[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 231 (Thursday, December 1, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 86713-86714]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-28878]



[[Page 86713]]

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

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OPPT-2016-0658; FRL-9955-38]


New Chemicals Review Program Under the Amended Toxic Substances 
Control Act; Notice of Public Meeting and Opportunity for Public 
Comment

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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

SUMMARY: EPA is holding a meeting to update the public on changes to 
the New Chemicals Review Program under the Toxic Substances Control Act 
as amended by the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st 
Century Act (TSCA). EPA will describe its review process for new 
chemicals under the amended statute, as well as discuss issues, 
challenges, and opportunities that the Agency has identified in the 
first few months of implementation. The meeting will provide interested 
parties with an opportunity to provide input on their experiences with 
the New Chemicals Review Program, including submittal of pre-
manufacture notices (PMNs), microbial commercial activities notices 
(MCANs), and significant new use notices (SNUNs) under section 5 of the 
law. Information obtained during these meetings will be considered as 
the Agency works to implement the new requirements and increase 
efficiency in its review process under TSCA.

DATES: The meeting will be held on December 14, 2016 from 9:00 a.m. to 
3:00 p.m. Requests to participate in the meeting must be received on or 
before December 13, 2016. On-site registration will be permitted, but 
seating and speaking priority will be given to those who pre-register 
by the deadline.
    To request accommodation of a disability, please contact the 
meeting logistics person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATON CONTACT, 
preferably at least 10 days prior to the meeting, to give EPA as much 
time as possible to process your request.
    EPA will hear oral comments at the meeting, and will accept written 
comments and materials submitted to the docket on or before January 14, 
2016.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at The Ronald Reagan Building and 
International Trade Center, Polaris Room, 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue 
Northwest, 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.
    To participate in the meeting, identified by docket identification 
(ID) number EPA-HQ-OPPT-2016-0658, you may register online (preferred) 
or in person at the meeting. To register online, for the meeting, go to 
https://tscanewchemicals.eventbrite.com.
    Written comments, identified by the docket ID number, EPA-HQ-OPPT-
2016-0658, can be submitted 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: Greg Schweer, Chemical Control 
Division (7405M), Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., 
Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone number: (202)564-8469; 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 this document and other related information?

    The docket for this action, identified by docket ID number EPA-HQ-
OPPT-2016-0658, 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. Documents and meeting information will also 
be available at the registration Web site and on EPA's new chemicals 
Web site at https://www.epa.gov/reviewing-new-chemicals-under-toxic-substances-control-act-tsca.

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 
TSCA Act of 1976. A number of statutory changes have enhanced the EPA's 
authority to evaluate chemicals and make determinations regarding their 
unreasonable risk to health and the environment prior to 
commercialization. Specifically, under section 5 of the amended TSCA, 
there are new requirements and additional determinations that EPA must 
make. These requirements provide EPA new authority to review and 
determine risk associated with the manufacturing and processing of new 
chemicals.
    Background on EPA's New Chemicals Review Program. EPA's New 
Chemicals Review Program has and will continue to help manage the 
potential risk to human health and the environment from chemicals new 
to the marketplace. The program functions as a ``gatekeeper'' that can 
identify conditions, up to and including a ban on production, to be 
placed on the use of a new chemical before it is entered into commerce. 
Under section 5 of TSCA, anyone who plans to manufacture (including 
import) a new

[[Page 86714]]

chemical substance for a non-exempt commercial purpose, is required to 
provide EPA with notice before initiating the activity. Additionally, 
EPA must also be notified before chemical substances are used in new 
significant uses. Pursuant to the amended law, EPA is now required to 
make an affirmative determination as to whether or not the new use or 
new chemical presents, may present, or is not likely to present an 
unreasonable risk of injury to health or the environment, or, 
alternatively, if there is insufficient information to allow for a 
determination. This amendment went into effect immediately after the 
law was signed by the President and has resulted in significant changes 
for both the EPA's New Chemicals Review Program and those manufacturers 
submitting notices, including manufacturers of the notices under review 
on June 22, 2016. EPA has worked to keep manufacturers informed of 
these changes and hopes to continue this dialogue during this public 
meeting.
    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.

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 meeting as 
observers and may also register to provide oral comments on the day of 
the meeting. A registered speaker is encouraged to focus on issues 
directly relevant to the meeting's subject matter. Each speaker is 
allowed no more than 5 minutes to provide oral comments. 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 docket as described under ADDRESSES.

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

A. Registration

    To attend the meeting in person or to receive remote access, you 
must register no later than December 13, 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 anticipates that approximately 125 people will be able to 
attend the meeting in person. For registrants not able to attend in 
person, the meeting will also provide remote access capabilities; 
registered participants will be provided information on how to connect 
to the meeting prior to its 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 
period. To register for the meeting online, you must provide your full 
name, organization or affiliation, and contact information.

    Authority: 15 U.S.C.2601 et seq.

    Dated: November 21, 2016.
Maria J. Doa,
Director, Chemical Control Division, Office of Pollution Prevention and 
Toxics.
[FR Doc. 2016-28878 Filed 11-30-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P