[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 216 (Thursday, November 9, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52064-52065]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-24401]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health


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

AGENCY: National Institutes of Health, HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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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 and 
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 7-8, 2017; Day one begins at 8:30 a.m. Eastern 
Standard Time (EST) and ends at approximately 5:00 p.m. Day 2 begins at 
8:30 a.m. and continues until adjournment.
    Written Public Comment Submissions: Deadline is November 30, 2017.
    Oral Comments: Deadline is November 30, 2017.
    Registration for Meeting: Deadline December 8, 2017.
    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; the URL will be provided to 
those who register for viewing.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Mary Wolfe, 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: 984-287-3209, Fax: 301-451-5759, Email: [email protected]. 
Hand Deliver/Courier address: 530 Davis Drive, Room K2130, Morrisville, 
NC 27560.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Meeting and Registration: The meeting is open to the public with 
time scheduled for oral public comments; attendance at the meeting is 
limited only by the space available. The BSC will provide input to the 
NTP on programmatic activities and issues. Preliminary agenda topics 
include: US Strategic Roadmap: New Approaches to Evaluate the Safety of 
Chemicals and Medical Products; NTP Assessing Alternative Approaches; 
New Approaches to Hazard Characterization and Risk Assessment; Update 
on NTP Studies of Glyphosate; and Report on Peer Review of Draft Report 
on Carcinogens Monograph on Haloacetic Acids. Please see the 
preliminary agenda for information about the specific presentations. 
The 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 Official 
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 meeting in person or view the webcast. 
Registration is required to view the webcast; 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 
November 30, 2017, to facilitate planning for the meeting. Individuals 
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: (984) 287-3136 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, 2017. Comments will be 
posted on the BSC meeting Web site and persons submitting them will be 
identified by their name and affiliation and/or 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 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 from 8:30 a.m. until adjournment,

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although 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. Persons 
wishing to present oral comments should register on the BSC meeting Web 
site by November 30, 2017, 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 November 30, 2017. 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: November 1, 2017.
John R. Bucher,
Associate Director, National Toxicology Program.
[FR Doc. 2017-24401 Filed 11-8-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4140-01-P