[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 237 (Friday, December 10, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76995-76997]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-31052]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES


National Toxicology Program (NTP); Center for the Evaluation of 
Risks to Human Reproduction (CERHR); NTP Workshop: Role of 
Environmental Chemicals in the Development of Diabetes and Obesity

AGENCY: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

[[Page 76996]]

(NIEHS); National Institutes of Health (NIH).

ACTION: Announcement of a workshop and request for information and 
comments.

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SUMMARY: The NTP announces a workshop on January 11-13, 2011, to 
evaluate the science associating exposure to certain chemicals or 
chemical classes with the development of diabetes and obesity in 
humans. The NTP invites the submission of public comments and relevant 
data for consideration at the workshop. Registration to attend the 
workshop is closed; however, slides presented during the plenary 
sessions will be webcast over the Internet. Information about the 
workshop may be found at http://cerhr.niehs.nih.gov/evals/diabetesobesity/index.html.

DATES: The workshop will be held January 11-13, 2011, and begin each 
day at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Standard Time and end at approximately 5 p.m. 
on January 11 and 12 and approximately 12:30 p.m. on January 13. 
Written comments and data should be received by January 3, 2010, to 
enable review by NIEHS/NTP staff and workshop panelists prior to the 
meeting.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Marriott Crabtree Valley 
Hotel, 4500 Marriott Drive, Raleigh, NC 27612 (919-781-7000). All 
correspondence should be directed to Dr. Kristina Thayer, NTP/CERHR, 
NIEHS, P.O. Box 12233, MD K2-04, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709 
(mail), 919-541-5021 (telephone), or [email protected] (e-mail). 
Courier address: NIEHS, 530 Davis Drive, Room K2163, Morrisville, NC 
27560. The Web site for the meeting is http://cerhr.niehs.nih.gov/evals/diabetesobesity/index.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Kristina Thayer at 919-541-5021 or 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    There has been increasing interest in the concept that 
environmental chemicals may be contributing factors to the epidemics of 
diabetes and obesity. The NTP is holding a workshop to evaluate the 
science associating exposure to certain chemicals or chemical classes 
with the development of diabetes and obesity in humans. The workshop's 
overall goals are to:
     Evaluate strengths/weaknesses, consistency, and biological 
plausibility of findings reported in humans and experimental animals 
for certain environmental chemicals including arsenic, cadmium, 
chlorinated organohalogens, other organohalogens, bisphenol A, 
phthalates, and organotins.
     Identify the most useful and relevant endpoints in 
experimental animals and in vitro models.
     Identify relevant pathways and biological targets for 
assays for the Toxicology Testing in the 21st Century (``Tox21'') high 
throughput screening initiative.
     Identify data gaps and areas for future evaluation/
research.
    The workshop will include plenary sessions and breakout group 
sessions for in-depth discussion. This meeting is open to the public 
with time set aside for public comments during the plenary session on 
the first day. The public is invited to attend the breakout groups as 
observers. Please note that registration for physical attendance at the 
meeting is closed because the capacity to accommodate participants has 
been reached. The NTP also invites the submission of written public 
comments and relevant data for consideration in the workshop. A copy of 
the agenda and any additional information about the workshop, including 
background materials, public comments, and invited participants, will 
be posted on the meeting page http://cerhr.niehs.nih.gov/evals/diabetesobesity/index.html. Slide presentations made during plenary 
sessions of the meeting will be Webcast with instructions for access 
posted on the meeting page. Individuals will need to request access to 
a teleconference line in order to hear the audio portions of plenary 
sessions (discussed in more detail below).

Request for Information and Comments

    CERHR invites the public and other interested parties to submit 
information relevant to the workshop including completed and ongoing 
studies and information on planned studies. This information will be 
considered by NTP staff and invited participants prior to the workshop 
and may be discussed at the public meeting. Information should be 
submitted to Dr. Thayer (see ADDRESSES). Public input at this meeting 
is invited and time is set aside for the presentation of public 
comments during the plenary session on January 11, 2011. Each 
organization is allowed one speaker during the public comment period. 
At least 7 minutes will be allotted to each speaker, and if time 
permits, may be extended to 10 minutes. Registration to attend the 
meeting in person is closed as capacity to accommodate participants has 
been reached. Persons not already registered to attend the meeting who 
wish to present oral comments by phone on January 11 are encouraged to 
pre-register on the meeting Web site and select the option ``Submitting 
Public Comments, Oral (by telephone).''
    There will be 50 telephone lines available for providing public 
comments on January 11th and to hear the audio portions of plenary 
sessions; availability will be on a first-come, first-served basis. The 
available lines will be open from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. on January 11 
and January 12 and open from 8:30 a.m. until adjournment on January 13. 
The access number for the teleconference line will be provided to 
registrants by e-mail prior to the meeting. Registration for oral 
comments will also be available onsite, although time allowed for 
presentation by on-site registrants may be less than that for pre-
registered speakers and will be determined by the number of persons who 
register at the meeting. Written statements can supplement and may 
expand the oral presentation. If registering onsite and reading from 
written text, please bring 50 copies of the statement for distribution 
and to supplement the record. Written comments received in response to 
this notice will be posted on the meeting page http://cerhr.niehs.nih.gov/evals/diabetesobesity/index.html identified by the 
submitter's name and affiliation and/or sponsoring organization (if 
applicable). Persons submitting written comments should include their 
name, affiliation, mailing address, phone, fax, e-mail, and sponsoring 
organization (if any) with the document.
    Registration: Registration to attend the meeting in person is 
closed as the capacity to accommodate participants has been reached. 
Persons needing interpreting services in order to attend should contact 
301-402-8180 (voice) or 301-435-1908 (TTY) and are asked to notify the 
NTP at least 7 business days in advance of the meeting.

Background Information on CERHR

    The NTP and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences 
established the NTP Center for the Evaluation of Risks to Human 
Reproduction (CERHR) in 1998 (63 FR 68782) to serve as an environmental 
health resource to the public and to regulatory and health agencies. 
CERHR evaluations assess the evidence whether environmental chemicals, 
physical substances, or mixtures (collectively referred to as 
``substances'') cause adverse effects on reproduction and development 
and provide opinion on whether these substances are hazardous for 
humans. CERHR also organizes workshops or state-of-the-science 
evaluations to address issues of importance in environmental health

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sciences. CERHR assessments are published as NTP Monographs. 
Information about CERHR can be obtained from its homepage http://cerhr.niehs.nih.gov.

    Dated: December 2, 2010.
John R. Bucher,
Associate Director, National Toxicology Program.
[FR Doc. 2010-31052 Filed 12-9-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P