[Federal Register: October 6, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 194)]
[Notices]
[Page 59108-59110]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr06oc06-64]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-HQ-OPPT-2006-0794; FRL-8099-2]
Documents to be Addressed at the Second Meeting of the Stockholm
Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: This notice alerts readers to the documents which will be
discussed at the Second Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee
(POPRC) meeting from November 6-10, 2006 in Geneva, Switzerland, and
provides an overview of the procedural steps these chemicals will
follow. Among the technical documents to be discussed are five risk
profiles for chemicals previously proposed in November 2005 for
addition to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants
(POPs) Annexes A, B, and/or C and proposals for five new chemicals to
be added to those Annexes at the November 2006 meeting. Other documents
to be discussed can be found on the meeting agenda posted on the
Stockholm Convention website and include standard work plans for draft
risk management evaluations and risk profiles, confidentiality
arrangements, and treatment of isomers. The meeting documents have been
posted at http://www.pops.int/documents/meetings/poprc_2/default.htm.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before October 31, 2006.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by docket identification
(ID) number EPA-HQ-OPPT-2006-0794, by one of the following methods.
Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.
Follow the on-line instructions for submitting comments.
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: OPPT Document Control Office (DCO), EPA
East, Rm. 6428, 1201 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC. Attention:
Docket ID Number EPA-HQ-OPPT-2006-0794. The DCO is open from 8 a.m. to
4 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The telephone
number for the DCO is (202) 564-8930. Such deliveries are only accepted
during the DCO's normal hours of operation, and special arrangements
should be made for deliveries of boxed information.
Instructions: Direct your comments to docket ID number EPA-HQ-OPPT-
2006-0794. EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included
in the public docket without change and may be made available on-line
at http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information
provided, unless the comment includes 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 regulations.gov or e-
mail. The regulations.gov website 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 comment. If you send an e-
mail comment directly to EPA without going through regulations.gov,
your e-mail address will be automatically captured and included as part
of the comment that is placed in the public docket and made available
on the Internet. If you submit an electronic comment, EPA recommends
that you include your name and other contact information in the body of
your comment and with any disk or CD ROM you submit. If EPA cannot read
your comment due to technical difficulties and cannot contact you for
clarification, EPA may not be able to consider your comment. Electronic
files should avoid the use of special characters, any form of
[[Page 59109]]
encryption, and be free of any defects or viruses.
Docket: All documents in the docket are listed in the
regulations.gov index. Although 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 electronically at
http://www.regulations.gov, or, if only available in hard copy, at the
OPPT Docket, EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC). The EPA/DC suffered structural
damage due to flooding in June 2006. Although the EPA/DC is continuing
operations, there will be temporary changes to the EPA/DC during the
clean-up. The EPA/DC Public Reading Room, which was temporarily closed
due to flooding, has been relocated in the EPA Headquarters Library,
Infoterra Room (Room Number 3334) in EPA West, located at 1301
Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC. The EPA/DC Public Reading Room
is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding
legal holidays. The telephone number of the EPA/DC Public Reading Room
is (202) 566-1744, and the telephone number for the OPPT Docket is
(202) 566-0280. EPA visitors are required to show photographic
identification and sign the EPA visitor log. Visitors to the EPA/DC
Public Reading Room will be provided with an EPA/DC badge that must be
visible at all times while in the EPA Building and returned to the
guard upon departure. In addition, security personnel will escort
visitors to and from the new EPA/DC Public Reading Room location. Up-
to-date information about the EPA/DC is on the EPA website at http://www.epa.gov/epahome/dockets.htm
.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information contact: Colby
Lintner, Regulatory Coordinator, Environmental Assistance Division
(7408M), Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, Environmental
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460-
0001; telephone number: (202) 554-1404; e-mail address:
TSCA-Hotline@epa.gov.
For technical information contact: Amy Breedlove, Chemical Control
Division (7405M), Office Pollution Prevention and Toxics, Environmental
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460-
0001; telephone number: (202) 564-9823; e-mail address:
breedlove.amy@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
particular interest to industrial chemical and pesticide manufacturers,
importers, and processors. Since other entities may also be interested,
the Agency has not attempted to describe all the specific entities that
may be affected by this action. If you have any questions regarding the
applicability of this action to a particular entity, consult the person
listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
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 e-mail. 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 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. Procedures for preparing confidential information related to
pesticides and industrial chemicals are in Unit I.B.1. Send
confidential information about industrial chemicals using the
submission procedures under ADDRESSES. Send confidential information
about pesticides to: Janice K. Jensen, Office of Pesticide Programs
(7506P), Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC 20460-0001 or
hand delivered to: Janice K. Jensen, Office of Pesticide Programs
(7506P), Potomac Yards South, Rm. S11317, 2777 South Crystal Dr.,
Arlington, VA 22202.
3. Tips for preparing your comments. When submitting comments,
remember to:
i. Identify the document by docket ID number and other identifying
information (subject heading, Federal Register date and page number).
ii. Follow directions. The Agency may ask you to respond to
specific questions or organize comments by referencing a Code of
Federal Regulations (CFR) part or section number.
iii. Explain why you agree or disagree; suggest alternatives and
substitute language for your requested changes.
iv. Describe any assumptions and provide any technical information
and/or data that you used.
v. If you estimate potential costs or burdens, explain how you
arrived at the estimate.
vi. Provide specific examples to illustrate your concerns, and
suggested alternatives.
vii. Explain your views as clearly as possible, avoiding the use
of profanity or personal threats.
viii. Make sure to submit your comments by the comment period
deadline identified.
II. Background
The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) is
a multilateral environmental agreement designed to protect human health
and the environment from POPs. The United States signed the Convention
in May of 2001 but has not yet ratified it (and thus is not a Party to
the Convention). The United States currently participates as an
observer in Convention activities. The Convention, which went into
force in May of 2004, requires the Parties to reduce or eliminate the
production and use of a number of intentionally produced POPs used as
pesticides or industrial chemicals. The Convention also calls upon
Parties to take certain specified measures to reduce releases of
certain unintentionally produced POPs with the goal of their continuing
minimization and, where feasible, ultimate elimination. The Convention
also imposes controls on the handling of POPs wastes and on trade in
POPs chemicals. In addition, there are specific science-based
procedures that Parties to the Convention must use when considering the
addition of new chemicals to the Convention's Annexes.
The first meeting of the Committee that reviews proposals for
listing of new chemicals, called POPRC, took place in November 2005 in
Geneva, Switzerland. Information about the Convention and the November
2005 POPRC meeting is available at the Convention website (http://www.pops.int/ and http://www.pops.int/documents/meetings/poprc/),
respectively. POPRC had before it five proposals which were submitted
for its consideration by Parties to the Convention, for addition to
Annexes A, B, and/or C of the Convention. Three of the five proposals
were for industrial chemicals: Pentabromodiphenyl ether (CAS No. 32534-
81-9), hexabromobiphenyl (CAS No. 36355-01-8), and PFOS. Two of the
five proposals were for pesticides: Lindane
[[Page 59110]]
(CAS No. 58-89-9) and chlordecone (CAS No. 143-50-0).
At the November 2005 meeting, in accordance with the procedures
laid down in Article 8 of the Convention, POPRC examined the proposals
and applied the screening criteria in Annex D of the Convention
(``Information Requirements and Screening Criteria''). With regard to
all five chemicals, POPRC decided that it was satisfied that the
screening criteria had been fulfilled and that further work should
therefore be undertaken in accordance with the provisions of the
Convention.
The five chemicals being newly proposed at the November 2006
meeting for inclusion in Annexes A, B and/or C of the Stockholm
Convention are two industrial chemicals: Octabromodiphenyl ether (CAS
No. 32536-52-0) and pentachlorobenzene (CAS No. 608-93-5); one chemical
with both industrial and pesticidal uses: Short-chained chlorinated
paraffins (CAS No. 85535-84-8); and two pesticides: Alpha
hexachlorocyclohexane (CAS No. 319-84-6) and beta hexachlorocyclohexane
(CAS No. 319-85-7).
Article 8 provides that once POPRC is satisfied that the screening
criteria in Annex D have been fulfilled in the proposals, the following
steps are then undertaken:
Parties and observers are requested to provide additional
information about the chemical, including information to be used in
developing the risk profiles, per Annex E (``Information Requirements
for the Risk Profile'').
Draft risk profiles are prepared for consideration by
POPRC.
POPRC reviews the risk profiles and decides, on the basis
of the risk profile, if the chemical is likely, as a result of its
long-range environmental transport, to lead to significant adverse
human health and/or environmental effects, such that global action is
warranted. If POPRC determines that action is warranted, or the
Conference of the Parties (COP) determines that the proposal shall
proceed, then Parties and observers will be asked to provide
information, per Annex F (``Information on Socio-Economic
Considerations''), to aid in the development of risk management
evaluations.
Once POPRC is satisfied with the risk management
evaluation, POPRC then prepares a recommendation whether to list the
chemical for consideration by COP.
COP makes the final decision on listing the chemical in
Annexes A, B, and/or C.
EPA anticipates issuing Federal Register notices, with at least 30
day comment periods, soliciting information after all but the last
step, when appropriate.
A. What Action is the Agency Taking?
The Agency is issuing this notice to increase awareness of the
documents being discussed at POPRC in November 2006, the status of
their review under the Convention, and upcoming procedural steps
required by the Convention. The Agency will also use any comments
received to inform its position on issues for the meeting. The relevant
meeting documents have been posted at http://www.pops.int/documents/meetings/poprc_2/default.htm
.
Comments, identified by docket ID number EPA-HQ-OPPT-2006-0794,
must be received on or before October 31, 2006.
B. What is the Agency's Authority for Taking this Action?
EPA is requesting comment and information under the authority of
section 102(2)(F) of the National Environmental Policy Act, 42 U.S.C.
4321 et seq., which directs all agencies of the Federal Government to
``[r]ecognize the worldwide and long-range character of environmental
problems and, where consistent with the foreign policy of the United
States, lend appropriate support to initiatives, resolutions and
programs designed to maximize cooperation in anticipating and
preventing a decline in the quality of mankind's world environment.''
Section 17(d) of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act
(FIFRA) also provides additional support in that it directs the
Administrator of EPA ``in cooperation with the Department of State and
any other appropriate Federal agency, [to] participate and cooperate in
any international efforts to develop improved pesticide research and
regulations.''
List of Subjects
Environmental protection, Chemicals, Hazardous substances.
Dated: October 2, 2006.
Charles M. Auer,
Director, Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics.
[FR Doc. E6-16577 Filed 10-5-06; 8:45 am]
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