Draft EPA's Reanalysis of Key Issues Related to Dioxin Toxicity and Response to NAS Comments, 28610-28612 [2010-12280]

Download as PDF emcdonald on DSK2BSOYB1PROD with NOTICES 28610 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 98 / Friday, May 21, 2010 / Notices introduced predators, such as rats and mongooses. EPA granted the Hawaii Department of Agriculture a quarantine exemption in 2005 for use of calcium hydroxide to control Eleutherodactylus frogs. This quarantine exemption program expired on April 26, 2008. The applicant withdrew a subsequent request in 2008 for use of calcium hydroxide on 4,000 acres of outdoor plant nurseries, residential areas, resorts and hotels, parks, forest habitats, and natural areas throughout the entire state of Hawaii. In this request, the Hawaii Department of Agriculture’s projected acreage for 2010–2012 is 1,000 acres on outdoor potted and field-grown ornamental plants, groundcover/floors, and perimeters of commercial nurseries throughout the state of Hawaii in the following counties: Honolulu, Maui, Kauai, and Hawaii. According to the current submission, use of calcium hydroxide is proposed for application as follows: 1. For dust application at 500 pounds per acre (485 lbs. active ingredient (a.i.) per acre). 2. For foliar applications on potted or field-grown outdoor ornamental plants at 250 pounds of product per acre (242.5 lbs. a.i. per acre) at a 3% dilution. 3. For foliar applications on vegetation of nursery perimeters or as a soil drench at 500 pounds per acre (485 lbs. a.i. per acre) at a 6% dilution. A maximum of twelve applications may be made per site per year. Therefore, a total maximum of 18,000,000 lbs. (9,000 tons) of product or 17,280,000 lbs. (8,640 tons) of a.i. of calcium hydroxide can be applied to treated areas under this request. This notice does not constitute a decision by EPA on the application itself. The regulations governing section 18 of FIFRA require publication of a notice of receipt of an application for a quarantine exemption proposing use of calcium hydroxide which has not been registered by EPA. The notice provides an opportunity for public comment on this proposed application. The Agency will review and consider all comments received during the comment period in determining whether to issue the quarantine exemption requested by the Hawaii Department of Agriculture. List of Subjects Environmental protection, Pesticides and pests. VerDate Mar<15>2010 16:40 May 20, 2010 Jkt 220001 Dated: May 12, 2010. Lois Rossi, Director, Registration Division, Office of Pesticide Programs. [FR Doc. 2010–12100 Filed 5–20–10; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6560–50–S ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [FRL–9154–2; Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–ORD– 2010–0395] Draft EPA’s Reanalysis of Key Issues Related to Dioxin Toxicity and Response to NAS Comments AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice of Public Comment Period. SUMMARY: EPA is announcing a 90-day public comment period for the external review draft entitled, ‘‘EPA’s Reanalysis of Key Issues Related to Dioxin Toxicity and Response to NAS Comments’’ (EPA/ 600/R–10/038A). This draft report responds to the key recommendations and comments included in the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) 2006 report. In addition, it includes new analyses on potential human effects that may result from exposure to 2,3,7,8tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). These analyses have not been in previous versions of draft reports related to EPA’s dioxin reassessment activity. This draft report is now considered to be under EPA’s Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) program, and thus, the new IRIS process announced in May 2009 (https://www.epa.gov/iris/ process/) is being followed. Per the May 2009 process, this draft report is beginning Step 4—independent external peer review and public review and comment. This draft dioxin report was prepared by the National Center for Environmental Assessment (NCEA) within the EPA Office of Research and Development (ORD). The draft document, ‘‘EPA’s Reanalysis of Key Issues Related to Dioxin Toxicity and Response to NAS Comments,’’ is also being provided to EPA’s Science Advisory Board (SAB), a body established under the Federal Advisory Committee Act, for independent external peer review. The SAB will convene an expert panel composed of scientists knowledgeable about technical issues related to dioxins and risk assessment. The SAB is expected to hold a public teleconference on or about June 24, 2010, and a public panel meeting on July 13–15, 2010. The SAB peer review meetings will be announced by the SAB staff office in a PO 00000 Frm 00069 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 separate Federal Register Notice. EPA intends to forward all public comments submitted before July 7, 2010, in response to this notice to the SAB peer review panel for their consideration. Members of the public who wish to ensure that their technical comments are provided to the SAB expert panel before each meeting should also e-mail their comments separately to Thomas Armitage, the SAB Designated Federal Officer at armitage.thomas@epa.gov, following the procedures in the Federal Register Notice announcing the SAB public meetings. When completing this draft dioxin report, EPA will consider any written public comments that EPA receives in accordance with the detailed instructions provided below under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. The public comment period and SAB external peer review are independent processes that provide separate opportunities for all interested parties to comment on the draft report. EPA is releasing this draft report solely for the purpose of predissemination peer review under applicable information quality guidelines. This draft report has not been formally disseminated by EPA. It does not represent and should not be construed to represent any Agency policy or determination. DATES: The public comment period begins May 21, 2010, and ends August 19, 2010. Comments should be in writing and must be received by EPA by August 19, 2010. Due to the timing of the SAB’s peer review meeting, EPA can only guarantee that those comments received by July 7, 2010, in response to this Federal Register notice will be provided to the SAB panel prior to the SAB meeting. Comments received after July 7, will still be provided to the SAB panel and will also inform the Agency’s revision of the draft report. ADDRESSES: The external review draft titled, ‘‘EPA’s Reanalysis of Key Issues Related to Dioxin Toxicity and Response to NAS Comments’’ (EPA/600/ R–10/038A) is available primarily via the Internet on the NCEA home page under the Recent Additions and Publications menus at https:// www.epa.gov/ncea. A limited number of paper copies are available from the Information Management Team (Address: Information Management Team, National Center for Environmental Assessment (Mail Code: 8601P), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone: 703–347–8561; facsimile: 703–347– 8691). If you request a paper copy, E:\FR\FM\21MYN1.SGM 21MYN1 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 98 / Friday, May 21, 2010 / Notices please provide your name, mailing address, and the assessment title. Comments may be submitted electronically via https:// www.regulations.gov, by e-mail, by mail, by facsimile, or by hand delivery/ courier. Please follow the detailed instructions provided in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this notice. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on the docket, regulations.gov or public comment period, please contact the Office of Environmental Information (OEI) Docket (Mail Code: 2822T), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone: 202–566–1752; facsimile: 202–566–1753; or e-mail: ORD.Docket@epa.gov. For information on the draft report, please contact Linda C. Tuxen, National Center for Environmental Assessment (8601P), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone: 703–347–8609; facsimile: 703–347– 8699; or e-mail: tuxen.linda@epa.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: emcdonald on DSK2BSOYB1PROD with NOTICES I. Information About the Draft Report, ‘‘EPA’s Reanalysis of Key Issues Related to Dioxin Toxicity and Response to NAS Comments’’ In 2003, EPA, along with other federal agencies, asked the NAS to review aspects of the science in EPA’s draft dioxin reassessment entitled, ‘‘Exposure and Human Health Reassessment of 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-Dioxin (TCDD) and Related Compounds,’’ and, in 2004, EPA sent a 2003 external review draft dioxin reassessment to the NAS for their peer review. The NAS held several public meetings during their review of the draft reassessment and on July 11, 2006, released the final report of their review entitled, ‘‘Health Risks from Dioxin and Related Compounds: Evaluation of the EPA Reassessment.’’ The NAS identified three key areas in the 2003 draft reassessment that required substantial improvement to support a more scientifically robust risk characterization. These three areas were: (1) Justification of approaches to doseresponse modeling for cancer and noncancer endpoints; (2) transparency and clarity in selection of key data sets for analysis; and (3) transparency, thoroughness, and clarity in quantitative uncertainty analysis. The NAS provided EPA with recommendations to address their key concerns. EPA’s draft dioxin report, which is being provided for public review and VerDate Mar<15>2010 16:40 May 20, 2010 Jkt 220001 comment, includes significant new analyses on both the potential cancer and noncancer human health effects that may result from exposures to TCDD. For instance, this draft report addresses the explicit recommendation of the NAS to develop a quantitative risk estimate for noncancer effects that may result from long-term (chronic) oral exposure to dioxins. Thus, this draft dioxin report includes an oral reference dose (RfD) for TCDD—the most wellstudied and considered to be among the most toxic of the dioxin-like compounds. An RfD was not in the 2003 draft dioxin reassessment. In addition, in 2003, EPA and other federal agencies developed a set of questions and answers related to dioxins, which have been updated about every year and a half. These materials have again been updated to include more recent information. These questions and answers provide general information on dioxins such as what they are, where they can be found, and major sources of dioxins. They also discuss possible effects of dioxin exposure in humans, include advice about consumption of food that might contain dioxins, and explain the review process for the dioxin reassessment. For additional information on dioxins and on EPA’s overall dioxin assessment activity, these questions and answers may be accessed at: https://www.fda.gov/ Food/FoodSafety/ FoodContaminantsAdulteration/ ChemicalContaminants/DioxinsPCBs/ ucm077524.htm. II. How To Submit Comments to the Docket at https://www.regulations.gov Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–ORD–2010– 0395, by one of the following methods: • https://www.regulations.gov: Follow the on-line instructions for submitting comments. • E-mail: ORD.Docket@epa.gov. • Facsimile: 202–566–1753. • Mail: Office of Environmental Information (OEI) Docket (Mail Code: 2822T), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460. The telephone number is 202–566–1752. If you provide comments by mail, 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. • Hand Delivery: The OEI Docket is located in the EPA Headquarters Docket Center, EPA West Building, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC. The EPA Docket PO 00000 Frm 00070 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 28611 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. Deliveries are only accepted during the docket’s normal hours of operation, and special arrangements should be made for deliveries of boxed information. If you provide comments by hand delivery, 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. Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–ORD–2010– 0395. Please ensure that your comments are submitted within the specified comment period. Comments received after the closing date will be marked ‘‘late,’’ and may only be considered if time permits. It is EPA’s policy to include all comments it receives in the public docket without change and to make the comments available online at https://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided, unless comments include information claimed to be Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Do not submit information that you consider to be CBI or otherwise protected through https:// www.regulations.gov or e-mail. The https://www.regulations.gov Web site is an ‘‘anonymous access’’ system, which means EPA will not know your identity or contact information unless you provide it in the body of your comments. If you send e-mail comments directly to EPA without going through https://www.regulations.gov, your e-mail address will be automatically captured and included as part of the comments that are placed in the public docket and made available on the Internet. If you submit electronic comments, EPA recommends that you include your name and other contact information in the body of your comments and with any disk or CD–ROM you submit. If EPA cannot read your comments due to technical difficulties and cannot contact you for clarification, EPA may not be able to consider your comments. Electronic files should avoid the use of special characters and any form of encryption and be free of any defects or viruses. For additional information about EPA’s public docket, visit the EPA Docket Center homepage at https:// www.epa.gov/epahome/dockets.htm. Docket: All documents in the docket are listed in the https:// www.regulations.gov index. Although E:\FR\FM\21MYN1.SGM 21MYN1 28612 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 98 / Friday, May 21, 2010 / Notices listed in the index, some information is not publicly available, e.g., CBI or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Certain other material, such as copyrighted material, will be publicly available only in hard copy. Publicly available docket materials are available either electronically at https:// www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at the OEI Docket in the EPA Headquarters Docket Center. Dated: May 17, 2010. Rebecca Clark, Acting Director, National Center for Environmental Assessment. [FR Doc. 2010–12280 Filed 5–20–10; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6560–50–P ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [ER–FRL–8990–5] Environmental Impact Statements; Notice of Availability emcdonald on DSK2BSOYB1PROD with NOTICES Responsible Agency: Office of Federal Activities, General Information (202) 564–1399 or https://www.epa.gov/ compliance/nepa/. Weekly receipt of Environmental Impact Statements Filed 05/10/2010 Through 05/14/2010 Pursuant to 40 CFR 1506.9. Notice In accordance with Section 309(a) of the Clean Air Act, EPA is required to make its comments on EISs issued by other Federal agencies public. Historically, EPA has met this mandate by publishing weekly notices of availability of EPA comments, which includes a brief summary of EPA’s comment letters, in the Federal Register. Since February 2008, EPA has been including its comment letters on EISs on its Web site at: https:// www.epa.gov/compliance/nepa/ eisdata.html. Including the entire EIS comment letters on the Web site satisfies the Section 309(a) requirement to make EPA’s comments on EISs available to the public. Accordingly, on March 31, 2010, EPA discontinued the publication of the notice of availability of EPA comments in the Federal Register. EIS No. 20100174, Final EIS, USFS, 00, Wallowa-Whitman National Forest Invasive Plants Treatment Project, To Protect Native Vegetation by Controlling, Containing, or Eradicating Invasive Plant, Wallowa, Baker, Malheur and Grant Counties, OR and Adams and Nez Perce Counties, ID, Wait Period Ends: 06/ VerDate Mar<15>2010 16:40 May 20, 2010 Jkt 220001 21/2010, Contact: Robert W. Rock 541–523–1242. EIS No. 20100175, Draft EIS, USN, 00, United States Marine Corps Joint Strike Fighter F–35B West Coast Basing, To Efficiently and Effectively Maintain Combat Capability and Mission Readiness, CA and AZ, Comment Period Ends: 07/05/2010, Contact: Adrianne Saboya 619–532– 4742. EIS No. 20100176, Final EIS, USN, WA, Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA). Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC), Keyport Complex Extension, Propose to Extend the Operational Areas, Three Distinct Range Sites: Keyport Range Site; Dabob Bay Range Complex (DBRC) Site, Quinault Underwater Tracking Range Site, Gray Harbor, Jefferson, Kitsap and Mason Counties, WA, Wait Period Ends: 06/21/2010, Contact: Kimberly Kler 360–396–0927. EIS No. 20100177, Draft EIS, USFS, MN, Tracks Project, Proposing Forest Vegetation Management and Related Transportation System Activities, Superior National Forest, St. Louis and Lake Counties, MN, Comment Period Ends: 07/05/2010, Contact: Susan Duffy 218–365–2097. EIS No. 20100178, Draft EIS, USACE, LA, Medium Diversion at White Ditch, Integrated Feasibility Study, Louisiana Coastal Area (LCA) Ecosystem Restoration, Implementation, Plaquemines Parish, LA, Comment Period Ends: 07/05/ 2010, Contact: Dr. Nathan Dayan 504– 862–2530. EIS No. 20100179, Final EIS, TVA, AL, Bellefonte Site Single Nuclear Unit Project, Proposes to Complete or Construct and Operate a Single 1,100– 1, 200 MW Nuclear Generation Unit, Jackson County, AL, Wait Period Ends: 06/21/2010, Contact: Ruth Horton 865–632–3719. EIS No. 20100180, Draft EIS, USACE, LA, Convey Atchafalaya River Water to Northern Terrebonne Marshes and Multipurpose Operation of Houma Navigation Lock, Integrated Feasibility Study, Louisiana Coastal Area (LCA) Implementation, Lafourche, Terrebonne, St. Mary Parish, LA, Comment Period Ends: 07/05/2010, Contact: Dr. Nathan Dayan 504–862–2530. EIS No. 20100181, Final EIS, DOE, MS, Kemper County Integrated Gasification Combined-Cycle (IGCC) Project, Construction and Operation of Advanced Power Generation Plant, U.S. Army COE Section 404 Permit, Kemper County, MS, Wait Period Ends: 06/21/2010, Contact: Richard A. Hargis, Jr. 888–322–7426 Ext. 6065. PO 00000 Frm 00071 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 EIS No. 20100182, Draft EIS, USACE, LA, Small Diversion at Convent/Blind River, Proposes to construct a Freshwater Diversion Project, Integrated Feasibility Study, Louisiana Coastal Area, St. James Parish, LA, Comment Period Ends: 07/05/2010, Contact: Dr. William P. Klein, Jr. 504–862–2540. EIS No. 20100183, Draft EIS, USACE, LA, Amite River Diversion Canal Modification Element of the Section 7006(E)(3) Ecosystem Restoration Project, Feasibility Study, Louisiana Coastal Area (LCA) Ascension and Livingston Parishes, LA, Comment Period Ends: 07/05/2010, Contact: Dr. William P. Klein, Jr. 504–862–2540. Dated: May 18, 2010. Ken Mittelholtz, Deputy Director, NEPA Compliance Division, Office of Federal Activities. [FR Doc. 2010–12262 Filed 5–20–10; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6560–50–P DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Office of the Comptroller of the Currency FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Office of Thrift Supervision Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request AGENCIES: Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), Treasury; Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board); Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC); and Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS), Treasury. ACTION: Joint notice and request for comment. SUMMARY: In accordance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. chapter 35), the OCC, the Board, the FDIC, and the OTS (the ‘‘agencies’’) may not conduct or sponsor, and the respondent is not required to respond to, an information collection unless it displays a currently valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number. The Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC), of which the agencies are members, has approved the agencies’ publication for public comment of a E:\FR\FM\21MYN1.SGM 21MYN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 98 (Friday, May 21, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28610-28612]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-12280]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-9154-2; Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-2010-0395]


Draft EPA's Reanalysis of Key Issues Related to Dioxin Toxicity 
and Response to NAS Comments

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of Public Comment Period.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: EPA is announcing a 90-day public comment period for the 
external review draft entitled, ``EPA's Reanalysis of Key Issues 
Related to Dioxin Toxicity and Response to NAS Comments'' (EPA/600/R-
10/038A). This draft report responds to the key recommendations and 
comments included in the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) 2006 
report. In addition, it includes new analyses on potential human 
effects that may result from exposure to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-
dioxin (TCDD). These analyses have not been in previous versions of 
draft reports related to EPA's dioxin reassessment activity. This draft 
report is now considered to be under EPA's Integrated Risk Information 
System (IRIS) program, and thus, the new IRIS process announced in May 
2009 (https://www.epa.gov/iris/process/) is being followed. Per the May 
2009 process, this draft report is beginning Step 4--independent 
external peer review and public review and comment. This draft dioxin 
report was prepared by the National Center for Environmental Assessment 
(NCEA) within the EPA Office of Research and Development (ORD).
    The draft document, ``EPA's Reanalysis of Key Issues Related to 
Dioxin Toxicity and Response to NAS Comments,'' is also being provided 
to EPA's Science Advisory Board (SAB), a body established under the 
Federal Advisory Committee Act, for independent external peer review. 
The SAB will convene an expert panel composed of scientists 
knowledgeable about technical issues related to dioxins and risk 
assessment. The SAB is expected to hold a public teleconference on or 
about June 24, 2010, and a public panel meeting on July 13-15, 2010. 
The SAB peer review meetings will be announced by the SAB staff office 
in a separate Federal Register Notice. EPA intends to forward all 
public comments submitted before July 7, 2010, in response to this 
notice to the SAB peer review panel for their consideration. Members of 
the public who wish to ensure that their technical comments are 
provided to the SAB expert panel before each meeting should also e-mail 
their comments separately to Thomas Armitage, the SAB Designated 
Federal Officer at armitage.thomas@epa.gov, following the procedures in 
the Federal Register Notice announcing the SAB public meetings. When 
completing this draft dioxin report, EPA will consider any written 
public comments that EPA receives in accordance with the detailed 
instructions provided below under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. The public 
comment period and SAB external peer review are independent processes 
that provide separate opportunities for all interested parties to 
comment on the draft report.
    EPA is releasing this draft report solely for the purpose of pre-
dissemination peer review under applicable information quality 
guidelines. This draft report has not been formally disseminated by 
EPA. It does not represent and should not be construed to represent any 
Agency policy or determination.

DATES: The public comment period begins May 21, 2010, and ends August 
19, 2010. Comments should be in writing and must be received by EPA by 
August 19, 2010.
    Due to the timing of the SAB's peer review meeting, EPA can only 
guarantee that those comments received by July 7, 2010, in response to 
this Federal Register notice will be provided to the SAB panel prior to 
the SAB meeting. Comments received after July 7, will still be provided 
to the SAB panel and will also inform the Agency's revision of the 
draft report.

ADDRESSES: The external review draft titled, ``EPA's Reanalysis of Key 
Issues Related to Dioxin Toxicity and Response to NAS Comments'' (EPA/
600/R-10/038A) is available primarily via the Internet on the NCEA home 
page under the Recent Additions and Publications menus at https://www.epa.gov/ncea. A limited number of paper copies are available from 
the Information Management Team (Address: Information Management Team, 
National Center for Environmental Assessment (Mail Code: 8601P), U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., 
Washington, DC 20460; telephone: 703-347-8561; facsimile: 703-347-
8691). If you request a paper copy,

[[Page 28611]]

please provide your name, mailing address, and the assessment title.
    Comments may be submitted electronically via https://www.regulations.gov, by e-mail, by mail, by facsimile, or by hand 
delivery/courier. Please follow the detailed instructions provided in 
the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this notice.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on the docket, 
regulations.gov or public comment period, please contact the Office of 
Environmental Information (OEI) Docket (Mail Code: 2822T), U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., 
Washington, DC 20460; telephone: 202-566-1752; facsimile: 202-566-1753; 
or e-mail: ORD.Docket@epa.gov.
    For information on the draft report, please contact Linda C. Tuxen, 
National Center for Environmental Assessment (8601P), U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., 
Washington, DC 20460; telephone: 703-347-8609; facsimile: 703-347-8699; 
or e-mail: tuxen.linda@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Information About the Draft Report, ``EPA's Reanalysis of Key Issues 
Related to Dioxin Toxicity and Response to NAS Comments''

    In 2003, EPA, along with other federal agencies, asked the NAS to 
review aspects of the science in EPA's draft dioxin reassessment 
entitled, ``Exposure and Human Health Reassessment of 2,3,7,8-
Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-Dioxin (TCDD) and Related Compounds,'' and, in 
2004, EPA sent a 2003 external review draft dioxin reassessment to the 
NAS for their peer review. The NAS held several public meetings during 
their review of the draft reassessment and on July 11, 2006, released 
the final report of their review entitled, ``Health Risks from Dioxin 
and Related Compounds: Evaluation of the EPA Reassessment.''
    The NAS identified three key areas in the 2003 draft reassessment 
that required substantial improvement to support a more scientifically 
robust risk characterization. These three areas were: (1) Justification 
of approaches to dose-response modeling for cancer and non-cancer 
endpoints; (2) transparency and clarity in selection of key data sets 
for analysis; and (3) transparency, thoroughness, and clarity in 
quantitative uncertainty analysis. The NAS provided EPA with 
recommendations to address their key concerns.
    EPA's draft dioxin report, which is being provided for public 
review and comment, includes significant new analyses on both the 
potential cancer and noncancer human health effects that may result 
from exposures to TCDD. For instance, this draft report addresses the 
explicit recommendation of the NAS to develop a quantitative risk 
estimate for noncancer effects that may result from long-term (chronic) 
oral exposure to dioxins. Thus, this draft dioxin report includes an 
oral reference dose (RfD) for TCDD--the most well-studied and 
considered to be among the most toxic of the dioxin-like compounds. An 
RfD was not in the 2003 draft dioxin reassessment.
    In addition, in 2003, EPA and other federal agencies developed a 
set of questions and answers related to dioxins, which have been 
updated about every year and a half. These materials have again been 
updated to include more recent information. These questions and answers 
provide general information on dioxins such as what they are, where 
they can be found, and major sources of dioxins. They also discuss 
possible effects of dioxin exposure in humans, include advice about 
consumption of food that might contain dioxins, and explain the review 
process for the dioxin reassessment. For additional information on 
dioxins and on EPA's overall dioxin assessment activity, these 
questions and answers may be accessed at: https://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodSafety/FoodContaminantsAdulteration/ChemicalContaminants/DioxinsPCBs/ucm077524.htm.

II. How To Submit Comments to the Docket at https://www.regulations.gov

    Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-2010-
0395, by one of the following methods:
     https://www.regulations.gov: Follow the on-line 
instructions for submitting comments.
     E-mail: ORD.Docket@epa.gov.
     Facsimile: 202-566-1753.
     Mail: Office of Environmental Information (OEI) Docket 
(Mail Code: 2822T), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 
Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460. The telephone number is 
202-566-1752. If you provide comments by mail, 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.
     Hand Delivery: The OEI Docket is located in the EPA 
Headquarters Docket Center, EPA West Building, Room 3334, 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. Deliveries are only accepted during the 
docket's normal hours of operation, and special arrangements should be 
made for deliveries of boxed information. If you provide comments by 
hand delivery, 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.
    Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-
2010-0395. Please ensure that your comments are submitted within the 
specified comment period. Comments received after the closing date will 
be marked ``late,'' and may only be considered if time permits. It is 
EPA's policy to include all comments it receives in the public docket 
without change and to make the comments available online at https://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided, 
unless comments include information claimed to be Confidential Business 
Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted 
by statute. Do not submit information that you consider to be CBI or 
otherwise protected through https://www.regulations.gov or e-mail. The 
https://www.regulations.gov Web site is an ``anonymous access'' system, 
which means EPA will not know your identity or contact information 
unless you provide it in the body of your comments. If you send e-mail 
comments directly to EPA without going through https://www.regulations.gov, your e-mail address will be automatically captured 
and included as part of the comments that are placed in the public 
docket and made available on the Internet. If you submit electronic 
comments, EPA recommends that you include your name and other contact 
information in the body of your comments and with any disk or CD-ROM 
you submit. If EPA cannot read your comments due to technical 
difficulties and cannot contact you for clarification, EPA may not be 
able to consider your comments. Electronic files should avoid the use 
of special characters and any form of encryption and be free of any 
defects or viruses. For additional information about EPA's public 
docket, visit the EPA Docket Center homepage at https://www.epa.gov/epahome/dockets.htm.
    Docket: All documents in the docket are listed in the https://www.regulations.gov index. Although

[[Page 28612]]

listed in the index, some information is not publicly available, e.g., 
CBI or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. 
Certain other material, such as copyrighted material, will be publicly 
available only in hard copy. Publicly available docket materials are 
available either electronically at https://www.regulations.gov or in 
hard copy at the OEI Docket in the EPA Headquarters Docket Center.

    Dated: May 17, 2010.
Rebecca Clark,
Acting Director, National Center for Environmental Assessment.
[FR Doc. 2010-12280 Filed 5-20-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
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