[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 213 (Thursday, November 3, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76621-76622]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-26609]


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

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health


National Toxicology Program Board of Scientific Counselors; 
Announcement of Meeting; Request for Comments

SUMMARY: This notice announces the next meeting of the National 
Toxicology Program (NTP) Board of Scientific Counselors (BSC). The BSC, 
a federally chartered, external advisory group composed of scientists 
from the public and private sectors, will review and provide advice on 
programmatic activities. The meeting is open to the public except for 
parts that are closed, as indicated on the agenda. Registration is 
requested for both attendance and oral comment and required to access 
the webcast. Information about the meeting and registration are 
available at http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/165.

DATES: Meeting: December 14-15, 2016, 8:30 a.m. Eastern Standard Time 
(EST) on both days and continues to adjournment.
    Written Public Comment Submissions: Deadline is November 30, 2016.
    Registration for Oral Comments: Deadline is December 7, 2016.
    Registration to Attend and/or View Webcast: Deadline is December 
15, 2016. Registration to view the meeting via the webcast is required.

ADDRESSES: Meeting Location: Rodbell Auditorium, Rall Building, 
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), 111 T.W. 
Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709.
    Meeting Web page: The preliminary agenda, registration, and other 
meeting materials are at http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/165.
    Webcast: The meeting will be webcast on December 15; the URL will 
be provided to those who register for viewing.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Lori White, Designated Federal 
Officer for the BSC, Office of Liaison, Policy, and Review, Division of 
NTP, NIEHS, P.O. Box 12233, K2-03, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709. 
Phone: 919-541-9834, Fax: 301-480-3272, Email: [email protected]. 
Hand Deliver/Courier address: 530 Davis Drive, Room K2124, Morrisville, 
NC 27560.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Meeting and Registration: Parts of the meeting are open to the 
public as indicated on the agenda; in-person attendance at NIEHS is 
limited only by the space available. Parts of the meeting

[[Page 76622]]

are closed to the public as indicated on the agenda in accordance with 
the provisions set forth in section 552(c)(6), Title 5 U.S.C., as 
amended, for the review, discussion, and evaluation of individual 
intramural programs and projects conducted by the NIEHS, including 
consideration of personnel qualifications and performance, and the 
competence of individual investigators, the disclosure of which would 
constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy.
    The BSC will provide input to the NTP on programmatic activities 
and issues. Preliminary agenda topics include: Reports from the NIEHS/
NTP Director and the NTP Associate Director, updates on projects and 
recent meetings, a report on release of the 14th Report on Carcinogens, 
and draft concepts for substances nominated for the Report on 
Carcinogens.
    A preliminary agenda, roster of BSC members, background materials, 
public comments, and any additional information, when available, will 
be posted on the BSC meeting Web site (http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/165) 
or may be requested in hardcopy from the Designated Federal Officer for 
the BSC. Following the meeting, summary minutes will be prepared and 
made available on the BSC meeting Web site.
    The public may attend the open portions of the meeting in person on 
both days or view the webcast on December 15. Registration is required 
to view the Web cast; the URL for the webcast will be provided in the 
email confirming registration. Individuals who plan to provide oral 
comments (see below) are encouraged to register online at the BSC 
meeting Web site (http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/165) by December 7, 2016, 
to facilitate planning for the meeting. Individuals interested in this 
meeting are encouraged to access the Web site to stay abreast of the 
most current information regarding the meeting. Visitor and security 
information for those attending in-person is available at 
niehs.nih.gov/about/visiting/index.cfm. Individuals with disabilities 
who need accommodation to participate in this event should contact Ms. 
Robbin Guy at phone: (919) 541-4363 or email: [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.
    Request for Comments: Written comments submitted in response to 
this notice should be received by November 30, 2016. Comments will be 
posted on the BSC meeting Web site and persons submitting them will be 
identified by their name, affiliation, and sponsoring organization, if 
applicable. Persons submitting written comments should include their 
name, affiliation (if applicable), phone, email, and sponsoring 
organization (if any) with the document. Guidelines for public comments 
are at http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/ntp/about_ntp/guidelines_public_comments_508.pdf.
    Time is allotted during the meeting, as indicated on the agenda, 
for the public to present oral comments to the BSC on the agenda 
topics. Public comments can be presented in-person at the meeting or by 
teleconference line. There are 50 lines for this call; availability is 
on a first-come, first-served basis. The lines will be open on December 
15 from 8:30 a.m. until adjournment; however, the BSC will receive 
public comments only during the formal public comment periods, which 
are indicated on the preliminary agenda. Each organization is allowed 
one time slot per agenda topic. Each speaker is allotted at least 7 
minutes, which if time permits, may be extended to 10 minutes at the 
discretion of the BSC chair. Please note that the time limit may be 
modified depending on the number of individuals who register for oral 
comments. Persons wishing to present oral comments should register on 
the BSC meeting Web site by December 7, 2016, indicate whether they 
will present comments in-person or via the teleconference line, and 
indicate the topic(s) on which they plan to comment. The access number 
for the teleconference line will be provided to registrants by email 
prior to the meeting. On-site registration for oral comments will also 
be available on the meeting day, although time allowed for comments by 
these registrants may be limited and will be determined by the number 
of persons who register at the meeting.
    Persons registering to make oral comments are asked to send a copy 
of their statement and/or PowerPoint slides to the Designated Federal 
Officer by December 7, 2016. Written statements can supplement and may 
expand upon the oral presentation. If registering on-site and reading 
from written text, please bring 20 copies of the statement for 
distribution to the BSC and NTP staff and to supplement the record.
    Background Information on the BSC: The BSC is a technical advisory 
body comprised of scientists from the public and private sectors that 
provides primary scientific oversight to the NTP. Specifically, the BSC 
advises the NTP on matters of scientific program content, both present 
and future, and conducts periodic review of the program for the purpose 
of determining and advising on the scientific merit of its activities 
and their overall scientific quality. Its members are selected from 
recognized authorities knowledgeable in fields such as toxicology, 
pharmacology, pathology, biochemistry, epidemiology, risk assessment, 
carcinogenesis, mutagenesis, molecular biology, behavioral toxicology, 
neurotoxicology, immunotoxicology, reproductive toxicology or 
teratology, and biostatistics. Members serve overlapping terms of up to 
four years. The BSC usually meets biannually. The authority for the BSC 
is provided by 42 U.S.C. 217a, section 222 of the Public Health Service 
Act (PHS), as amended. The BSC is governed by the provisions of the 
Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended (5 U.S.C. app.), which sets 
forth standards for the formation and use of advisory committees.

    Dated: October 27, 2016.
Linda S. Birnbaum,
Director, National Institute of Environmental, Health Sciences and 
National Toxicology Program.
[FR Doc. 2016-26609 Filed 11-2-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P