[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 143 (Tuesday, July 26, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48789-48791]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-17706]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OPPT-2016-0399 and EPA-HQ-OPPT-2016-0400; FRL-9949-52]


Processes for Risk Evaluation and Chemical Prioritization for 
Risk Evaluation Under the Amended Toxic Substances Control Act; Notice 
of Public Meetings and Opportunities for Public Comment

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: EPA is holding two public meetings to obtain input into the 
Agency's development of processes for risk evaluation and chemical 
prioritization for risk evaluation under the Toxic Substances Control 
Act as amended by the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st 
Century Act (TSCA). Information obtained during these meetings will be 
considered in the Agency's development of the proposed procedural 
regulations required under TSCA.

DATES: Meetings. For the chemical evaluation process, the meeting will 
be held on August 9, 2016 from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.. For the process 
of prioritizing chemicals for risk evaluation, the meeting will be held 
on August 10, 2016 from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
    Meeting Registration. Advance registration for each meeting must be 
completed no later than August 4, 2016. On-site registration will be 
permitted, but seating and speaking priority will be given to those who 
pre-register by the deadline.
    Reasonable Accommodations. To request accommodation of a 
disability, please contact the technical person listed under FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATON CONTACT, preferably by August 1, 2016, to give EPA 
as much time as possible to process your request.
    Comments. EPA will hear oral comments at each meeting, and will 
accept written comments and materials

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submitted to the applicable docket on or before August 17, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Meetings. The meetings will be held in the Horizon Ballroom 
at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, 1300 
Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20004. The meetings will also 
be available by remote access for registered participants. For further 
information, see Unit III.A. under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
    Meeting registration. You may register online (preferred) or in 
person at the meeting. To register online, go to http://opptstakeholder.eventbrite.com.
    Comments. Submit written comments and materials, identified by the 
relevant docket ID number, i.e., for the meeting on the process for 
risk evaluation, use docket ID EPA-HQ-OPPT-2016-0400; and for the 
meeting on the process of chemical prioritization for risk evaluation, 
use docket ID EPA-HQ-OPPT-2016-0399, by one of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the online instructions for submitting comments. Do not submit 
electronically any information you consider to be Confidential Business 
Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted 
by statute.
     Mail: Document Control Office (7407M), Office of Pollution 
Prevention and Toxics (OPPT), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 
Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001.
     Hand Delivery: To make special arrangements for hand 
delivery or delivery of boxed information, please follow the 
instructions at http://www.epa.gov/dockets/contacts.html. Additional 
instructions on commenting or visiting the docket, along with more 
information about dockets in general is available at http://www.epa.gov/dockets.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 
    For technical information contact: Chris Blunck, Office of 
Pollution Prevention and Toxics, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 
Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone number: 
(202) 564-8078; email address: [email protected].
    For meeting logistics or registration contact: Klara Zimmerman, Abt 
Associates; telephone number: (301) 634-1722; 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 chemical 
manufacturers, processors and users, consumer product companies, non-
profit organizations in the environmental and public health sectors, 
state and local government agencies, and members of the public 
interested in the environmental and human health assessment and 
regulation of chemical substances. 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 documents related to this meeting?

    EPA has established two dockets for the meetings: For the meeting 
on the process for risk evaluation, use docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OPPT-2016-
0400; and for the meeting on the process of chemical prioritization for 
risk evaluation, use docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OPPT-2016-0399. Both dockets 
are available either online at http://www.regulations.gov or in person 
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. Documents and meeting information will also 
be available at the registration Web site.

II. Background

    On June 22, 2016, President Obama signed into law the Frank R. 
Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, which amended the 
Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976. The revised TSCA includes 
provisions that require EPA to develop by rule processes for risk 
evaluation and chemical prioritization for risk evaluation. Additional 
information on the revisions to TSCA can be found at https://www.epa.gov/assessing-and-managing-chemicals-under-tsca/frank-r-lautenberg-chemical-safety-21st-century-act.
    Risk evaluation. The meeting on August 9, 2016 will be for the 
purpose of gathering information for EPA consideration in developing 
the rule required under TSCA section 6(b)(4). Under TSCA section 
6(b)(4), not later than 1 year after the date of enactment (i.e., by 
June 21, 2017), EPA is required to establish by rule a process to 
conduct risk evaluations to determine whether a chemical substance 
presents an unreasonable risk of injury to health or the environment.
    Prioritization for risk evaluations. The meeting on August 10, 2016 
will be for the purpose of gathering information for EPA consideration 
in developing the rule required under TSCA section 6(b)(1). Under TSCA 
section 6(b)(1), EPA must within 1 year of enactment (i.e., by June 21, 
2017) establish by rule a risk-based screening process, including 
criteria for designating chemical substances as high-priority for risk 
evaluations or low-priority for which risk evaluations are not 
warranted at the time.

III. Meeting

A. Remote Access

    The meetings will be accessible remotely for registered 
participants. Registered participants will receive information on how 
to connect to the meetings prior to their start.

B. Public Participation at the Meeting

    Members of the public may register to attend the meetings as 
observers and may also register to provide oral comments on the days of 
the meetings. A registered speaker is encouraged to focus on issues 
directly relevant to the particular meeting's subject matter. Each 
speaker is allowed no more than 5 minutes in each meeting. To 
accommodate as many registered speakers as possible, speakers may 
present oral comments only, without visual aids or written material. 
Persons registered to speak (as well as others) may submit written 
materials to the dockets as described under ADDRESSES.

IV. How can I request to participate in this meeting?

 A. Registration

    To attend a meeting in person or to receive remote access, please 
register no later than August 4, 2016, using one of the methods 
described under ADDRESSES. While on-site registration will be 
available, seating will be on a first-come, first-served basis, with 
priority given to early registrants, until room capacity is reached. 
The Agency

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anticipates that approximately 150 people will be able to attend each 
of the meetings in person. For registrants not able to attend in 
person, the meetings will also provide remote access capabilities; 
registered participants will be provided information on how to connect 
to the meetings prior to their start.

B. Required Registration Information

    Members of the public may register to attend as observers or speak 
if planning to offer oral comments during the scheduled public comment 
periods. To register for the meetings online, you must provide your 
full name, organization or affiliation, and contact information.

    Authority:  15 U.S.C. 2605.

    Dated: July 20, 2016.
Jeffery T. Morris,
Acting Director, Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics.
[FR Doc. 2016-17706 Filed 7-25-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P