[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]
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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.
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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
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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]
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