2015-11448. Notification of a Public Teleconference of the Chartered Science Advisory Board

AGENCY:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Science Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office announces a public teleconference to review three draft SAB reports on the EPA's Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) assessments for ammonia, trimethylbenzenes and ethylene oxide, respectively.

DATES:

The public teleconference for the Chartered SAB will be conducted on Monday June 8, 2015 from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Time).

ADDRESSES:

The public teleconference will be conducted by telephone only.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Any member of the public wishing to obtain information concerning the public teleconference may contact Mr. Thomas Carpenter, Designated Federal Officer (DFO), EPA Science Advisory Board Staff Office (1400R), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20460; by telephone/voice mail at [phone] or at [e-mail]. General information about the SAB as well as any updates concerning the teleconference announced in this notice may be found on the EPA Web site at http://www.epa.gov/​sab.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The SAB was established pursuant to the Environmental Research, Development, and Demonstration Authorization Act (ERDDAA), codified at 42 U.S.C. 4365, to provide independent scientific and technical advice to the Administrator on the technical basis for Agency positions and regulations. The SAB is a federal advisory committee chartered under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), 5 U.S.C., App. 2. Pursuant to FACA and EPA policy, notice is hereby given that the chartered SAB will hold a public teleconference to review three draft SAB reports on toxicological assessments for the IRIS program. The assessments address ammonia, trimethylbenzenes, and ethylene oxide respectively. The chartered SAB will conduct a quality review of three draft reports that focus on the scientific and technical merit of the assessments. The SAB undertook this review at the request of the EPA's Office of Research and Development. Quality review is a key function of the chartered SAB. Draft reports prepared by SAB committees, panels, or work groups must be reviewed and approved by the chartered SAB before transmittal to the EPA Administrator. Consistent with FACA, the chartered SAB makes a determination in a public meeting about each draft report and determines whether the report is ready to be transmitted to the EPA Administrator.

For EPA's Toxicological Review of Ammonia, ORD evaluated epidemiological data, experimental animal data, and other relevant data from studies of the noncancer and cancer effects of ammonia. This assessment includes an inhalation reference concentration (RfC) and a qualitative cancer descriptor. The assessment does not include an oral reference dose (RfD) or a quantitative cancer assessment. Information about this advisory activity can be found on the Web at http://yosemite.epa.gov/​sab/​sabproduct.nsf/​fedrgstr_​activites/​IRIS%20Ammonia?​OpenDocument.

The second review will focus on an SAB draft report reviewing the EPA's Toxicological Review of Trimethylbenzenes. For the trimethylbenzenes assessment; including 1,2,3-TMB, 1,2,4-TMB, and 1,3,5-TMB, ORD evaluated experimental animal data and other relevant noncancer data. The assessment includes an inhalation RfC, oral RfD, and qualitative cancer descriptor for each isomer. The assessment does not include a quantitative cancer assessment. Information about this advisory activity can be found on the Web at http://yosemite.epa.gov/​sab/​sabproduct.nsf/​fedrgstr_​activites/​IRIS%20Trimethylbenzenes?​OpenDocument.

The third review will focus on an SAB draft report reviewing the EPA's Evaluation of the Inhalation Carcinogenicity of Ethylene Oxide. The carcinogenicity assessment of ethylene oxide presents an evaluation of the cancer hazard and the derivation of quantitative cancer risk estimates from exposure to ethylene oxide by inhalation. The hazard assessment includes a review of epidemiologic studies, rodent cancer bioassays, and mechanistic studies, e.g., genotoxicity studies. The quantitative assessment includes exposure-response modeling for the derivation of inhalation unit risk estimates of cancer risk at low (generally environmental) exposure concentrations and estimates of the cancer risk associated with some occupational exposure scenarios. Information about this advisory activity can be found on the Web at http://yosemite.epa.gov/​sab/​sabproduct.nsf/​fedrgstr_​activites/​Eto%20Inhalation%20Carcinogenicity?​OpenDocument.

Availability of Meeting Materials: The agenda and materials in support of these teleconference will be available on the EPA Web site at http://www.epa.gov/​sab in advance of the teleconference.

Procedures for Providing Public Input: Public comment for consideration by EPA's federal advisory committees and panels has a different purpose from public comment provided to EPA program offices. Therefore, the process for submitting comments to a federal advisory committee is different from the process used to submit comments to an EPA program office.

Federal advisory committees and panels, including scientific advisory committees, provide independent advice to EPA. Members of the public can submit comments for a federal advisory committee to consider as it develops advice for EPA. Input from the public to the SAB will have the most impact if it provides specific scientific or technical information or analysis for SAB panels to consider or if it relates to the clarity or accuracy of the technical information. Members of the public wishing to provide comment should contact the Designated Federal Officer as noted above. Oral Statements: In general, individuals or groups requesting an oral presentation at a teleconference will be limited to three minutes. Each person making an oral statement should consider providing written comments as well as their oral statement so that the points presented orally can be expanded upon in writing. Interested parties should contact Mr. Thomas Carpenter, DFO, in writing (preferably via email) at the contact information noted above by June 1, 2015, to be placed on the list of public speakers. Written Statements: Written statements should be supplied to the DFO, preferably via email, at the contact information noted above one week before the teleconference so that the information may be made available to the Board members for their consideration. It is the SAB Staff Office general policy to post written comments on the Web page for the advisory meeting or teleconference. Submitters are requested to provide an unsigned version of each document because the SAB Staff Office does not publish documents with signatures on its Web sites. Members of the public should be aware that their personal contact information, if included in any written comments, may be posted to the SAB Web site. Copyrighted material will not be posted without explicit permission of the copyright holder.

Accessibility: For information on access or services for individuals with disabilities, please contact Mr. Thomas Carpenter at [phone] or [e-mail]. To request accommodation of a disability, please contact Mr. Carpenter preferably at least ten days prior to the teleconference to give EPA as much time as possible to process your request.

Dated: May 5, 2015.

Thomas H. Brennan,

Deputy Director, EPA Science Advisory Staff Office.