[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 118 (Monday, June 22, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37106-37109]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2026-12350]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-HQ-OPPT-2026-2246; FRL-13362-01-OCSPP]
1,2-Dichloropropane (1,2-DCP); 1,1,2-Trichloroethane (1,1,2-TCA);
Trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene (tDCE); 4,4'-(1-Methylethylidene)bis[2, 6-
Dibromophenol] (TBBPA); and Ethylene Dibromide (EDB); Draft Hazard and
Exposure Assessments; Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals (SACC)
Peer Review; Notice of SACC Meeting; Availability of Draft Documents
and Request for Comment
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or Agency) is
announcing two virtual public meetings of the Science Advisory
Committee on Chemicals (SACC). The first is a preparatory meeting
scheduled for July 23, 2026. During the meeting, the SACC will consider
the scope and clarity of the draft charge questions for the peer review
of the draft technical support documents for 1,2-dichloropropane (1,2-
DCP), 1,1,2-trichloroethane (1,1,2-TCA), trans-1,2-dichloroethylene
(tDCE), 4,4'-(1-Methylethylidene)bis[2, 6-dibromophenol] (TBBPA), and
ethylene dibromide (EDB). The second is the virtual SACC peer review
meeting which will be held August 3 through 7, 2026, for the SACC to
consider the draft technical support documents for 1,2-DCP, 1,1,2-TCA,
tDCE, TBBPA, and EDB, and public comments on those materials. EPA is
also announcing the availability of and soliciting public comment on
the draft documents and charge questions that will be provided to the
SACC for this peer review. The draft technical support documents were
prepared under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and will be
submitted to the SACC for peer review.
DATES:
Preparatory Public Meeting
Meeting date: July 23, 2026, 1 p.m. to approximately 4 p.m. ET.
Registration: To request time to present oral comments during the
preparatory meeting, you must register by noon (12 p.m. ET) on July 15,
2026. For those not making oral comments, registration will remain open
until the end of this meeting on July 23, 2026.
Comments: Submit written comments on the scope and clarity of the
charge questions by noon (12:00 p.m. ET) on July 16, 2026. Submit a
written version of your oral comments by noon (12:00 p.m. ET) on July
21, 2026.
SACC Peer Review Public Meeting
Meeting dates: August 3 through 7, 2026, 10 a.m. to approximately 6
p.m. ET.
Registration: To request time to present oral comments during the
SACC peer review meeting, you must register by noon (12 p.m. ET) on
July 27, 2026. For those not making oral comments, registration will
remain open through the end of this meeting on August 7, 2026.
Comments: Submit written comments on the draft technical support
documents for consideration by the SACC for peer review on or before
July 23, 2026.
To ensure proper receipt of comments, it is imperative that you
identify docket identification (ID): EPA-HQ-OPPT-2026-2246 in the
subject line on the first page of your comments and follow the
instructions in this document.
To request time to present oral comments during one of the virtual
public meetings, you must register online by the deadlines set in this
section of the document. Oral comments during the peer review meeting
are limited to five minutes unless arrangements have been made with the
Designated Federal Official (DFO), within the constraints of the
meeting agenda. In addition, each speaker should submit a written
transcript or copy of their oral comments and any supporting materials
(e.g., presentation slides) to the DFO prior to the meetings for
distribution to the SACC by the deadlines set in this section of the
document.
Special Accommodations: To allow sufficient time for EPA to process
your request for special accommodation before both the preparatory and
SACC peer review meetings, please submit the request at least 10
business days in advance of the relevant meeting.
ADDRESSES:
Comments: Submit written comments, identified by docket ID: EPA-HQ-
OPPT-2026-2246, through https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online
instructions for submitting comments. Do not electronically submit any
information you consider to be Confidential Business Information (CBI)
or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Members
of the public should also be aware that personal information included
in any written comments may be posted on the internet at https://www.regulations.gov. Additional information on commenting or visiting
the docket, along with more information about dockets generally, is
available at https://www.epa.gov/dockets.
Meeting(s) registration: Online registration for both the
preparatory and the SACC peer review meetings will be available in July
2026. Please refer to the SACC website at https://www.epa.gov/tsca-peer-review to complete and submit the registration form(s)
approximately one month prior to each meeting. After registering, you
will receive the webcast and streaming service meeting links and audio
teleconference information.
Special accommodation requests: To request an accommodation for a
disability, please contact the DFO listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
DFO: Alie Muneer, Science Advisory Committees Branch, Mail Code
7602M, Regulatory and Information Services Division, Office of Mission
Critical Operations, Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution
Prevention, Environmental Protection Agency; telephone number: (202)
564-6369 or call the SACC main office: (202) 564-8450; email address:
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Executive Summary
A. What action is the Agency taking?
EPA is announcing that there will be two virtual public meetings of
the SACC. On July 23, 2026, there will be a preparatory meeting for the
SACC to consider the scope and clarity of the draft charge questions
for the peer review; and on August 3 through 7, 2026, there will be a
peer review meeting for the SACC to consider draft technical support
documents for 1,2-DCP, 1,1,2-TCA, tDCE, TBBPA, and EDB, and their
public comments. EPA is also announcing the availability of and
soliciting public comments on the draft documents and charge questions
that will be provided to the SACC for this peer review in docket ID
number EPA-HQ-OPPT-2026-2246 at https://www.regulations.gov.in the
docket and available here: https://www.epa.gov/tsca-peer-review.
This document provides instructions for accessing the materials,
submitting written comments, and registering to provide oral comments
and attending the public meetings.
B. What is the Agency's authority for taking this action?
EPA established the SACC in 2016 in accordance with TSCA, 15 U.S.C.
2625(o), to provide independent advice and expert consultation with
respect to
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the scientific and technical aspects of issues relating to the
implementation of TSCA. The SACC operates in accordance with the
Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. 10, and supports activities
under TSCA, 15 U.S.C. 2601 et seq., the Pollution Prevention Act, 42
U.S.C. 13101 et seq., and other applicable statutes.
C. Does this action apply to me?
This action is directed to the public in general and may be of
particular interest to those involved in the manufacture, processing,
distribution, and disposal of the subject chemical substances, and/or
those interested (including members of at-risk communities; non-
governmental organizations; and federal, state, and local officials) in
the assessment of risks involving chemical substances and mixtures
regulated under TSCA. Since other entities may also be interested, the
Agency has not attempted to describe all the specific entities that may
be interested.
D. What should I consider as I submit my comments to EPA?
1. Submitting CBI. Do not submit CBI or other sensitive information
to EPA through https://www.regulations.gov or email. To include
information in your comment 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 that
information.
2. Tips for preparing comments. When preparing and submitting your
comments, see the commenting tips at https://www.epa.gov/dockets/commenting-epa-dockets. See also the instructions in Unit III.C of this
document.
E. How can I stay informed about SACC activities?
You may subscribe to the following listserv for alerts regarding
this and other SACC-related activities: https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USAEPAOPPT/subscriber/new?topic_id=USAEPAOPPT_101.
II. Background
A. What is the purpose of SACC?
The SACC provides independent advice and recommendations to the EPA
on the scientific and technical aspects of risk assessments,
methodologies, and pollution prevention measures and approaches for
chemicals regulated under TSCA. The SACC is composed of experts in
toxicology, environmental risk assessment, exposure assessment, and
related sciences (e.g., chemistry, biology, toxicology, pharmacology,
biotechnology, nanotechnology, biochemistry, biostatistics,
physiologically based pharmacokinetic modeling, computational
toxicology, epidemiology, environmental fate, and environmental
engineering and sustainability). When needed, the SACC committee will
be assisted by ad hoc reviewers with specific expertise in the topics
under consideration.
B. Why is EPA conducting these draft hazard and exposure assessment
documents supporting risk evaluations?
TSCA requires EPA to conduct risk evaluations on high-priority
chemical substances and allows chemical manufacturers to request an
EPA-conducted risk evaluation of a chemical substance (or category of
chemical substances) using the procedures established in 40 CFR 702.37.
TSCA also identifies the minimum components EPA must include in all
chemical substance risk evaluations. The purpose of conducting risk
evaluations is to determine whether a chemical substance presents an
unreasonable risk to human health or the environment under the
conditions of use. These evaluations include assessing risks to
relevant potentially exposed or susceptible subpopulations. As part of
this process, EPA: (1) Integrates hazard and exposure assessments using
the best available science that is reasonably available to assure
decisions are based on the weight of the scientific evidence and (2)
Conducts peer review for risk evaluation approaches that have not been
previously peer reviewed.
For more information about the three stages of EPA's process for
ensuring the safety of existing chemicals (i.e., prioritization, risk
evaluation, and risk management), go to https://www.epa.gov/assessing-and-managing-chemicals-under-tsca/how-epa-evaluates-safety-existing-chemicals.
C. Why is EPA evaluating these chemical substances?
1,2-Dichloropropane (78-87-5), 1,1,2-trichloroethane (79-00-5),
trans-1,2-dichloroethylene (156-60-5), TBBPA (79-94-7), and ethylene
dibromide (106-93-4), were designated in December 2019 as high-priority
substances under the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st
Century Act and are currently in the risk evaluation process. EPA
published final scope documents in August 2020. The scope documents
outlined the hazards, exposures, conditions of use, and the potentially
exposed or susceptible subpopulations the Agency expected to consider
in its risk evaluations. This set of chemical substances differs in
commercial applications and physical chemical properties, with
technical support documents informing the risk evaluation. A summary of
each chemical is provided below.
1,2-Dichloropropane is a colorless, flammable liquid with
a chloroform-like odor with a production volume in the United States
between 100 million and 1 billion pounds. Industrially, 1,2-
dichloropropane is manufactured as a byproduct, processed as a
reactant, incorporated into formulation, mixture, or reaction products.
Commercial and consumer uses of 1,2-dichloropropane include laboratory
chemicals and cleaning and furnishing care products, including all-
purpose liquid spray cleaner, all-purposes waxes and polishes, and all-
purpose liquid cleaners and polishes.
1,1,2-Trichloroethane is a colorless, sweet-smelling
liquid with a production volume in the United States between 100
million and 250 million pounds. 1,1,2-trichloroethane is manufactured
(including imported) in the United States and used in processing as a
reactant and in other processing activities such as recycling.
Industrial and commercial uses include adhesives, sealants, and use as
a laboratory chemical.
Trans-1,2-dichloroethylene is a highly flammable,
colorless liquid with a sharp, harsh odor with a total production
volume in the United States between 1 and 10 million pounds. Trans-1,2-
dichlorethylene is manufactured (including imported) in the United
States and used as a reactant in processing and in other processing
activities such as recycling. Commercial and consumer uses include
degreasers, lubricants, solvents, and as a laboratory chemical.
4,4'-(1-Methylethylidene)bis[2, 6-dibromophenol] TBBPA is
a crystalline solid with a total production volume in the United States
between 20 million and 100 million pounds. TBBPA is imported into the
United States and used as an additive and reactive chemical. As an
additive flame retardant, TBBPA is incorporated into polymers via
physical mixing and used in acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene resins for
electronic enclosures and electronic consumer products with an outer
plastic casing. As a reactive flame retardant, TBBPA is incorporated
into polymers via chemical reactions at an early stage of manufacturing
and primarily used as a reactive flame retardant in epoxy resin printed
circuit boards by covalently binding to epoxy and polycarbonate resins.
TBBPA is found in electrical and electronic products, batteries,
fabric,
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textile and leather products, laboratory chemicals, and building and
construction materials for commercial and consumer uses. The draft risk
evaluation is available in docket ID number EPA-HQ-OPPT-2018-0462 at
https://www.regulations.gov. The Agency is requesting comments on the
draft risk evaluation and associated documents including the technical
support documents.
Ethylene dibromide is a volatile, water-soluble liquid
with a total production volume in the United States between 1 and 20
million pounds. Ethylene dibromide is not manufactured in the United
States; but is solely imported from foreign countries, and some of this
is repackaged in the United States. It is used primarily in processes
incorporating into formulation, mixture, or reaction products in fuels
and fuel additives. It is also used in industrial processes as a
reactant, commercially as a laboratory chemical. Industrial use of
ethylene dibromide includes use as fuel agents in petroleum refineries,
and commercial and consumer use include use in fuels and related
products.
D. What is the topic of the planned SACC peer review?
EPA is soliciting comments from the SACC on a variety of charge
questions related to 1,2-DCP, 1,1,2-TCA, tDCE, TBBPA, and EDB. Many of
the methods and analyses used in these evaluations are not novel and
have been reviewed in the development of the tools used in various
Agency work products or in previous TSCA assessments. EPA is focusing
peer review on critical inputs and novel approaches.
EPA is soliciting peer review from the SACC on the following
documents:
1. Draft technical support document for environmental and human
health hazard for 1,2-DCP;
2. Draft technical support documents for environmental and human
health hazard and for exposure, including physical chemistry, fate and
transport for 1,1,2-TCA;
3. Draft technical support document for environmental and human
health hazard for tDCE;
4. Draft technical support documents for environmental and human
health hazard and exposure for TBBPA; and
5. Draft technical support document for exposure, including
physical chemistry, fate and transport for EDB. A draft technical
support document for environmental and human health hazard will be made
available no later than June 26, 2026. When that document is available,
it will be added to this docket. Charge questions related to the EDB
hazard technical support document will also be added to the docket no
later than June 26, 2026.
EPA is soliciting comments on the following scientific issues:
1. Hazard identification and characterization
EPA is requesting input on the data and methods used to
evaluate cancer for 1,1,2-TCA, 1,2-DCP, and TBBPA, including evaluation
of potential genotoxic and non-genotoxic carcinogenic modes of action.
EPA is requesting input on the application of the
Rethinking Carcinogenicity Assessment for Agrochemicals Project
(ReCAAP) Framework for tDCE.
EPA is soliciting comments on proposed noncancer points of
departure for 1,1,2-TCA, tDCE, 1,2-DCP, EDB, and TBBPA.
2. Environmental hazard threshold estimates
EPA is requesting input on the parameters and approaches
used to estimate acute avian thresholds resulting from EDB exposure.
3. Exposure assessment and characterization
With regards to occupational and consumer exposure
estimates, EPA is requesting input on the parameters and approaches
used to estimate inhalation and dermal exposure in workers and
consumers for EDB from refueling small aircraft.
With regards to environmental exposure and general
population exposure estimates, EPA is soliciting feedback on the data
and screening approaches used to characterize environmental and general
population exposures of EDB.
3. Use of physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling for
human health hazard:
EPA is requesting input on the parameters and application
of PBPK modeling used to derive an inhalation point of departure via
route-to-route extrapolation for human health hazards of 1,1,2-TCA.
EPA is requesting input on the application of PBPK model
with the addition of an in silico dermal sub-model to derive dermal
HEDs via route-to-route extrapolation for EDB.
4. Dermal exposure modeling approaches
EPA is requesting input on the modeling parameters and
application of probabilistic dermal exposure modeling to estimate
occupational exposures for 1,1,2-trichloroethane.
III. Virtual Public Meetings of the SACC
A. What is the purpose of the virtual public meeting(s)?
The purpose of the preparatory meeting is for the SACC to consider
and ask questions regarding the scope and clarity of the draft charge
questions. The purpose of the peer review meeting is for the SACC to
consider and peer review the draft technical support documents. These
public meetings are part of the SACC's peer review of the Agency's
methods and novel analyses for the draft technical support documents.
The agenda for these meetings will be posted in the docket and will
also be available through the SACC website.
EPA will consider recommendations from this SACC review and public
comments in the development of the final TSCA risk evaluations, which
may inform other EPA efforts related to the assessment and regulation
of the chemical substances. The Agency is seeking peer review of its
data analyses and methodologies relevant to human health hazard and
exposure analyses that have not been previously peer reviewed.
B. How can I participate in the virtual public meeting(s)?
To participate in these virtual public meetings, you must register
online to receive the webcast and streaming service meeting links and
audio teleconference information for each meeting. Online registration
will be available approximately one month prior to the meeting(s) and
will remain open until the end of the meeting. To make oral comments
during one of these meetings, follow the instructions in this document.
C. How can I access the documents?
The draft technical support documents, related technical supporting
materials, and draft charge questions are available in docket ID number
EPA-HQ-OPPT-2026-2246 at https://www.regulations.gov. As previously
noted, the EDB hazard technical support document and related charge
questions will be added to the docket no later than June 26, 2026.
EPA will include additional meeting background materials as they
become available, (e.g., SACC members and the meeting agenda) in the
docket and through the Peer Review of the Draft Hazard and Exposure
Assessments for 1,2-DCP, 1,1,2-TCA, tDCE, TBBPA, and EDB web page at
https://www.epa.gov/tsca-peer-review/peer-review-evaluating-12-dcp-112-tca-tdce-tbbpa-and-edb. Although only the technical support
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documents for TBBPA are part of the SACC peer review, the final Risk
Evaluation for TBBPA is also available in docket ID number EPA-HQ-OPPT-
2018-0462 at https://www.regulations.gov.
IV. Next Steps
After the peer review meeting, the SACC will prepare the meeting
minutes and final report document summarizing its recommendations to
the EPA, which will also be available in the docket and through the
SACC website. EPA will consider the SACC recommendations and public
comments to complete the risk evaluations and unreasonable risk
determinations under TSCA for these chemical substances. Under TSCA,
EPA must then initiate risk management actions to address the
unreasonable risk if identified.
Authority: 15 U.S.C. 2625(o); 5 U.S.C. 10.
Dated: June 16, 2026
Douglas M. Troutman,
Assistant Administrator, Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution
Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2026-12350 Filed 6-18-26; 8:45 am]
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