[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 92 (Monday, May 12, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26986-26987]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-10510]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-8564-7; Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-2008-0315]


Draft Toxicological Review of Beryllium: 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 Beryllium: In Support of 
Summary Information on the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS)'' 
(EPA/635/R-08/009A). 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 at http://www.epa.gov/ncea and are also 
accessible from the IRIS home page 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 16, 2008, at 
9:00 a.m. The 60-day public comment period begins on May 12, 2008, and 
ends July 5, 2008. Technical comments should be in writing and must be 
received by EPA by July 5, 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 Courtyard By 
Marriott/Crystal City, 2899 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, VA 
22202. Versar is organizing, convening, and conducting the peer-review 
workshop. To attend the workshop, register by July 11, 2008, via the 
Internet at http://epa.versar.com/beryllium. You may also register by 
calling Versar at 703-750-3000 extension 582, or sending an e-mail to 
Gina Casciano at [email protected]. You must register by July 11, 
2008, and indicate whether you wish to provide brief oral comments at 
the workshop.
    The draft ``Toxicological Review of Beryllium: In Support of 
Summary Information on the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS)'' 
is available via the Internet on NCEA's home page at http://www.epa.gov/ncea and is also accessible from the IRIS home page at 
http://www.epa.gov/iris. A limited number of paper copies is 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 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 
Amanda S. Persad, IRIS Staff, National Center for Environmental 
Assessment (B-243-01), U.S. EPA, Research

[[Page 26987]]

Triangle Park, NC 27711; telephone: 919-541-9781; 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 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/beryllium 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-
0315 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-
2008-0315. 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: May 6, 2008.
Joseph DeSantis,
Acting Deputy Director, National Center for Environmental Assessment.
[FR Doc. E8-10510 Filed 5-9-08; 8:45 am]
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