[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 61 (Wednesday, March 31, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16106-16108]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-7210]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-9132-5; Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-2010-0224]


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

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of Public Comment Period and Listening Session.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: EPA is announcing a 60-day public comment period and a public 
listening session for the external review draft human health assessment 
titled, ``Toxicological Review of Dichloromethane: In Support of 
Summary Information on the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS)'' 
(EPA/635/R-10/003). The draft assessment was prepared by the National 
Center for Environmental Assessment (NCEA) within EPA's Office of 
Research and Development (ORD). The public comment period and external 
peer review meeting, which will be scheduled at a later date and 
announced in the Federal Register, are separate processes that provide 
opportunities for all interested parties to comment on the assessment. 
EPA intends to forward the public comments that are submitted in 
accordance with this notice to the peer review panel prior to the 
meeting for their consideration. When finalizing the draft assessment, 
EPA intends to consider any public comments that EPA receives in 
accordance with this notice.
    EPA is also announcing a listening session to be held on May 11, 
2010, during the public comment period for this draft assessment. This 
listening session is a step in EPA's revised IRIS process, announced on 
May 21, 2009, for developing human health assessments for inclusion in 
the IRIS database. The purpose of the listening session is to allow all 
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 before the peer review meeting. 
EPA welcomes the 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 SAB peer review and the public comments. All presentations 
submitted to EPA according to the instructions below will become part 
of the official public record.
    EPA is releasing this draft assessment solely for the purpose of 
pre-dissemination peer review under applicable information quality 
guidelines. This assessment has not been formally disseminated by EPA. 
It does not represent and should not be construed to represent any 
Agency policy or determination.

DATES: The public comment period begins March 31, 2010, and ends June 
1, 2010. Comments should be in writing and must be received by EPA by 
June 1, 2010.
    The listening session on the draft assessment for dichloromethane 
will be held on May 11, 2010, beginning at 9 a.m. and ending at 4 p.m., 
Eastern Daylight Time. If you would like to attend the listening 
session, you should register by May 4, 2010. If you would like to make 
a presentation at the listening session, you should register by May 4, 
2010, indicate that you wish to make oral comments at the session, and 
indicate the length of your presentation. When you register, please 
indicate if you will need audio-visual aid (e.g., laptop computer and 
slide projector). In general, each presentation should be no more than 
30 minutes. If, however, there are more requests for presentations than 
the allotted time allows, then the time limit for each presentation 
will be adjusted. A copy of the agenda for the listening session will 
be available at the meeting. If no speakers have registered by May 4, 
2010, the listening session will be cancelled, and EPA will notify 
those registered of the cancellation.
    Listening session participants who want EPA to share their comments 
with the external peer reviewers should also submit written comments 
during the public comment period using the detailed and established 
procedures described in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this 
notice. 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 in the disposition of public comments. All comments 
received will be submitted to the docket, but comments received after 
the public comment period closes will not be submitted to the external 
peer reviewers and will only be considered by EPA if time permits.

ADDRESSES: The draft ``Toxicological Review of Dichloromethane: In 
Support of Summary Information on the Integrated Risk Information 
System (IRIS)'' is available primarily via the Internet on the NCEA 
home page under the Recent Additions and Publications menus at http://www.epa.gov/ncea. A limited number of paper copies are available from 
the Information Management Team (Address: Information Management Team, 
National Center for Environmental Assessment (Mail Code: 8601P), U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., 
Washington, DC 20460; telephone: 703-347-8561; facsimile: 703-347-
8691). If you request a paper copy, please provide your name, mailing 
address, and the assessment title.
    Comments may be submitted electronically via http://www.regulations.gov, by e-mail, by mail, by facsimile, or by hand 
delivery/courier. Please follow the detailed instructions provided in 
the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this notice.
    The listening session on the draft Dichloromethane assessment will 
be held at the EPA offices at Potomac Yard

[[Page 16107]]

North Building, Room 7100, 2733 South Crystal Drive, Arlington, 
Virginia 22202. To attend or give verbal comments at the listening 
session, register by May 4, 2010, via the Internet at https://www2.ergweb.com/projects/conferences/peerreview/register-dichl.htm. You 
may also register via e-mail at [email protected] (subject line: 
Dichloromethane Listening Session), please indicate whether you would 
like to make oral comments, and include your name, title, affiliation, 
full address and contact information). You may also register by phone 
at 781-674-7374 or toll free at 800-803-2833, or by faxing a 
registration request to 781-674-2906 (please reference the 
``Dichloromethane Listening Session'' and include your name, title, 
affiliation, full address and contact information). Please note that to 
gain entrance to this EPA building to attend the meeting, attendees 
must have photo identification with them and must register at the 
guard's desk in the lobby. The guard will retain your photo 
identification and will provide you with a visitor's badge. At the 
guard's desk, attendees should give the name Christine Ross and the 
telephone number 703-347-8592 to the guard on duty. The guard will 
contact Ms. Ross who will meet you in the reception area to escort you 
to the meeting room. When you leave the building, please return your 
visitor's badge to the guard and you will receive your photo 
identification.
    A teleconference line will also be available for registered 
attendees/speakers. The teleconference number is 866-299-3188 and the 
access code is 926-378-7897, followed by the pound sign (). 
The teleconference line will be activated at 8:45 a.m., and you will be 
asked to identify yourself and your affiliation at the beginning of the 
call.
    Information on Services for Individuals with Disabilities: EPA 
welcomes public attendance at the ``Dichloromethane Listening Session'' 
and will make every effort to accommodate persons with disabilities. 
For information on access or services for individuals with 
disabilities, please contact Christine Ross by phone: 703-347-8592 or 
by e-mail at [email protected]. To request accommodation of a 
disability, please make the proper notification, preferably at least 10 
days prior to the meeting, to give EPA as much time as possible to 
process your request.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on the public comment 
period, please contact the Office of Environmental Information (OEI) 
Docket (Mail Code: 2822T), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 
Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone: 202-566-1752; 
facsimile: 202-566-1753; or e-mail: [email protected].
    For information on the public listening session, please contact 
Christine Ross, IRIS Staff, National Center for Environmental 
Assessment (Mail Code: 8601P), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone: 703-
347-8592; facsimile: 703-347-8689; or e-mail: [email protected].
    If you have questions about the assessment, please contact Glinda 
S. Cooper, National Center for Environmental Assessment, U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., 8601P, 
Washington, DC 20460, telephone: 703-347-8636; facsimile: 703-347-8689; 
or e-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Information About IRIS

    EPA's IRIS is a human health assessment program that evaluates 
quantitative and qualitative risk information on effects that may 
result from exposure to specific chemical substances found in the 
environment. Through the IRIS Program, EPA provides the highest quality 
science-based human health assessments to support the Agency's 
regulatory activities. The IRIS database contains information for more 
than 540 chemical substances that can be used to support the first two 
steps (hazard identification and dose-response evaluation) of the risk 
assessment process. When supported by available data, IRIS provides 
oral reference doses (RfDs) and inhalation reference concentrations 
(RfCs) for chronic noncancer health effects and cancer assessments. 
Combined with specific exposure information, government and private 
entities use IRIS 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. How To Submit Comments to the Docket at http://www.regulations.gov

    Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-2010-
0224, by one of the following methods:
     http://www.regulations.gov: Follow the on-line 
instructions for submitting comments.
     E-mail: [email protected].
     Facsimile: 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 telephone number is 
202-566-1752. If you provide comments by mail, 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.
     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's 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. 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 
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.
    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 and cannot contact you for 
clarification, EPA may not be able to consider your comment.
    Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-
2010-0224. 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://

[[Page 16108]]

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 and 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: March 25, 2010.
Lynn Flowers,
Acting Director, National Center for Environmental Assessment.
[FR Doc. 2010-7210 Filed 3-30-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P