2010-22328. Science Advisory Board Staff Office; Notification of a Public Teleconference of the Science Advisory Board; Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) Mixtures Review Panel

AGENCY:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

The EPA Science Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office announces a public teleconference of the SAB Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) Mixtures Review Panel to discuss its draft report on EPA's Development of a Relative Potency Factor (RPF) Approach for Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) Mixtures.

DATES:

The SAB PAH Mixtures Review Panel will conduct a public teleconference on September 30, 2010. The teleconference will begin at 1 p.m. and end at 5 p.m. (Eastern Time).

ADDRESSES:

The teleconference will be conducted by telephone only.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Any member of the public wishing to obtain general information concerning the public teleconference may contact Mr. Aaron Yeow, Designated Federal Officer (DFO), via telephone at [phone] or e-mail at [e-mail]. General information concerning the EPA Science Advisory Board can be found on the EPA Web site at http://www.epa.gov/​sab.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C., App. 2 (FACA), notice is hereby given that the SAB PAH Mixtures Review Panel will hold a public teleconference to discuss its draft report on EPA's Development of a Relative Potency Factor (RPF) Approach for Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) Mixtures. The SAB was established pursuant to 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 FACA. The SAB will comply with the provisions of FACA and all appropriate SAB Staff Office procedural policies.

Background: EPA's Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) is an electronic database containing descriptive and quantitative toxicological information on human health effects that may result from chronic exposure to various substances in the environment. This information supports human health risk assessments and includes hazard identification and dose-response data and derivations of oral reference doses (RfDs) and inhalation reference concentrations (RfCs) for noncancer effects and oral slope factors and oral and inhalation unit risks for cancer effects. IRIS is prepared and maintained by EPA's National Center for Environmental Assessment (NCEA) within the Office of Research and Development (ORD). NCEA's IRIS Program has developed a draft technical document entitled, Development of a Relative Potency Factor (RPF) Approach for Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) Mixtures, for estimating cancer risk from exposure to PAH mixtures. ORD has requested that the Science Advisory Board (SAB) conduct a review of this draft document.

The SAB PAH Mixtures Review Panel held a public teleconference on June 8, 2010 and a public meeting on June 21-23, 2010 to review EPA's Development of a Relative Potency Factor (RPF) Approach for Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) Mixtures [see Federal Register notice dated May 18, 2010 (75 FR 27777-27778)]. Materials from the June 8, 2010 teleconference and June 21-23, 2010 meeting are posted on the SAB Web site at http://yosemite.epa.gov/​sab/​sabproduct.nsf/​fedrgstr_​activites/​Human%20Health%20PAH%20Mixtures?​OpenDocument.

The purpose of the upcoming teleconference is for the PAH Mixtures Review Panel to discuss its draft report. The Panel's draft report will be submitted to the chartered SAB for their consideration and approval. A meeting agenda and the draft SAB review report will be posted at the above noted SAB Web site prior to the meeting.

Availability of Meeting Materials: Agendas and materials in support of the teleconference will be placed on the SAB Web site at http://www.epa.gov/​sab in advance of the teleconference. For technical questions and information concerning EPA's draft document, please contact Dr. Lynn Flowers at [phone], or [e-mail].

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. They should send their comments directly to the Designated Federal Officer for the relevant advisory committee. Oral Statements: In general, individuals or groups requesting an oral presentation at a public teleconference will be limited to three minutes per speaker, with no more than a total of 30 minutes for all speakers. 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. Aaron Yeow, DFO, in writing (preferably via e-mail) at the contact information noted above by September 23, 2010 to be placed on the list of public speakers. Written Statements: Written statements should be supplied to the DFO via email at the contact information noted above by September 23, 2010 so that the information may be made available to the Panel members for their consideration. Written statements should be supplied in one of the following electronic formats: Adobe Acrobat PDF, MS Word, MS PowerPoint, or Rich Text files in IBM-PC/Windows 98/2000/XP format. Submitters are requested to provide versions of signed documents, submitted with and without signatures, because the SAB Staff Office does not publish documents with signatures on its Web sites.

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

Dated: August 31, 2010.

Anthony Maciorowski,

Deputy Director, EPA Science Advisory Staff Office.