[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 29 (Thursday, February 12, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6983-6984]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-3219]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-7622-5]


Notice of Peer-Review Workshop

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing 
that Versar, Inc., an EPA contractor for external scientific peer 
review, will convene a panel of experts and organize and conduct a peer 
consultation workshop to discuss neurotoxicity issues using the 
external review draft document titled, Neurotoxicity of 
Tetrachloroethylene (Perchloroethylene): Discussion Paper (EPA/600/P-
03/005A) as background material. On December 30, 2003 (68 FR 75241), 
the EPA announced, via a Federal Register notice, a sixty-day public 
comment period for the draft paper. The paper was prepared by the EPA's 
National Center for Environmental Assessment-Washington Office (NCEA-W) 
within the Office of Research and Development. NCEA will consider both 
the peer consultation advice from this meeting and public comment 
submissions in the preparation of an IRIS Toxicological Review document 
on tetrachloroethylene.

DATES: The one-day peer-review workshop will be held on February 25, 
2004, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The peer consultation workshop will be held at the Marriott 
Crystal City Hotel, 1999 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, VA, 22202. 
Versar, Inc., an EPA contractor, is organizing, convening, and 
conducting the peer consultation workshop. To attend the workshop as an 
observer, register by February 23, 2004, by sending an e-mail to Ms. 
Traci Brody of Versar at [email protected]. You can also call Ms. Brody 
at (703) 750-3000 extension 449, or send a facsimile to (703) 642-6954.
    The availability of the draft discussion paper and the procedures 
for submitting comments on the paper were announced in the December 30, 
2003 Federal Register notice.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The purpose of the workshop is to 
elicit comments from the expert panelists on the charge to the peer 
consultation panel, which is reproduced below. There will be limited 
time on the agenda for observers to make comments.
    For workshop information, registration, and logistics, contact Ms. 
Traci Brody of Versar, Inc., at [email protected]. You can also call 
(703) 750-3000 extension 449, or send a facsimile to (703) 642-6954.
    For information on the public comment period, contact Dr. Robert 
McGaughy; telephone: (202) 564-3244; facsimile: (202) 565-0079; or e-
mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Workshop Information

    The purpose of the workshop is to elicit comments from the expert 
panelists on the charge to the peer consultation panel, which is 
reproduced below.
    (a) What are the relative strengths and limitations of the existing 
human studies of the neurological effects of perc (e.g. sample size, 
statistical power, potential biases, biological or clinical relevance 
of the findings, degree of consistency)? Do the EPA materials 
adequately evaluate these issues?
    (b) How consistent are the visual contrast sensitivity effects seen 
in one residential study (with two exposed groups) with findings of 
other visual effects seen in other occupational and residential studies 
(where visual contrast sensitivity was not tested)?
    (c) Table 1 of the EPA materials provides a summary of types of 
neurological tests that have been conducted measuring different effects 
with different populations exposed to perc. What is the biological and 
or clinical significance of the measured endpoints in these different 
studies?
    (d) What weight should be attached to reported findings of 
neurological effects in residential populations at exposure levels 
below those seen in the occupational studies?
    (e) Do the epidemiology studies identify susceptible populations, 
and in particular do the residential data indicate that children and 
elderly people may be more susceptible to the effects of perc?
    (f) Do the studies reporting decrements in neurological function 
(including vision) in people exposed to organic solvents add support to 
conclusions about the hazards of perc?
    (g) Can an association be made in the separate studies and in all 
studies collectively between perc exposure and observed neurotoxicity? 
Does the set of studies as a whole indicate that perc exposure to the 
general population presents a potential health hazard?
    (h) Are there any published studies or data relevant to the 
neurotoxic risk which are not included in the discussion paper?
    As part of your review, please comment on the use of secondary data 
in the document. The term ``secondary data'' for the purpose of this 
review refers to the use of published or unpublished data in the 
development of the Agency's assessment of the neurotoxic effects of 
tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene) in humans. Please comment on 
the Agency's use of secondary data in the discussion paper, relative to 
the data validity in the context of the use in this assessment.
    Members of the public may attend the workshop as observers, and 
there will be a limited time for comments from the public in the 
afternoon. If you wish to make comments during the workshop, contact 
Versar, Inc. at least one week in advance of the meeting. Space is 
limited, and reservations will be accepted on a first-come, first-
served basis.

II. How To Get a Copy of the Document and Submit Technical Comments

    EPA has established an official public docket for this action under 
Docket ID No. ORD-2003-0014. The official public docket consists of the 
documents specifically referenced in this action, any public comments 
received, and other information related to this action. Although a part 
of the official docket, the public docket does not include Confidential 
Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is

[[Page 6984]]

restricted by statute. The official public docket is the collection of 
materials that is available for public viewing at the Office of 
Environmental Information (OEI) Docket in the Headquarters EPA Docket 
Center, (EPA/DC) EPA West Building, Room B102, 1301 Constitution Ave., 
NW., Washington, DC. The EPA Docket Center 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 OEI Docket is (202) 566-
1752; facsimile: (202) 566-1753; or e-mail: [email protected].
    An electronic version of the public docket is available through 
EPA's electronic public docket and comment system, EPA Dockets. You may 
use EPA Dockets at http://www.epa.gov/edocket/ to submit or view public 
comments, access the index listing of the contents of the official 
public docket, and to access those documents in the public docket that 
are available electronically. Once in the system, select ``search,'' 
then key in the appropriate docket identification number.
    Certain types of information will not be placed in the EPA Dockets. 
Information claimed as CBI and other information whose disclosure is 
restricted by statute, which is not included in the official public 
docket, will not be available for public viewing in EPA's electronic 
public docket. EPA's policy is that copyrighted material will not be 
placed in EPA's electronic public docket but will be available only in 
printed, paper form in the official public docket.
    For public commenters, it is important to note that EPA's policy is 
that public comments, whether submitted electronically or in paper, 
will be made available for public viewing in EPA's electronic public 
docket as EPA receives them and without change, unless the comment 
contains copyrighted material, CBI, or other information whose 
disclosure is restricted by statute. When EPA identifies a comment 
containing copyrighted material, EPA will provide a reference to that 
material in the version of the comment that is placed in EPA's 
electronic public docket. The entire printed comment, including the 
copyrighted material, will be available in the public docket.
    Public comments submitted on computer disks that are mailed or 
delivered to the docket will be transferred to EPA's electronic public 
docket. Public comments that are mailed or delivered to the Docket will 
be scanned and placed in EPA's electronic public docket. Where 
practical, physical objects will be photographed, and the photograph 
will be placed in EPA's electronic public docket along with a brief 
description written by the docket staff.
    You may submit comments electronically, by mail, by facsimile, or 
by hand delivery/courier. To ensure proper receipt by EPA, identify the 
appropriate docket identification number in the subject line on the 
first page of your comment. Please ensure that your comments are 
submitted within the specified comment period. Comments received after 
the close of the comment period will be marked ``late.'' Late comments 
may be considered if time permits.
    If you submit an electronic comment as prescribed below, EPA 
recommends that you include your name, mailing address, and an e-mail 
address or other contact information in the body of your comment. Also 
include this contact information on the outside of any disk or CD ROM 
you submit, and in any cover letter accompanying the disk or CD ROM. 
This ensures that you can be identified as the submitter of the comment 
and allows EPA to contact you in case EPA cannot read your comment due 
to technical difficulties or needs further information on the substance 
of your comment. EPA's policy is that EPA will not edit your comment, 
and any identifying or contact information provided in the body of a 
comment will be included as part of the comment that is placed in the 
official public docket, and made available in EPA's electronic public 
docket. 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.
    Your use of EPA's electronic public docket to submit comments to 
EPA electronically is EPA's preferred method for receiving comments. Go 
directly to EPA Dockets at http://www.epa.gov/edocket, and follow the 
online instructions for submitting comments. To access EPA's electronic 
public docket from the EPA Internet Home Page, select ``Information 
Sources,'' ``Dockets,'' and ``EPA Dockets.'' Once in the system, select 
``search,'' and then key in Docket ID No. ORD2003-0014. The system is 
an ``anonymous access'' system, which means EPA will not know your 
identity, e-mail address, or other contact information unless you 
provide it in the body of your comment.
    Comments may be sent by electronic mail (e-mail) to 
[email protected], Attention Docket ID No. ORD2003-0014. In contrast 
to EPA's electronic public docket, EPA's e-mail system is not an 
``anonymous access'' system. If you send an e-mail comment directly to 
the Docket without going through EPA's electronic public docket, EPA's 
e-mail system automatically captures your e-mail address. E-mail 
addresses that are automatically captured by EPA's e-mail system are 
included as part of the comment that is placed in the official public 
docket, and made available in EPA's electronic public docket.
    You may submit comments on a disk or CD ROM that you mail to the 
OEI Docket mailing address. These electronic submissions will be 
accepted in WordPerfect, Word, or ASCII file format. Avoid the use of 
special characters and any form of encryption.
    If you provide comments in writing, please submit one unbound 
original with pages numbered consecutively, and three copies of the 
comments. For attachments, provide an index, number pages consecutively 
with the comments, and submit an unbound original and three copies.

    Dated: February 6, 2004.
David A. Bussard,
Acting Director, National Center for Environmental Assessment.
[FR Doc. 04-3219 Filed 2-11-04; 8:45 am]
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