[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 21 (Friday, January 31, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4783-4784]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-2486]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Public Health Service
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences; National
Toxicology Program; Fiscal Year 1996 Annual Plan Now Available
The National Toxicology Program (NTP) announces the availability of
National Toxicology Program; Fiscal Year 1996 Annual Plan, solicits
comments on it, and urges all interested persons to propose chemicals
for possible toxicological evaluation.
The eighteenth edition consists of two parts. First, the National
Toxicology Program; Fiscal Year 1996 Annual Plan describes FY 1996 NTP
plans in research, applied studies, methods development and validation
efforts, as well as resources and FY 1995 program accomplishments.
Second, the Review of Current DHHS, DOE, and EPA Research Related to
Toxicology FY 1996 lists chemicals being studied by the various
Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) agencies, the Department
of Energy (DOE), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and
describes toxicology research and toxicology methods currently being
developed by these agencies.
The format for the FY 1996 Annual Plan differs somewhat from
previous years in that there are two versions. New is the Fiscal Year
1996 Annual Plan Summary which was prepared in response to a perceived
need for a briefer and simpler version. The summary version is being
sent to the larger mailing list and in response to general requests for
information about the National Toxicology Program. The full version is
similar to previous Annual Plans in length and detail and will be sent
with the companion document, the Review of Current DHHS, DOE, and EPA
Research Related to Toxicology FY 1996.
Background
The National Toxicology Program was established within the Public
Health Service of the Department of Health and Human Services in
November 1978. The continuing broad goals of the NTP are to coordinate
and strengthen DHHS basic and applied toxicology research and methods
development and validation, and to provide toxicological information
for use by health research and regulatory agencies and others in
protecting the public health. Overall objectives are to:
broaden the spectrum of toxicological information obtained on
selected chemicals;
develop and validate more sensitive and specific test methods;
develop improved strategies for generating scientific data
that strengthen the scientific foundation for risk assessments; and
communicate NTP plans and results to government agencies, the
medical and scientific communities, and the public.
To achieve these objectives, a balanced program, which uses chronic
bioassays, short-term tests, collection and application of mechanistic
information, model development, alternative methods, and human studies,
has been created.
The NTP coordinates selected toxicology activities of the National
Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), National Institutes
of Health; the National Center for Toxicological Research, Food and
Drug Administration; and the National Institute for Occupational Safety
and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Director of
the NTP is also the Director of the National Institute of Environmental
Health Sciences.
Primary program oversight is provided by the NTP Executive
Committee, which links DHHS health research institutes and centers with
Federal health regulatory agencies to ensure that the basic and applied
toxicology research and development activities are responsive to
regulatory and public health needs. Agencies represented on the
Executive Committee are:
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Consumer Product Safety Commission
Environmental Protection Agency
Food and Drug Administration
National Cancer Institute
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
National Institutes of Health
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
The NTP Board of Scientific Counselors provides scientific
oversight, advising the NTP Director and the NTP Executive Committee on
scientific content and evaluating the scientific merit and overall
quality of NTP science. The Board has two standing Subcommittees, the
Biennial Report on Carcinogens Subcommittee and the Technical Reports
Review Subcommittee. The members are appointed by the Secretary, DHHS.
Scientific activities are divided into several major program areas:
Carcinogenesis; genetic toxicology; risk assessment research;
alternative methods; and toxicology. The latter area covers activities
in immunologic, neurobehavioral, and respiratory toxicologies, as well
as reproductive and developmental toxicology. There are special
projects on studying toxicities of AIDS therapeutics and toxicity of
Superfund chemicals. Program and project leaders, along with addresses
and telephone numbers, are identified in the Annual Plan.
[[Page 4784]]
The chemical nomination and selection process is integral to the
effective long-term operation of the NTP with respect to toxicological
studies of chemicals using modern techniques and to the development and
validation of new assay methods. Thus, the NTP welcomes nominations of
chemicals for study from everyone. At a minimum, the nominator should
give the name of the chemical or substance, the rationale for the
nomination, and recommend the type study(s) to be considered. In
addition, it is desirable, but not essential, to supplement each
nomination with the following information, if known:
chemical and physical properties;
production, use, occurrence, and analysis data;
toxicology information, including human data;
chemical disposition and structure-activity relationships; and
planned, ongoing, or recently completed toxicological and
environmental studies.
To receive the National Toxicology Program Fiscal Year 1996 Annual
Plan and the accompanying Review of Current DHHS, DOE, and EPA Research
Related to Toxicology FY 1996, or the Fiscal Year 1996 Annual Plan
Summary version, please contact the NTP Central Data Management, NIEHS,
P.O. Box 12233, MD E1-02, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, (telephone
919/541-3419, fax 919/541-3687, Internet e-mail [email protected]
Comments on the above documents are requested and welcomed and
should be addressed to Dr. Larry Hart, NTP, P.O. Box 12233, MD A3-07,
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, (telephone 919/541-3971, fax 919/541-
0295, Internet e-mail hart@niehs.nih.gov).
Kenneth Olden,
Director, National Toxicology Program.
[FR Doc. 97-2486 Filed 1-30-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-M
