[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 213 (Monday, November 6, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51415-51417]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-24112]



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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OPPT-2017-0585 and EPA-HQ-OPPT-2017-0586; FRL-9970-34]


New Chemicals Review Program Implementation and Approaches for 
Identifying Potential Candidates for Prioritization for Existing 
Chemical Risk Evaluations Under the Amended Toxic Substances Control 
Act (TSCA); Notice of Public Meetings and Opportunity for Public 
Comment

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: EPA is holding two meetings to discuss implementation 
activities under the Toxic Substances Control Act as amended by the 
Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act (TSCA). 
The first meeting is to update and engage with the public on the 
Agency's progress in implementing changes to the New Chemicals Review 
Program as a result of the 2016 amendments to TSCA, including 
discussion of EPA's draft New Chemicals Decision-Making Framework. EPA 
will describe its review process for new chemical substances under the 
amended statute and interested parties will have the opportunity to 
provide input and to ask questions. The Agency plans to utilize the 
feedback it receives from the public meeting and comments received to 
improve policy and processes relating to the review of new chemicals 
under TSCA. The second meeting will focus on possible approaches for 
identifying potential candidate chemical substances for EPA's 
prioritization process under TSCA. As amended, TSCA required that EPA 
establish processes for prioritizing and evaluating risks from existing 
chemical substances. EPA will describe and take comment on a number of 
possible approaches that could guide the Agency in the identification 
of potential candidate chemical substances for prioritization.

DATES: The New Chemicals Review Program Implementation meeting will be 
held on December 6, 2017 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The meeting 
regarding approaches for identifying potential candidates for 
prioritization will be held on December 11, 2017 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 
p.m. EPA will accept questions from the public in advance of the 
meetings, and the Agency will respond to these questions at each 
meeting as time allows, if such questions are received by November 20, 
2017 (see Unit III under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION).
    Members of the public who register to speak at either meeting may 
make comments and may ask additional questions. Online requests to 
participate in either meeting must be received on or before December 5, 
2017. 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 
meetings 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 these meetings. EPA will accept 
written comments and materials submitted to the docket for the New 
Chemicals Review Program Implementation meeting on or before January 
20, 2018. EPA will accept written comments and materials submitted to 
the docket for the meeting regarding approaches for identifying 
potential candidates for prioritization on or before January 25, 2018. 
The dockets will remain open to receive comments and materials until 
these dates. When submitting comments to the dockets, please be as 
specific as possible, and please include any supporting data or other 
information.

ADDRESSES: The meetings will both be held at the Ronald Reagan Building 
and International Trade Center, Horizon Ballroom, 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 under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
    To participate in the New Chemicals Review Program Implementation 
meeting on December 6 (identified by docket identification (ID) number 
EPA-HQ-OPPT-2017-0585) you may register online (preferred) or in person 
at the meeting. To register online, go to https://epa-ncrp.eventbrite.com.
    To participate in the meeting regarding approaches for identifying 
potential candidates for prioritization on December 11 (identified by 
docket ID number EPA-HQ-OPPT-2017-0586) you may register online 
(preferred) or in person at the meeting. To register online, go to 
https://epa-prioritization.eventbrite.com. See Unit III under 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for information about submitting questions in 
advance of the meetings.
    Written comments, identified by the docket ID number EPA-HQ-OPPT-
2017-0585 (for the New Chemicals Review Program meeting) or EPA-HQ-
OPPT-2017-0586 (for the meeting regarding approaches for identifying 
potential candidates for prioritization), 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 about the New Chemicals Review Program 
Implementation meeting 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 technical information about the meeting regarding approaches 
for identifying potential candidates for prioritization contact: Ryan 
Schmit, Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (7101M), 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., 
Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone number: (202) 564-0610; 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

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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 the New Chemical Program Implementation meeting 
(identified by docket ID number EPA-HQ-OPPT-2017-0585) and the docket 
for the meeting regarding approaches for identifying potential 
candidates for prioritization (identified by docket ID number EPA-HQ-
OPPT-2017-0586) are 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 Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, 
amending the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976, was signed into law 
on June 22, 2016. The amendments have enhanced EPA's authority to 
evaluate chemical substances.
    EPA's New Chemicals Review Program has and will continue to support 
innovation while managing potential risks to human health and the 
environment from chemical substances new to the marketplace. Under 
section 5 of TSCA, anyone who plans to manufacture (including import) a 
new 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 manufactured or processed for a use that the Agency has designated, 
by rule, as a significant new use. Under the amended law, EPA is now 
required to make one of several determinations regarding whether the 
new use or new chemical presents an unreasonable risk of injury to 
health or the environment, whether there is insufficient information to 
allow for a reasoned evaluation of the health and environmental effects 
of the chemical substance, or whether the substance is produced in 
substantial quantities and may either enter into the environment in 
substantial quantities or have significant or substantial human 
exposure.
    The amended statute has resulted in significant changes for both 
the EPA's New Chemicals Review Program and those manufacturers 
submitting notices prior to commercialization. EPA has worked to keep 
stakeholders informed of its efforts to implement the statutory changes 
and will continue this dialogue during the meeting on December 6, 2017. 
Information obtained during this meeting and collected in the docket 
will be considered as the Agency works to increase efficiency in its 
review process under TSCA. An agenda for the meeting and supporting 
materials will be made available in the docket and on the Agency's Web 
site in advance of the meeting.
    TSCA, as amended, also required that EPA establish procedures for 
prioritizing and evaluating risks from existing chemical substances. 
EPA announced its final procedures on June 22, 2017 (see https://www.epa.gov/assessing-and-managing-chemicals-under-tsca/federal-register-notice-procedures-prioritization), and the final procedural 
rule addressing the prioritization process published in the Federal 
Register on July 20 2017 (82 FR 33753) (FRL-9964-24). The 
prioritization process involves a 9-month to 12-month public process, 
including multiple opportunities for public comment, to designate a 
chemical substance as either High-Priority for further risk evaluation, 
or Low-Priority for which risk evaluation is not warranted at the time. 
In the proposed Prioritization rule, EPA included several provisions 
intended to convey activities the Agency would expect to undertake 
prior to initiating prioritization (e.g., potential candidate 
identification, information gathering/review, etc.). Based on public 
comments received, EPA determined not to finalize those particular 
provisions at the time and to engage in further discussions with 
interested stakeholders.
    The purpose of the second meeting is to describe and take comment 
on a number of possible approaches that could guide the Agency in the 
identification of potential candidate chemical substances for 
prioritization. More information on these possible approaches will be 
made available in the docket and on EPA's Web site prior to the 
meeting. EPA is fully committed to further dialogue on best practices 
for these activities, and to carrying out these activities in a 
transparent, science-based manner, to ensure successful implementation 
of the prioritization and risk evaluation processes required by section 
6 of TSCA.
    Additional information on the TSCA amendments can be found at 
https://www.epa.gov/assessing-and-managing-chemicals-under-tsca/frank-r-lautenberg-chemical-safety-21st-century-act.

III. Meetings

A. Remote Access

    The meetings will both 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 Meetings

    Members of the public may register to attend either or both the New 
Chemicals Review Program Implementation meeting and or the meeting 
regarding approaches for identifying potential candidates for 
prioritization as observers and may also register to provide oral 
comments and ask questions on the day of the respective meetings, using 
one of the registration methods described under ADDRESSES. A registered 
speaker is encouraged to focus on issues directly relevant to the 
meeting's subject matter. Each speaker is allowed no more than five 
minutes at each meeting to provide oral comments and ask questions. A 
speaker must be registered in order to provide oral comments or ask 
questions during the meetings. To accommodate as many registered 
speakers as possible, speakers may present oral comments and questions 
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. Agendas for the meetings and supporting 
materials will be made available in the dockets and on EPA's Web site 
in advance of the respective meetings. Additionally, EPA will accept 
questions from the public in advance of the meetings, and will respond 
to these questions at the meetings as time allows, if such questions 
are received by November 20, 2017. Additional information regarding 
methods of submission of advance questions will be available on EPA's 
Web site and in the

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dockets along with the supporting materials.

IV. How can I request to participate in these meetings?

A. Registration

    To attend the meetings in person or to receive remote access, you 
must register online no later than December 5, 2017, 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. 
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 its 
start.

B. Required Registration Information

    Members of the public may register to attend as observers or to 
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. 2601 et seq.

    Dated: October 27, 2017.
Nancy Beck,
Deputy Assistant Administrator, Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution 
Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2017-24112 Filed 11-3-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P