[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 167 (Thursday, August 28, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51331-51332]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-20500]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-HQ-OPPT-2014-0516; FRL-9915-77]
Announcement of a Workshop on Ecotoxicity Testing of Difficult-
to-Test Substances in the Aquatic Environment; Evaluation and Testing
of Poorly Water Soluble Substances
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: EPA is holding a workshop entitled, ``Ecotoxicity Testing of
Difficult-to-Test Substances in the Aquatic Environment: Evaluation and
Testing of Poorly Water Soluble Substances,'' on September 10-11, 2014.
The objective of this workshop is to better understand the state of the
science for evaluating chemical substances which are difficult-to-test
in aquatic test systems. The workshop will include a limited number of
invited experts and observers, and will also provide web connection and
teleconference capabilities for others to participate remotely. Due to
space limitations, the Agency anticipates that approximately 50 invited
experts and 40 observers will be able to attend the workshop in person.
EPA invites the public to register to attend the meetings as observers
and to provide comments during the meeting as discussed in this notice.
DATES: The meeting will be held on Wednesday, September 10, 2014, from
8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., EDT, and Thursday, September 11, 2014, from 8:30
a.m. to 12:30 p.m., EDT.
Meeting registration: To participate in this workshop, you must
register no later than 11:59 p.m., e.d.t., on Friday, September 5,
2014. See Unit III. in SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Environmental Protection
Agency, Potomac Yards South, Rm. S-1204-06, 2777 Crystal Dr.,
Arlington, VA 22202. The meeting will also be available via Web connect
and teleconferencing. See Unit III.C. in SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For technical information contact:
Louis Scarano, Risk Assessment Division (7403M), Office of Pollution
Prevention and Toxics, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200
Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone number
(202) 564-2851; email address: [email protected].
For workshop registration contact: Eileen White, Risk Assessment
Division (7403M), Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics,
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW.,
Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone number (202) 564-8903; email
address: [email protected].
For general information contact: The TSCA-Hotline, ABVI-Goodwill,
422 South Clinton Ave., Rochester, NY 14620; telephone number: (202)
554-1404; email address: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. General Information
A. Does this action apply to me?
This action is directed to the public in general, and may be of
interest to a wide range of stakeholders including those interested in
environmental assessment, the chemical industry, chemical users,
consumer product companies, and members of the public interested in the
assessment of chemical risks. Since others also may be interested, the
Agency has not attempted to describe all the specific entities that may
be affected by this action.
B. How can I get copies of this document and other related information?
The docket for this action, identified by docket identification
(ID) number EPA-HQ-OPPT-2014-0516, is available at http://www.regulations.gov or at the Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics
Docket (OPPT Docket), Environmental Protection Agency Docket Center
(EPA/DC), West William Jefferson Clinton Bldg., Rm. 3334, 1301
Constitution Ave. NW., Washington, DC. The 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, and the telephone number for the OPPT Docket is (202) 566-
0280. Please review the visitor instructions and additional information
about the docket available at http://www.epa.gov/dockets.
II. Background
The objective of this workshop is to better understand the state of
the science for evaluating chemical substances which are difficult-to-
test in aquatic test systems. Such chemical substances include, for
example, those that have very low water solubility, high volatility,
and that are difficult to measure/quantify in aquatic solutions. As a
workshop, the primary participants will be invited based on their
expertise in aquatic toxicity testing and risk assessment; however, the
meeting will be open to the public and observers will be encouraged to
attend and will have an opportunity to contribute to the workshop.
Members of the public may register to attend and participate in the
workshop as observers (see Unit III.).
III. How can I request to participate in these meetings?
A. Registration
Members of the public may register to attend the workshop as
observers, or register to speak, if planning to offer oral comments
during the workshop. To attend the workshop as an observer or to
register to speak, you must register for the meeting no later than
11:59 p.m., EDT, on Friday, September 5, 2014, by either sending an
email to Eileen White ([email protected]) or through the U.S. Postal
Service or by overnight/priority mail. When registering provide the
following information: Name, address, affiliation, and contact
information (email and telephone number). If you register to speak, you
must also indicate if you have any special requirements related to your
oral comments (e.g., translation).
Because there will be no on-site registration, members of the
public who do not register by the deadline using one of the methods
described in this notice may not be able to attend in person; seating
will be on a first-come, first-serve basis for observers who have
registered for on-site attendance.
[[Page 51332]]
B. Draft Agenda and Topics for the Meeting
A copy of a draft agenda is provided in the docket under docket ID
number EPA-HQ-OPPT-2014-0516. Members of the public are invited to
review and comment during the public comment period at the meeting on
the following topics for the one-and-a-half day workshop:
1. What characterizes a substance as being difficult-to-test in
aquatic systems (i.e., physical/chemical properties, presence of
impurities, etc.)?
2. After a substance is released into the environment, what
determines its distribution in the environment? How should this
information be used to determine which environmental medium/organism
should be tested?
3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of current test
methods and approaches for poorly water soluble substances?
Water accommodated fraction (WAF) methodology.
Use of solvents.
Role of Static/Semi-static/Continuous flow-through
systems.
4. How can current test methods be changed, or, are there new
methods available to better test the toxicity of difficult-to-test
substances in the aquatic ecosystem?
C. Web Meeting Access
The workshop will be held via Web connect and teleconferencing for
those interested. All registered participants will receive information
on how to connect to the workshop prior to its start.
List of Subjects
Environmental protection, Aquatic toxicity, Business and industry,
Chemicals, Ecotoxicity, Health and safety, Industrial chemicals,
Unknown or Variable Compositions, Complex Reaction Products and
Biological Materials (UVCBs), Water.
Dated: August 22, 2014.
Wendy C. Hamnett,
Director, Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics.
[FR Doc. 2014-20500 Filed 8-27-14; 8:45 am]
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