[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 213 (Friday, November 2, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55164-55166]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-24035]


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

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OPP-2018-0517; FRL-9985-44]


FIFRA Scientific Advisory Panel; Notice of Public Virtual 
Meeting; Request for Comments on Prospective Ad hoc Candidates

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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

SUMMARY: There will be a 2-hour preparatory virtual meeting of the 
Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act Scientific Advisory 
Panel (FIFRA SAP) on November 14, 2018, to consider and review the 
scope and clarity of the draft charge questions for the December 4-7, 
2018 FIFRA SAP Meeting on the Evaluation of a Proposed Approach to 
Refine Inhalation Risk Assessment for Point of Contact Toxicity: A Case 
Study Using a New Approach Methodology (NAM). In addition, EPA is 
announcing and inviting comments on the experts currently under 
consideration as ad hoc participants in this review.

DATES: The preparatory virtual meeting will be held on November 14, 
2018, from approximately 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. (EST). This is an open public 
meeting that will be conducted via webcast using Adobe Connect and 
telephone. Registration is required to participate during this meeting. 
Please visit: http://www.epa.gov/sap to register.
    Comments. Requests to make oral comments during the preparatory

[[Page 55165]]

virtual meeting should be submitted on or before November 9, 2018 by 
contacting the Designated Federal Official (DFO) listed under FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. Written comments on the experts currently 
under consideration as ad hoc participants in this review should be 
submitted to the public docket (docket identification (ID) number EPA-
HQ-OPP-2018-0517) on or before November 9, 2018. For additional 
instructions, see Unit I.C. of this document.
    Webcast. The preparatory virtual meeting will be conducted by 
webcast and telephone only. Please refer to the FIFRA SAP website at 
http://www.epa.gov/sap for information on how to register and access 
the webcast.
    Special accommodations. For information on access or services for 
individuals with disabilities, and to request accommodation of a 
disability, please contact the DFO listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
CONTACT at least 10 days prior to the meeting to allow EPA time to 
process your request.
    Comments. Submit your comments, identified by docket identification 
(ID) number EPA-HQ-OPP-2018-0517, 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: OPP Docket, Environmental Protection Agency Docket 
Center (EPA/DC), (28221T), 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 generally, is available at http://www.epa.gov/dockets.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Shaunta Hill-Hammond, Designated 
Federal Official, Office of Science Coordination and Policy (7201M), 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, 
DC 20460-0001; telephone number: (202) 564-3343; 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. This action may 
be of interest to persons who are or may be required to conduct testing 
of chemical substances under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act 
(FFDCA) and FIFRA. Since other entities may also be interested, the 
Agency has not attempted to describe all the specific entities that may 
be affected by this action.

B. What should I consider as I prepare my comments for EPA?

    1. Submitting CBI. Do not submit CBI information to EPA through 
regulations.gov or email. If your comments contain any information that 
you consider to be CBI or otherwise protected, please contact the DFO 
listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT to obtain special 
instructions before submitting your comments.
    2. Tips for preparing your comments. When preparing and submitting 
your comments, see the commenting tips at http://www.epa.gov/dockets/comments.html.

C. How may I participate in this meeting?

    You may participate in this meeting by following the instructions 
in this unit. To ensure proper receipt by EPA, it is imperative that 
you identify docket ID number EPA-HQ-OPP-2018-0517 in the subject line 
on the first page of your request.
    1. Written comments. Written comments on the experts currently 
under consideration as ad hoc participants in this review should be 
submitted, using the instructions in FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, 
on or before November 9, 2018
    2. Oral comments. Registration is required to participate in the 
preparatory virtual meeting. Please visit: http://www.epa.gov.sap to 
register. Each individual or group wishing to make brief oral comments 
to FIFRA SAP during the virtual meeting should submit their request by 
registering with the DFO listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT 
on or before noon November 9, 2018. Oral comments before FIFRA SAP are 
limited to approximately 5 minutes due to the time constraints of this 
virtual meeting.

II. Background

A. Purpose of FIFRA SAP Preparatory Virtual Meeting

    During the preparatory virtual meeting scheduled for November 14, 
2018, the FIFRA SAP will review and consider the draft Charge Questions 
for the Panel's December 4-7, 2018 Meeting on Evaluation of a Proposed 
Approach to Refine Inhalation Risk Assessment for Point of Contact 
Toxicity: A Case Study Using a NAM. The SAP will receive a short 
background briefing including the EPA's history and current position on 
the methodology being considered. In addition, the panel members will 
have the opportunity to comment on the scope and clarity of the draft 
charge questions. Subsequent to this virtual meeting, final charge 
questions will be provided for the FIFRA SAP's deliberation on the 
methodology and supplemental information during the in-person meeting 
to be held December 4-7, 2018.

B. FIFRA SAP Background

    FIFRA SAP serves as a primary scientific peer review mechanism of 
EPA's Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP) and is 
structured to provide scientific advice, information and 
recommendations to the EPA Administrator on pesticides and pesticide-
related issues as to the impact of regulatory actions on health and the 
environment. FIFRA SAP is a Federal advisory committee established in 
1975 under FIFRA that operates in accordance with requirements of the 
Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. Appendix). FIFRA SAP is 
composed of a permanent panel consisting of seven members who are 
appointed by the EPA Administrator from nominees provided by the 
National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation. The 
FIFRA SAP is assisted in their reviews by ad hoc participation from the 
Science Review Board (SRB). As a scientific peer review mechanism, 
FIFRA SAP provides comments, evaluations, and recommendations to 
improve the effectiveness and quality of analyses made by Agency 
scientists. The FIFRA SAP is not required to reach consensus in its 
recommendations to the Agency.

C. FIFRA SAP Documents and Meeting Minutes

    EPA's background paper, charge/questions to FIFRA SAP, and related 
supporting materials were made available on September 7, 2018. You may 
obtain electronic copies of most meeting documents, including the list 
of experts currently under consideration as ad hoc participants in this 
review, at http://www.regulations.gov and the FIFRA SAP website at 
http://www.epa.gov/sap.

    Authority: 7 U.S.C. 136 et. seq.; 21 U.S.C. 301 et seq.


[[Page 55166]]


    Dated: October 17, 2018.
Stanley Barone, Jr.,
Acting Director, Office of Science Coordination and Policy.
[FR Doc. 2018-24035 Filed 11-1-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P