[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 160 (Monday, August 23, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47100-47101]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-18029]



[[Page 47100]]

=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-ORD-2020-0675; FRL-8870-01-ORD]


Availability of the Draft IRIS Toxicological Review of 
Perfluorobutanoic Acid (PFBA) and Related Compound Ammonium 
Perfluorobutanoic Acid

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of public comment period.

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

SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing a 60-
day public comment period associated with release of the IRIS 
Toxicological Review of Perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA) and Related 
Compound Ammonium Perfluorobutanoic Acid. The draft document was 
prepared by the Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment 
(CPHEA) within EPA's Office of Research and Development (ORD). EPA is 
releasing this draft IRIS assessment for public comment in advance of a 
contract-led peer review. Public comments received will be provided to 
the external peer reviewers. Eastern Research Group, Inc. (ERG), a 
contractor to EPA, will convene a public meeting to discuss the draft 
report with the public during Step 4 of the IRIS Process. The external 
peer reviewers will consider public comments submitted in response to 
this notice and provided at the public meeting when reviewing this 
document. EPA will consider all comments received when revising the 
document post-peer review. This draft assessment is not final as 
described in EPA's information quality guidelines, and it does not 
represent, and should not be construed to represent Agency policy or 
views.

DATES: The 60-day public comment period begins August 23, 2021 and ends 
October 22, 2021. Comments must be received on or before October 22, 
2021.

ADDRESSES: The IRIS Toxicological Review of Perfluorobutanoic acid 
(PFBA) and Related Compound Ammonium Perfluorobutanoic Acid will be 
available via the internet on the IRIS website at https://www.epa.gov/iris/iris-recent-additions and in the public docket at http://www.regulations.gov, Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-2020-0675.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on the public comment 
period, contact the ORD Docket at the EPA Headquarters Docket Center; 
telephone: 202-566-1752; facsimile: 202-566-9744; or email: 
[email protected].
    For technical information on the IRIS Toxicological Review of 
Perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA) and Related Compound Ammonium 
Perfluorobutanoic Acid, contact Ms. Vicki Soto, CPHEA; telephone: 202-
564-3077; or email: [email protected]. The IRIS Program will provide 
updates through the IRIS website (https://www.epa.gov/iris) and via 
EPA's IRIS listserv. To register for the IRIS listserv, visit the IRIS 
website (https://www.epa.gov/iris) or visit https://www.epa.gov/iris/forms/staying-connected-integrated-risk-information-system#connect.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Information on IRIS PFAS Assessments

    Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a large class of 
man-made chemicals widely used in consumer products and industrial 
processes. The basic structure of PFAS consists of a carbon chain 
surrounded by fluorine atoms, with different chemicals possessing 
different end groups. The five toxicity assessments being developed 
according to the scope and methods outlined in the publicly posted 
systematic review protocol (https://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/iris_drafts/recordisplay.cfm?deid=345065) build upon several other PFAS assessments 
that have already been developed, and represent only one component of 
the broader PFAS action plan underway at the U.S. EPA (https://www.epa.gov/pfas/epas-pfas-action-plan).

II. How To Submit Technical Comments to the Docket at http://www.regulations.gov

    Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-2020-
0675 for the draft IRIS Toxicological Review of Perfluorobutanoic acid 
(PFBA) and Related Compound Ammonium Perfluorobutanoic Acid, by one of 
the following methods:
     www.regulations.gov: Follow the on-line instructions for 
submitting comments.
     Email: [email protected].
     Fax: 202-566-9744. Due to COVID-19, there may be a delay 
in processing comments submitted by fax.
     Mail: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA Docket 
Center (ORD Docket), Mail Code: 28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, 
Washington, DC 20460. The phone number is 202-566-1752. Due to COVID-
19, there may be a delay in processing comments submitted by mail.

    Note:  The EPA Docket Center and Reading Room may be closed to 
public visitors to reduce the risk of transmitting COVID-19. Docket 
Center staff will continue to provide remote customer service via 
email, phone, and webform. The public can submit comments via 
www.Regulations.gov or email. No hand deliveries are currently being 
accepted.

    Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-
2020-0675. Please ensure that your comments are submitted within the 
specified comment period. Comments received after the closing date will 
be marked ``late,'' and may only be considered if time permits. It is 
EPA's policy to include all comments it receives in the public docket 
without change and to make the comments available online at 
www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided, 
unless a comment includes information claimed to be Confidential 
Business Information (CBI) or other information for which disclosure is 
restricted by statute. Do not submit information through 
www.regulations.gov or email that you consider to be CBI or otherwise 
protected. The www.regulations.gov website is an ``anonymous access'' 
system, which means EPA will not know your identity or contact 
information unless you provide it in the body of your comment. If you 
send an email comment directly to EPA without going through 
www.regulations.gov, your email address will be automatically captured 
and included as part of the comment that is placed in the public docket 
and made available on the internet. If you submit an electronic 
comment, EPA recommends that you include your name and other contact 
information in the body of your comment and with any disk or CD-ROM you 
submit. If EPA cannot read your comment due to technical difficulties 
and cannot contact you for clarification, EPA may not be able to 
consider your comment. Electronic files should avoid the use of special 
characters, any form of encryption, and be free of any defects or 
viruses. For additional information about EPA's public docket visit the 
EPA Docket Center homepage at www.epa.gov/epahome/dockets.htm.
    Docket: Documents in the docket are listed in the 
www.regulations.gov index. Although listed in the index, some 
information is not publicly available, e.g., CBI or other information 
whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Certain other materials, 
such as copyrighted material, are publicly available only in hard copy. 
Publicly available docket materials are available either electronically 
in www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at

[[Page 47101]]

the ORD Docket in the EPA Headquarters Docket Center.

Timothy Watkins,
Acting Director, Center for Public Health & Environmental Assessment.
[FR Doc. 2021-18029 Filed 8-20-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P