Deputy Director, National Center for Environmental Assessment.
 [FR Doc. E8-9947 Filed 5-5-08; 8:45 am]
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