Proposed National Toxicology Program (NTP) Review Process for the Report on Carcinogens: Request for Public Comment and Listening Session, 67200 [2011-28132]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
• National Institutes of Health

[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 210 (Monday, October 31, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Page 67200]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-28132]



[[Page 67200]]

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health


Proposed National Toxicology Program (NTP) Review Process for the 
Report on Carcinogens: Request for Public Comment and Listening Session

AGENCY: Division of the National Toxicology Program (DNTP), National 
Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS); National Institutes 
of Health (NIH).

ACTION: Request for public comment and announcement of listening 
session.

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SUMMARY: The NTP invites written public comment on the proposed Report 
on Carcinogens (RoC) review process and announces a public listening 
session to receive oral comments on the proposed process.

DATES: The deadline for submission of written comments is November 30, 
2011, and the deadline to register for the public listening session is 
November 21, 2011. The public listening session will be held November 
29, 2011, 1-5 p.m. (EST), although it may end earlier depending on the 
number of registered speakers and will be cancelled if there are no 
registrants by the close of business (COB) on November 21, 2011. 
Registrants will receive information to access the listening session on 
or before November 22, 2011, and speakers should send talking points or 
slides by COB on November 21, 2011.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to Dr. Ruth Lunn, Director, 
Office of the Report on Carcinogens, DNTP, NIEHS, P.O. Box 12233, MD 
K2-14, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709; telephone: (919) 316-4637 or 
email lunn@niehs.nih.gov. Courier address: NIEHS, Room 2006, 530 Davis 
Drive, Morrisville, NC 27560. Registration for the listening session is 
via the NTP Web site (https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/rocprocess). TTY 
users should contact the Federal TTY Relay Service at (800) 877-8330. 
Requests must be made at least 5 business days in advance of the 
listening session.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions or comments should be 
directed to Dr. Lunn (see ADDRESSES).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background Information on the RoC and its Review Process

    The RoC is a science-based, public health document, required by 
Congress to be published every two years (Public Health Services Act 
sec. 301(b)(4), 42 U.S.C. 241(b)(4)). The RoC provides information on 
substances that may pose a hazard to human health by virtue of their 
carcinogenicity (for more information see https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/roc). Substances are listed in the report as either known or reasonably 
anticipated human carcinogens. The NTP prepares the RoC on behalf of 
the Secretary of Health and Human Services. The 12th RoC was published 
in June 2011.
    The NTP followed an established process for the review of 
substances for the 12th RoC. The NTP is proposing changes to the review 
process for listing substances in the 13th RoC to enhance transparency 
and efficiency and to enable the NTP to publish the RoC in a timelier 
manner. The NTP also seeks to maintain critical elements of the 
existing process including external scientific and public involvement, 
scientific rigor, and external peer review. The proposed RoC review 
process is available on the NTP RoC Web site (https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/rocprocess).

Request for Public Comment

    The NTP invites written and oral comments on the proposed RoC 
review process. Written comments should be sent to Dr. Ruth Lunn (see 
ADDRESSES) by November 30, 2011. Individuals submitting written public 
comments are asked to include relevant contact information (name, 
affiliation and sponsoring organization (if any), telephone, and 
email). Written submissions will be posted on the RoC Web site as they 
are received and the submitter will be identified by name, affiliation, 
and/or sponsoring organization.
    The NTP will hold a listening session using Adobe[reg] 
ConnectTM on November 29, 2011, from 1-5 p.m. (EST) to 
receive oral comments on the proposed RoC review process. The listening 
session may end earlier depending on the number of registered speakers 
and will be cancelled if there are no registrants by COB on November 
21, 2011. If the event is cancelled, notification will be posted on the 
RoC Web site (https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/rocprocess). Individuals who 
wish to participate in the listening session as either speakers or 
observers must register by November 21, 2011, at https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/rocprocess. There will be 50 connections available 
for registrants including speakers plus observers. Registration to 
present oral remarks is limited to the first 15 registrants who wish to 
speak with one time slot per organization. The NTP will send 
registrants instructions to access the listening session on or before 
November 22, 2011. A maximum of 15 minutes will be allotted per 
speaker. Registered speakers should submit their oral statement and/or 
slides to Dr. Lunn by COB on November 21, 2011. All statements and/or 
slides will be posted on the RoC Web site with the speaker identified 
by name, affiliation, and/or sponsoring organization.
    The NTP will carefully review both the written and oral comments 
received on the proposed RoC review process and consider what changes, 
if any, might be needed. The NTP plans to post the finalized RoC review 
process on the RoC Web site (https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/rocprocess) 
and present it at the next NTP Board of Scientific Counselors meeting 
on December 15, 2011. Details about this meeting will be published in 
the Federal Register and posted on the NTP Web site at https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/165.

    Dated: October 24, 2011.
John R. Bucher,
Associate Director, National Toxicology Program.
[FR Doc. 2011-28132 Filed 10-28-11; 8:45 am]
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