Notice of Availability of Work Plan Chemical Problem Formulation and Initial Assessment for 1,4-Dioxane; Request for Public Comment, 23545-23546 [2015-09888]
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asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 81 / Tuesday, April 28, 2015 / Notices
This notice allows for an additional 30
days for public comments. A fuller
description of the ICR is given below,
including its estimated burden and cost
to the public. An Agency may not
conduct or sponsor and a person is not
required to respond to a collection of
information unless it displays a
currently valid OMB control number.
DATES: Additional comments may be
submitted on or before May 28, 2015.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments,
referencing Docket ID Number EPA–
HQ–OARM–2011–0748, to (1) EPA
online using www.regulations.gov (our
preferred method), by email to
oei.docket@epa.gov, or by mail to: EPA
Docket Center, Environmental
Protection Agency, Mail Code 28221T,
1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW.,
Washington, DC 20460, and (2) OMB via
email to oira_submission@omb.eop.gov.
Address comments to OMB Desk Officer
for EPA.
EPA’s policy is that all comments
received will be included in the public
docket without change including any
personal information provided, unless
the comment includes profanity, threats,
information claimed to be Confidential
Business Information (CBI) or other
information whose disclosure is
restricted by statute.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Thomas Valentino, Policy Training and
Oversight Division, Office of
Acquisition Management, (3802R),
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200
Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington,
DC 20460; telephone number: 202–564–
4522; email address: valentino.thomas@
epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Supporting documents which explain
in detail the information that the EPA
will be collecting are available in the
public docket for this ICR. The docket
can be viewed online at
www.regulations.gov or in person at the
EPA Docket Center, WJC West, Room
3334, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW.,
Washington, DC. The telephone number
for the Docket Center is 202–566–1744.
For additional information about EPA’s
public docket, visit https://www.epa.gov/
dockets.
Abstract: Government surveillance of
contractor performance is required to
give reasonable assurance that efficient
methods and effective cost controls are
being used for various cost-reimbursable
and fixed-rate contracts. Per 48 CFR
1552.211 regulations, the Agency on a
monthly basis requires contractors to
provide the Contracting Officer’s
Representative (COR) with a report
detailing: a) what was accomplished on
the contract for that period, b)
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:18 Apr 27, 2015
Jkt 235001
expenditures for the same period of
time, and c) what is expected to be
accomplished on the contract for the
next month. Responses to the
information collection are mandatory
for contractors and are required for the
contractors to receive monthly
payments.
Form Numbers: 1900–68.
Respondents/affected entities: Private
contractors.
Respondent’s obligation to respond:
Mandatory (48 CFR 1552.211).
Estimated number of respondents:
266 (total).
Frequency of response: Monthly.
Total estimated burden: 77,406 hours
(per year). Burden is defined at 5 CFR
1320.03(b)
Total estimated cost: $7,207,568 (per
year), includes $39,900 annualized
capital or operation & maintenance
costs.
Changes in the Estimates: There is an
increase of 16,506 hours in the total
estimated respondent burden compared
with the ICR currently approved by
OMB. This is due to an increase in the
number of contracts that are being
awarded.
Courtney Kerwin,
Acting Director, Collection Strategies
Division.
[FR Doc. 2015–09837 Filed 4–27–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
[EPA–HQ–OPPT–2015–0078; FRL–9923–84]
Notice of Availability of Work Plan
Chemical Problem Formulation and
Initial Assessment for 1,4-Dioxane;
Request for Public Comment
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
With this notice, EPA is
announcing that it will be publishing a
problem formulation and initial
assessment or data needs assessment
document for each TSCA Work Plan
Chemical prior to conducting further
risk analysis. This notice is also
announcing the availability of a problem
formulation and initial assessment
document for the Work Plan Chemical
1,4-Dioxane and opening the 60-day
public comment period for the
document. Based on experience in
conducting TSCA Work Plan Chemical
assessments to date and stakeholder
feedback, starting in 2015 EPA will
publish a problem formulation and
initial assessment or data needs
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
23545
assessment for each TSCA Work Plan
Chemical as a stand-alone document to
facilitate public and stakeholder input
prior to conducting further risk analysis.
EPA believes publishing problem
formulations and initial assessments for
TSCA Work Plan Chemicals will
increase transparency about EPA’s
thinking and analysis process, provide
opportunity for the public and
stakeholders to comment on EPA’s
approach and provide the opportunity
to receive additional information/data to
supplement or refine the assessment
approach prior to EPA conducting
detailed risk analysis and risk
characterization.
DATES: Comments must be received on
or before June 29, 2015.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments,
identified by docket identification (ID)
number EPA–HQ–OPPT–2015–0078, by
one of the following methods:
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://
www.regulations.gov. Follow the online
instructions for submitting comments.
Do not submit electronically any
information you consider to be
Confidential Business Information (CBI)
or other information whose disclosure is
restricted by statute.
• Mail: Document Control Office
(7407M), Office of Pollution Prevention
and Toxics (OPPT), Environmental
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania
Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460–0001.
• Hand Delivery: To make special
arrangements for hand delivery or
delivery of boxed information, please
follow the instructions at https://
www.epa.gov/dockets/contacts.html.
Additional instructions on commenting
or visiting the docket, along with more
information about dockets generally, is
available at https://www.epa.gov/
dockets.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
technical information contact: Stanley
Barone, Risk Assessment Division
(7403M), Office of Pollution Prevention
and Toxics, Environmental Protection
Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW.,
Washington, DC 20460–0001; telephone
number: (202) 564–1169; email address:
barone.stan@epa.gov.
For general information contact: The
TSCA-Hotline, ABVI-Goodwill, 422
South Clinton Ave., Rochester, NY
14620; telephone number: (202) 554–
1404; email address: TSCA-Hotline@
epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. General Information
A. Does this action apply to me?
This action is directed to the public
in general, and may be of interest to a
E:\FR\FM\28APN1.SGM
28APN1
23546
Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 81 / Tuesday, April 28, 2015 / Notices
wide range of stakeholders including
those interested in environmental and
human health; the chemical industry;
chemical users; consumer product
companies and members of the public
interested in the assessment of chemical
risks. Since others also may be
interested, the Agency has not
attempted to describe all the specific
entities that may be affected by this
action.
asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
B. What should I consider as I prepare
my comments for EPA?
1. Submitting CBI. Do not submit this
information to EPA through
regulations.gov or email. Clearly mark
the part or all of the information that
you claim to be CBI. For CBI
information in a disk or CD–ROM that
you mail to EPA, mark the outside of the
disk or CD–ROM as CBI and then
identify electronically within the disk or
CD–ROM the specific information that
is claimed as CBI. In addition to one
complete version of the comment that
includes information claimed as CBI, a
copy of the comment that does not
contain the information claimed as CBI
must be submitted for inclusion in the
public docket. Information so marked
will not be disclosed except in
accordance with procedures set forth in
40 CFR part 2.
2. Tips for preparing your comments.
When preparing and submitting your
comments, see the commenting tips at
https://www.epa.gov/dockets/
comments.html.
II. What action is the Agency taking?
EPA is announcing that it will be
publishing a problem formulation and
initial assessment or data needs
assessment document for each TSCA
Work Plan Chemical prior to conducting
further risk analysis. Based on
experience in conducting TSCA Work
Plan Chemical assessments to date and
stakeholder feedback, starting in 2015
EPA will publish a problem formulation
and initial assessment or data needs
assessment document for each TSCA
Work Plan Chemical as a stand-alone
document. A problem formulation and
initial assessment document will serve
to inform the public and other
interested stakeholders about EPA’s
initial scoping of findings and plan for
any further risk assessment. Problem
formulation and initial assessment is the
analytical phase of the assessment in
which the purpose for the assessment is
articulated, the problem defined and a
plan for analyzing and characterizing
risk is determined.
Outcomes of a problem formulation
and initial assessment are: (a)
Conceptual Model—including a visual
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:18 Apr 27, 2015
Jkt 235001
representation and written description
of actual or predicted relationships
between chemicals and human or
wildlife; (b) Analysis Plan—describing
the intentions regarding the technical
aspects of the risk assessment. In some
instances, as a result of problem
formulation and initial assessment, EPA
identifies data gaps (uses, exposure
pathways, toxicity data) so significant as
to prevent conducting a meaningful risk
assessment. In these cases, EPA will
publish a Data Needs Assessment
document and provide opportunity for
the public and stakeholders to
comment, identify or provide data or
information that may fill identified data
gaps prior to EPA pursing data
collection via TSCA authorities.
To facilitate public and stakeholder
input prior to conducting further risk
analysis, EPA will open a public docket
for receiving comments, data or
information from interested
stakeholders when it publishes each
problem formulation and initial
assessment or data needs assessment
document. EPA believes publishing
problem formulation and initial
assessment documents for TSCA Work
Plan Chemicals will increase
transparency of EPA’s thinking and
analysis process, provide opportunity
for the public and stakeholders to
comment on EPA’s approach and
provide additional information or data
to supplement or refine assessment
approaches prior to EPA conducting
detailed risk analysis and risk
characterization. Following receipt of
comments on the problem formulation
and initial assessment document and
consideration of any additional data or
information received, EPA will initiate
a risk assessment which is the process
to estimate the nature and probability of
adverse health and environmental
effects in humans and ecological
receptors from chemical contaminants
that may be present in the environment.
EPA is also announcing the
availability of the TSCA Work Plan
Chemical Problem Formulation and
Initial Assessment for 1,4-Dioxane for
public comment. 1,4-Dioxane is the first
chemical for which EPA is releasing a
problem formulation and initial
assessment document under the TSCA
Work Plan Chemical Assessment
Program. 1,4-Dioxane is a chemical that
is used primarily as a solvent in the
manufacture of other chemicals. 1,4Dioxane is also found as an impurity in
anti-freeze and aircraft deicing fluids
and in some consumer products
[deodorants, shampoos, and cosmetics]
(ATSDR 2012; EPA 2006; Mohr 2001).
During problem formulation and initial
assessment, EPA reviewed previous
PO 00000
Frm 00051
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 9990
assessments by EPA and other
organizations and additional published
studies on the exposure and hazard of
1,4-Dioxane. EPA examined likely
exposure and hazard scenarios based on
current production, use, and fate
information to identify scenarios
amenable to a risk analysis. The data
available and scenarios evaluated for
conducting a risk assessment are
provided in EPA’s TSCA Work Plan
Chemical Problem Formulation and
Initial Assessment for 1,4-Dioxane. The
conclusions of the problem formulation
and initial assessment are: (a) EPA will
further assess potential risks to workers
exposed during product formulation
and use as a cleaning agent; (b) EPA will
further assess potential risks to workers
and consumers exposed during the use
of TSCA-use products that contain 1,4Dioxane as a contaminant, such as
paints, varnishes, adhesives, cleaners
and detergents; (c) Risk to the general
population through inhalation exposure
to ambient air emissions is estimated to
be low; (d) An assessment of risk from
exposure through drinking water is not
needed at this time because 1,4-Dioxane
is currently being monitored and EPA
will determine whether or not
regulatory action is needed as part of its
Regulatory Determination Process; (e)
Based on the low hazard profile for 1,4Dioxane to aquatic organisms, risks to
these organisms are expected to be low.
EPA does not have the hazard data
needed to determine if there are risks to
sediment and soil organisms. Therefore,
further analysis of environmental risk is
not planned. EPA plans to review and
evaluate the results of previous
exposure assessments and health
benchmarks for this chemical. As a
result, EPA/OPPT will develop margins
of exposure and cancer risk estimates to
evaluate the potential risks from worker
and consumer exposure to 1,4-Dioxane.
Use the docket ID number: EPA–HQ–
OPPT–2015–0078 to locate a copy of the
1,4-Dioxane problem formulation and
initial assessment document, as well as
to submit comments via https://
www.regulations.gov.
Authority: 15 U.S.C. 2601 et seq.
Dated: April 21, 2015.
Wendy C. Hemnett,
Director, Office of Pollution Prevention and
Toxics.
[FR Doc. 2015–09888 Filed 4–27–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
E:\FR\FM\28APN1.SGM
28APN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 81 (Tuesday, April 28, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23545-23546]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-09888]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-HQ-OPPT-2015-0078; FRL-9923-84]
Notice of Availability of Work Plan Chemical Problem Formulation
and Initial Assessment for 1,4-Dioxane; Request for Public Comment
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: With this notice, EPA is announcing that it will be publishing
a problem formulation and initial assessment or data needs assessment
document for each TSCA Work Plan Chemical prior to conducting further
risk analysis. This notice is also announcing the availability of a
problem formulation and initial assessment document for the Work Plan
Chemical 1,4-Dioxane and opening the 60-day public comment period for
the document. Based on experience in conducting TSCA Work Plan Chemical
assessments to date and stakeholder feedback, starting in 2015 EPA will
publish a problem formulation and initial assessment or data needs
assessment for each TSCA Work Plan Chemical as a stand-alone document
to facilitate public and stakeholder input prior to conducting further
risk analysis. EPA believes publishing problem formulations and initial
assessments for TSCA Work Plan Chemicals will increase transparency
about EPA's thinking and analysis process, provide opportunity for the
public and stakeholders to comment on EPA's approach and provide the
opportunity to receive additional information/data to supplement or
refine the assessment approach prior to EPA conducting detailed risk
analysis and risk characterization.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before June 29, 2015.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by docket identification
(ID) number EPA-HQ-OPPT-2015-0078, by one of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov.
Follow the online instructions for submitting comments. Do not submit
electronically any information you consider to be Confidential Business
Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted
by statute.
Mail: Document Control Office (7407M), Office of Pollution
Prevention and Toxics (OPPT), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200
Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001.
Hand Delivery: To make special arrangements for hand
delivery or delivery of boxed information, please follow the
instructions at https://www.epa.gov/dockets/contacts.html. Additional
instructions on commenting or visiting the docket, along with more
information about dockets generally, is available at https://www.epa.gov/dockets.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For technical information contact:
Stanley Barone, Risk Assessment Division (7403M), Office of Pollution
Prevention and Toxics, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200
Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone number:
(202) 564-1169; email address: barone.stan@epa.gov.
For general information contact: The TSCA-Hotline, ABVI-Goodwill,
422 South Clinton Ave., Rochester, NY 14620; telephone number: (202)
554-1404; email address: TSCA-Hotline@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. General Information
A. Does this action apply to me?
This action is directed to the public in general, and may be of
interest to a
[[Page 23546]]
wide range of stakeholders including those interested in environmental
and human health; the chemical industry; chemical users; consumer
product companies and members of the public interested in the
assessment of chemical risks. Since others also may be interested, the
Agency has not attempted to describe all the specific entities that may
be affected by this action.
B. What should I consider as I prepare my comments for EPA?
1. Submitting CBI. Do not submit this information to EPA through
regulations.gov or email. Clearly mark the part or all of the
information that you claim to be CBI. For CBI information in a disk or
CD-ROM that you mail to EPA, mark the outside of the disk or CD-ROM as
CBI and then identify electronically within the disk or CD-ROM the
specific information that is claimed as CBI. In addition to one
complete version of the comment that includes information claimed as
CBI, a copy of the comment that does not contain the information
claimed as CBI must be submitted for inclusion in the public docket.
Information so marked will not be disclosed except in accordance with
procedures set forth in 40 CFR part 2.
2. Tips for preparing your comments. When preparing and submitting
your comments, see the commenting tips at https://www.epa.gov/dockets/comments.html.
II. What action is the Agency taking?
EPA is announcing that it will be publishing a problem formulation
and initial assessment or data needs assessment document for each TSCA
Work Plan Chemical prior to conducting further risk analysis. Based on
experience in conducting TSCA Work Plan Chemical assessments to date
and stakeholder feedback, starting in 2015 EPA will publish a problem
formulation and initial assessment or data needs assessment document
for each TSCA Work Plan Chemical as a stand-alone document. A problem
formulation and initial assessment document will serve to inform the
public and other interested stakeholders about EPA's initial scoping of
findings and plan for any further risk assessment. Problem formulation
and initial assessment is the analytical phase of the assessment in
which the purpose for the assessment is articulated, the problem
defined and a plan for analyzing and characterizing risk is determined.
Outcomes of a problem formulation and initial assessment are: (a)
Conceptual Model--including a visual representation and written
description of actual or predicted relationships between chemicals and
human or wildlife; (b) Analysis Plan--describing the intentions
regarding the technical aspects of the risk assessment. In some
instances, as a result of problem formulation and initial assessment,
EPA identifies data gaps (uses, exposure pathways, toxicity data) so
significant as to prevent conducting a meaningful risk assessment. In
these cases, EPA will publish a Data Needs Assessment document and
provide opportunity for the public and stakeholders to comment,
identify or provide data or information that may fill identified data
gaps prior to EPA pursing data collection via TSCA authorities.
To facilitate public and stakeholder input prior to conducting
further risk analysis, EPA will open a public docket for receiving
comments, data or information from interested stakeholders when it
publishes each problem formulation and initial assessment or data needs
assessment document. EPA believes publishing problem formulation and
initial assessment documents for TSCA Work Plan Chemicals will increase
transparency of EPA's thinking and analysis process, provide
opportunity for the public and stakeholders to comment on EPA's
approach and provide additional information or data to supplement or
refine assessment approaches prior to EPA conducting detailed risk
analysis and risk characterization. Following receipt of comments on
the problem formulation and initial assessment document and
consideration of any additional data or information received, EPA will
initiate a risk assessment which is the process to estimate the nature
and probability of adverse health and environmental effects in humans
and ecological receptors from chemical contaminants that may be present
in the environment.
EPA is also announcing the availability of the TSCA Work Plan
Chemical Problem Formulation and Initial Assessment for 1,4-Dioxane for
public comment. 1,4-Dioxane is the first chemical for which EPA is
releasing a problem formulation and initial assessment document under
the TSCA Work Plan Chemical Assessment Program. 1,4-Dioxane is a
chemical that is used primarily as a solvent in the manufacture of
other chemicals. 1,4-Dioxane is also found as an impurity in anti-
freeze and aircraft deicing fluids and in some consumer products
[deodorants, shampoos, and cosmetics] (ATSDR 2012; EPA 2006; Mohr
2001). During problem formulation and initial assessment, EPA reviewed
previous assessments by EPA and other organizations and additional
published studies on the exposure and hazard of 1,4-Dioxane. EPA
examined likely exposure and hazard scenarios based on current
production, use, and fate information to identify scenarios amenable to
a risk analysis. The data available and scenarios evaluated for
conducting a risk assessment are provided in EPA's TSCA Work Plan
Chemical Problem Formulation and Initial Assessment for 1,4-Dioxane.
The conclusions of the problem formulation and initial assessment are:
(a) EPA will further assess potential risks to workers exposed during
product formulation and use as a cleaning agent; (b) EPA will further
assess potential risks to workers and consumers exposed during the use
of TSCA-use products that contain 1,4-Dioxane as a contaminant, such as
paints, varnishes, adhesives, cleaners and detergents; (c) Risk to the
general population through inhalation exposure to ambient air emissions
is estimated to be low; (d) An assessment of risk from exposure through
drinking water is not needed at this time because 1,4-Dioxane is
currently being monitored and EPA will determine whether or not
regulatory action is needed as part of its Regulatory Determination
Process; (e) Based on the low hazard profile for 1,4-Dioxane to aquatic
organisms, risks to these organisms are expected to be low. EPA does
not have the hazard data needed to determine if there are risks to
sediment and soil organisms. Therefore, further analysis of
environmental risk is not planned. EPA plans to review and evaluate the
results of previous exposure assessments and health benchmarks for this
chemical. As a result, EPA/OPPT will develop margins of exposure and
cancer risk estimates to evaluate the potential risks from worker and
consumer exposure to 1,4-Dioxane. Use the docket ID number: EPA-HQ-
OPPT-2015-0078 to locate a copy of the 1,4-Dioxane problem formulation
and initial assessment document, as well as to submit comments via
https://www.regulations.gov.
Authority: 15 U.S.C. 2601 et seq.
Dated: April 21, 2015.
Wendy C. Hemnett,
Director, Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics.
[FR Doc. 2015-09888 Filed 4-27-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P