[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 146 (Tuesday, July 29, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Page 43932]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-17345]



[[Page 43932]]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-8698-6; Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-2008-0461]


Draft Toxicological Review of Tetrachloroethylene 
(Perchloroethylene): In Support of Summary Information on the 
Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of listening session.

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SUMMARY: EPA is announcing a listening session to be held on August 18, 
2008, during the public comment period for the external review draft 
document entitled, ``Draft Toxicological Review of Tetrachloroethylene 
(Perchloroethylene): In Support of Summary Information on the 
Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS).'' This listening session is 
a new step in EPA's revised process, announced on April 10, 2008, for 
development of human health assessments for inclusion on IRIS. The 
purpose of the listening session is to allow interested parties to 
present scientific and technical comments on draft IRIS health 
assessments to EPA and other interested parties during the public 
comment period and prior to the external peer review meeting. EPA 
welcomes the scientific and technical comments that will be provided to 
the Agency by the listening session participants. The comments will be 
considered by the Agency as it revises the draft assessment in response 
to the independent external peer review and public comments. All 
presentations will become part of the official and public record.
    The EPA's draft assessment and peer review charge are 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.

DATES: The listening session on the tetrachloroethylene draft IRIS 
health assessment will be held on August 18, 2008, beginning at 9 a.m. 
and ending at 3 p.m., Eastern Daylight Time. All participants should 
register by August 11, 2008. At the time of registration, participants 
wishing to make oral comments should indicate their intention to speak, 
the length of the intended presentation, and if audio-visual aid (e.g., 
computer and projector) will be required. Each oral presentation should 
be no more than 15 minutes in length. If, however, the total time of 
presentations exceeds the allotted session time, the time limit for 
each presentation will be adjusted accordingly. An agenda for the 
listening session will be made available at the meeting. If no speakers 
have registered by August 11, 2008, the listening session will be 
cancelled and EPA will notify those registered of the cancellation.
    The public comment period for review of this draft assessment was 
announced previously in the Federal Register (FR) (73 FR 36321) on June 
26, 2008. As stated in that FR notice, the public comment period began 
on June 26, 2008, and ends September 24, 2008. Listening session 
participants who wish to have their comments available to the external 
peer reviewers should also submit written comments during the public 
comment period according to the procedures included in the 
aforementioned FR notice (June 26, 2008). Comments submitted to the 
docket prior to the end of the public comment period will be submitted 
to the external peer reviewers and considered by EPA.

ADDRESSES: The listening session on the draft tetrachloroethylene 
assessment will be held at the EPA offices at Two Potomac Yard (North 
Building), 4th Floor, 2733 South Crystal Drive, Arlington, Virginia, 
22202. To attend the listening session, register by August 11, 2008 by 
providing your name, title, affiliation, full address and contact 
information via e-mail to [email protected] (subject line: 
``Tetrachloroethylene listening session''), by fax to 703-347-8689 
(please reference ``Tetrachloroetheylene listening session'') or by 
phone to 703-347-8592. Please note that in order to gain access to the 
meeting site, attendees must present government-issued photo 
identification and must register at the guard's desk in the building 
lobby. The guard will retain your photo identification, issue a 
visitor's badge, and contact an EPA employee to meet you in the 
reception area and escort you to the meeting room. Your photo 
identification will be returned when you exit the building.
    A teleconference line will also be available for registered 
attendees/speakers beginning at 8:45 a.m. on August 18, 2008. The 
teleconference number is 866-299-3188 and the access code is 
1068186199. All teleconference participants will be asked to 
provide their name, title and affiliation at the beginning of the 
teleconference.
    Information on Services for Individuals with Disabilities: For 
information on access or services for individuals with disabilities, 
please contact Christine Ross at 703-347-8592 or 
[email protected]. To request accommodation of a disability, 
please notify EPA at least 10 days prior to the meeting.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on the public 
listening session or the draft tetrachloroethylene assessment, contact 
Christine Ross at 703-347-8592 or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This listening session is a new step in 
EPA's revised process, announced on April 10, 2008, for development of 
human health assessments for inclusion on IRIS. The new process is 
posted on the NCEA home page under the Recent Additions menu at http://www.epa.gov/ncea. Two listening sessions are scheduled under the new 
IRIS process. The first is during the public review of the draft 
assessment that includes only qualitative discussion. The second 
session is during the public review of the externally peer-reviewed 
draft assessment; if feasible, this draft will include both qualitative 
and quantitation elements (i.e., a ``complete draft''). All IRIS 
assessments that are at the document development stage will follow the 
revised process, which includes the two listening sessions. However, 
when EPA initiated the new IRIS process, the tetrachloroethylene draft 
assessment had already completed document development and been through 
multiple rounds of internal review. Therefore, EPA will only hold one 
listening session during the public review and comment period.

    Dated: July 21, 2008.
Rebecca Clark,
Deputy Director, National Center for Environmental Assessment.
 [FR Doc. E8-17345 Filed 7-28-08; 8:45 am]
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