[Federal Register: August 31, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 167)]
[Notices]
[Page 44845-44846]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr31au09-81]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
National Toxicology Program (NTP): Report on Carcinogens (RoC);
Availability of the Draft Background Document for Formaldehyde; Request
for Comments on the Draft Background Document; Announcement of the
Formaldehyde Expert Panel Meeting
AGENCY: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS);
National Institutes of Health (NIH).
ACTION: Availability of background document; request for comments; and
announcement of a meeting
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SUMMARY: The NTP announces the availability of the draft background
document for formaldehyde by September 3, 2009, on the RoC Web site
(http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/29679) or in printed text from the RoC
(see ADDRESSES below). The NTP invites the submission of public
comments on the draft background document for formaldehyde. The expert
panel will meet on November 2-4, 2009, at the Hilton Raleigh-Durham
Airport at Research Triangle Park, 4810 Page Creek Lane, Durham, NC
27703 to peer review the draft background document for formaldehyde
and, once completed, make a recommendation regarding the listing status
(i.e., known to be a human carcinogen, reasonably anticipated to be a
human carcinogen, or not to list) for formaldehyde in the 12th Edition
of the RoC (12th RoC). The RoC expert panel meeting is open to the
public with time scheduled for oral public comments. Attendance is
limited only by the available meeting room space. Following the expert
panel meeting and completion of the expert panel report, the NTP will
post the final background document and the expert panel report on the
RoC Web site.
DATES: The expert panel meeting for formaldehyde will be held on
November 2-4, 2009. The draft background document for formaldehyde will
be available for public comment by September 3, 2009. The deadline to
submit written comments is October 16, 2009, and the deadline for pre-
registration to attend the meeting and/or to provide oral comments at
the meeting is October 26, 2009.
ADDRESSES: The RoC expert panel meeting on formaldehyde will be held at
the Hilton Raleigh-Durham Airport at Research Triangle Park, 4810 Page
Creek Lane, Durham, NC 27703. Access to on-line registration and
materials for the meeting are available on the RoC Web
[[Page 44846]]
site (http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/29679). Comments on the draft
background document should be sent to Dr. Ruth M. Lunn, NIEHS, P.O. Box
12233, MD K2-14, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, FAX: (919) 541-0144,
or lunn@niehs.nih.gov. Courier address: Report on Carcinogens Center,
530 Davis Drive, Room 2006, Morrisville, NC 27560. Persons needing
interpreting services in order to attend should contact (301) 402-8180
(voice) or (301) 435-1908 (TTY). Requests should be made at least seven
business days in advance of the meeting.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Ruth M. Lunn, Director, RoC
Center, (919) 316-4637, lunn@niehs.nih.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The NTP announced the RoC review process for the 12th RoC on April
16, 2007, in the Federal Register (72 FR 18999, available at http://
ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/15208). As part of that process, an expert panel
meeting is being convened on November 2-4, 2009, to review formaldehyde
for possible listing in the 12th RoC. The draft background document for
formaldehyde will be available on the RoC Web site by September 3,
2009, or in printed text from the RoC Center (see ADDRESSES above).
Persons can register free-of-charge with the NTP listserv (http://
ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/231) to receive notification when draft RoC
background documents for candidate substances and meetings related to
the 12th RoC are made available on the RoC Web site.
Formaldehyde is a high production chemical with a wide array of
uses. The predominant use of formaldehyde in the United States is in
the production of industrial resins (mainly urea, phenol, polyacetal,
and melamine resins) that are used primarily to manufacture products
such as adhesives and binders for wood products. Other uses include as
a chemical intermediate, in agriculture (for example as a fumigant), in
the production of paraformaldehyde and chelating agents, embalming and
fixative or preservative in the medical and research fields, and as a
preservative in numerous consumer products such as cleaning agents and
cosmetic products. Formaldehyde has been detected in indoor and outdoor
air, surface water and groundwater, soil, and food products and is
generally considered to be ubiquitous in the environment. Formaldehyde
(gas) is currently listed in the 11th RoC as reasonably anticipated to
be a human carcinogen and was nominated for reclassification of its
listing status in the 12th RoC.
Preliminary Agenda and Registration
Preliminary agenda topics include:
Oral public comments on formaldehyde;
Peer review of the draft background document on
formaldehyde;
Recommendation on the listing status of formaldehyde in
the 12th RoC and scientific justification.
The meeting is scheduled for November 2-4, 2009, from 8:30 a.m. to
adjournment each day. It is anticipated that the meeting will adjourn
by 4 p.m. on November 4, although adjournment may occur earlier or
later depending upon the time needed for the expert panel to complete
its work. A copy of the preliminary agenda, expert panel roster, and
any additional information, when available, will be posted on the RoC
Web site or may be requested from the Director of the RoC Center (see
ADDRESSES above). Individuals who plan to attend the meeting are
encouraged to register on-line by October 26, 2009, to facilitate
planning for the meeting.
Request for Comments
The NTP invites both written and oral public comments on the draft
background document on formaldehyde. Persons submitting written
comments are asked to include their name and contact information
(affiliation, mailing address, telephone and facsimile numbers, e-mail,
and sponsoring organization, if any) and send them to Dr. Lunn (see
ADDRESSES above) for receipt by October 16, 2009. All written comments
identified by the individual's name and affiliation or sponsoring
organization (if applicable) will be posted on the RoC Web site prior
to the meeting and distributed to the expert panel and RoC staff for
their consideration in the peer review of the draft background document
and/or preparation for the meeting.
Time will be set aside at the expert panel meeting for the
presentation of oral public comments. Seven minutes will be available
for each speaker (one speaker per organization). Persons can register
on-line to present oral comments or by contacting Dr. Lunn (see
ADDRESSES above). When registering to comment orally, please provide
your name, affiliation, mailing address, telephone number, e-mail and
sponsoring organization (if any). If possible, send a copy of the
statement or talking points to Dr. Lunn by October 26, 2009. This
statement will be provided to the expert panel to assist them in
identifying issues for discussion and will be noted in the meeting
record. Registration for presentation of oral comments will also be
available at the meeting on November 2-4, 2009, from 7:30-8:30 a.m.
Time allowed for comments by on-site registrants may be less than for
pre-registered speakers and will be determined by the number of persons
who register at the meeting to give oral comments. Persons registering
at the meeting are asked to bring 25 copies of their statement or
talking points for distribution to the expert panel and for the record.
Background Information on the RoC
The RoC is a congressionally mandated document [Section 301(b)(4)
of the Public Health Services Act, 42 U.S.C. 241(b)(4)], that
identifies and discusses agents, substances, mixtures, or exposure
circumstances (collectively referred to as ``substances'') that may
pose a hazard to human health by virtue of their carcinogenicity.
Substances are listed in the report as either known or reasonably
anticipated to be human carcinogens. The NTP prepares the RoC on behalf
of the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Information about the
RoC and the nomination process can be obtained from its homepage
(http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/roc) or by contacting Dr. Lunn (see For
Further Information Contact above). The NTP follows a formal, multi-
step process for review and evaluation of selected substances. The
formal evaluation process is available on the RoC Web site (http://
ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/15208) or in printed copy from the RoC Center.
Dated: August 21, 2009.
John R. Bucher,
Associate Director, National Toxicology Program.
[FR Doc. E9-20878 Filed 8-28-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P