[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 193 (Wednesday, October 5, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61704-61706]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-25726]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES


Availability of Draft NTP Monograph on the Health Effects of Low-
Level Lead; Request for Comments; Announcement of a Panel Meeting to 
Peer Review Draft Monograph

AGENCY: Division of the National Toxicology Program (DNTP), National 
Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), National Institutes 
of Health.

ACTION: Availability of Draft NTP Monograph; Request for Comments; 
Announcement of a Peer Review Panel Meeting.

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SUMMARY: The NTP announces the availability of the Draft NTP Monograph 
on the Health Effects of Low-level Lead (available at http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/36639) that will be peer-reviewed by an NTP Peer 
Review Panel at a meeting on November 17-18, 2011. The meeting is open 
to the public with time scheduled for oral public comment. The NTP also 
invites written comments on the draft monograph (see Request for 
Comments below).

[[Page 61705]]


DATES: The meeting is scheduled for November 17-18, 2011. Although two 
days are set aside for the meeting, it may adjourn sooner if the panel 
completes its peer review of the draft monograph. The draft NTP 
monograph should be available for public comment by October 14, 2011. 
The deadline to submit written comments is November 3, 2011, and the 
deadline for pre-registration to attend the meeting and/or provide oral 
comments is November 10, 2011.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Rodbell Auditorium, Rall 
Building, NIEHS, 111 T. W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 
27709. Public comments and any other correspondence on the draft 
monograph should be sent to Danica Andrews, NIEHS, P.O. Box 12233, MD 
K2-03, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, Fax: (919) 541-0295, or 
[email protected]. Courier address: 530 Davis Drive, Room 2142, 
Morrisville, NC 27560. Individuals with disabilities who need 
accommodation to participate in this event should contact Danica 
Andrews at voice telephone: (919) 541-2595 or e-mail: 
[email protected]. TTY users should contact the Federal TTY Relay 
Service at 800-877-8339. Requests should be made at least five business 
days in advance of the event.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Danica Andrews, NTP Designated Federal 
Officer, (919) 541-2595, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The panel will peer review the Draft NTP Monograph on the Health 
Effects of Low-level Lead, prepared by the Office of Health Assessment 
and Translation (OHAT, formerly the Center for the Evaluation of Risks 
to Human Reproduction [CERHR]), DNTP. Lead exposure is a significant 
health concern despite policies and practices that have resulted in 
continued progress in reducing exposures and lowering blood lead levels 
in the U.S. population. OHAT selected low-level lead for evaluation 
because of: (1) Widespread human exposure, (2) published studies on 
health effects associated with low blood lead levels (< 10 [mu]g/dL) in 
humans, and (3) public concern. An evaluation of low-level lead was 
initially discussed by the NTP Board of Scientific Counselors (BSC) on 
December 6, 2007 (72 FR 58854), the approach for the evaluation was 
discussed at the May 10, 2010 BSC meeting (75 FR 12244), and a call for 
information and nomination of experts was published on August 23, 2010 
(75 FR 51815).

Preliminary Agenda and Availability of Meeting Materials

    The preliminary agenda and draft monograph should be posted on the 
NTP Web site (http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/36639) by October 14, 2011. 
Any additional information, when available, will be posted on the NTP 
Web site or may be requested in hardcopy from the Designated Federal 
Officer (see ADDRESSES above). Following the meeting, a report of the 
peer review will be prepared and made available on the NTP Web site.

Attendance and Registration

    The meeting is scheduled for November 17, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. 
E.S.T. and November 18, from 8:30 a.m. until adjournment. Although two 
days are set aside for the meeting, it may adjourn sooner if the panel 
completes its peer review of the draft monograph. The meeting is open 
to the public with attendance limited only by the space available. 
Individuals who plan to attend are encouraged to register online at the 
NTP Web site (http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/36639) by November 10, 2011, 
to facilitate access to the NIEHS campus. A photo ID is required to 
access the NIEHS campus. The NTP is making plans to webcast the meeting 
at http://www.niehs.nih.gov/news/video/live. Registered attendees are 
encouraged to access the meeting page to stay abreast of the most 
current information regarding the meeting.

Request for Comments

    The NTP invites written comments on the draft monograph, which 
should be received by November 3, 2011, to enable review by the panel 
and NTP staff prior to the meeting. Persons submitting written comments 
should include their name, affiliation, mailing address, phone, e-mail, 
and sponsoring organization (if any) with the document. Written 
comments received in response to this notice will be posted on the NTP 
Web site, and the submitter will be identified by name, affiliation, 
and/or sponsoring organization.
    Public input at this meeting is also invited, and time is set aside 
for the presentation of oral comments on the draft monograph. In 
addition to in-person oral comments at the meeting at the NIEHS, public 
comments can be presented by teleconference line. There will be 50 
lines for this call; 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 
November 17 and from 8:30 until adjournment on November 18, although 
public comments will be received only during the formal public comment 
periods indicated on the preliminary agenda. Each organization is 
allowed one time slot. At least 7 minutes will be allotted to each 
speaker, and if time permits, may be extended to 10 minutes at the 
discretion of the chair. Persons wishing to make an oral presentation 
are asked to notify Danica Andrews via online registration at http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/36639, phone, or e-mail (see ADDRESSES above) by 
November 10, 2011, and if possible, to send a copy of their slides and/
or statement or talking points at that time. Written statements can 
supplement and may expand the oral presentation. Registration for oral 
comments will also be available at the meeting, 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 on-site.

Background Information on OHAT and NTP Peer Review Panels

    The NIEHS/NTP established OHAT to serve as an environmental health 
resource to the public and to regulatory and health agencies. This 
office conducts evaluations to assess the evidence that environmental 
chemicals, physical substances, or mixtures (collectively referred to 
as ``substances'') cause adverse health effects and provides opinions 
on whether these substances may be of concern given what is known about 
current human exposure levels. OHAT also organizes workshops or state-
of-the-science evaluations to address issues of importance in 
environmental health sciences. OHAT assessments are published as NTP 
Monographs. Information about OHAT is found at http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/ohat.
    NTP panels are technical, scientific advisory bodies established on 
an ``as needed'' basis to provide independent scientific peer review 
and advise the NTP on agents of public health concern, new/revised 
toxicological test methods, or other issues. These panels help ensure 
transparent, unbiased, and scientifically rigorous input to the program 
for its use in making credible decisions about human hazard, setting 
research and testing priorities, and providing information to 
regulatory agencies about alternative methods for toxicity screening. 
The NTP welcomes nominations of scientific experts for upcoming panels. 
Scientists interested in serving on an NTP panel should provide a 
current curriculum vitae to Danica Andrews (see ADDRESSES). The

[[Page 61706]]

authority for NTP panels is provided by 42 U.S.C. 217a; section 222 of 
the Public Health Service (PHS) Act, as amended. The panel is governed 
by the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended (5 U.S.C. Appendix 
2), which sets forth standards for the formation and use of advisory 
committees.

    Dated: September 26, 2011.
John R. Bucher,
Associate Director, National Toxicology Program.
[FR Doc. 2011-25726 Filed 10-4-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P