![[logo] US EPA](http://www.epa.gov/epafiles/images/logo_epaseal.gif){kind=logo}
Review of Draft Risk Management Evaluations and Risk Profiles for Chemicals Proposed for Addition under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants
Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.
[Federal Register: June 4, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 106)] [Notices] [Page 30796-30799] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr04jn07-40] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [EPA-HQ-OPPT-2006-0794; FRL-8130-9] Review of Draft Risk Management Evaluations and Risk Profiles for Chemicals Proposed for Addition under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: This notice requests comment on draft risk management evaluations being developed pursuant to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) for the following chemicals which are being reviewed for possible addition to the Stockholm Convention's Annexes A, B, and/or C: Chlordecone (CAS No. 143-50-0), hexabromobiphenyl (HBB) (CAS No. 36355-01-8), lindane (CAS No. 58-89- 9), pentabromodiphenyl ether (PeBDE) (CAS No. 32534-81-9), and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS). Additionally, this notice requests comment on draft risk profiles being developed pursuant to the Stockholm Convention for the following chemicals which are also being reviewed for possible addition to the Stockholm Convention's Annexes A, B, and/or C: Alpha-hexachlorocyclohexane (alpha-HCH) (CAS No. 319-84- 6), beta-hexachlorocyclohexane (beta-HCH) (CAS No. 319-85-7), commercial octabromodiphenyl ether (octaBDE) (CAS No. 32536-52-0 ), pentachlorobenzene (PeCB) (CAS No. 608-93-5), and short-chained chlorinated paraffins (SCCP) (CAS No. 85535-84-8). EPA is issuing this notice in advance of the aforementioned documents' release to increase awareness of the status of the reviews of certain proposals under the Stockholm Convention, to alert interested and potentially affected persons of the documents' pending release, and to request comments on them when they are available for EPA's consideration in its development of comments of the documents and its submission to the Stockholm Convention Secretariat (hereafter Secretariat). DATES: The Secretariat is expected to post these draft risk management evaluations and draft risk profiles on or about May 29, 2007, on its website http://www.pops.int.Comments on these draft documents must be received by EPA no later than 15 days after the Secretariat makes the draft documents available. 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 Bldg., 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 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 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 encryption, and be free of any defects or viruses. For additional information about EPA's public docket, visit the EPA Docket Center homepage at http://www.epa.gov/epahome/dockets.htm. Docket: All documents in the docket are listed in the docket index available in regulations.gov. To access the electronic docket, go to http://www.regulations.gov, select ``Advanced Search,'' then ``Docket Search.'' Insert the docket ID number where indicated and select the ``Submit'' button. Follow the instructions on the regulations.gov website to view the docket index or access available documents. 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. The OPPT Docket is located in the EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC) at Rm. 3334, EPA West Bldg., 1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC. The EPA/DC Public Reading Room hours of operation are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding Federal 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. Docket visitors are required to show photographic identification, pass through a metal detector, and sign the EPA visitor log. All visitor bags are processed through an X-ray machine [[Page 30797]] and subject to search. Visitors will be provided an EPA/DC badge that must be visible at all times in the building and returned upon departure. 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: Ellie Clark, Chemical Control Division (7405M), Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone number: (202) 564-2962; e-mail address: clark.ellie@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 chemical substance 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 technical person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. B. What Should I Consider as I Prepare My Comments for EPA? 1. Submitting CBI--i. 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 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. ii. 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, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001 or hand delivered to: Janice K. Jensen, Government and International Services Branch, Office of Pesticide Programs, One Potomac Yard (South Bldg.), 2777 S. Crystal Dr., Rm. S- 11315, Arlington, VA 22202. iii. Commenters should note that none of the CBI information received by EPA will be forwarded to the Secretariat. Information from submissions containing CBI may be considered by EPA in the development of the U.S. response. If commenters wish EPA to consider incorporating information in documents with CBI as part of the U.S. response, commenters should provide a sanitized copy of the documents. Sanitized copies must be complete, except that all information claimed as CBI must be deleted. EPA will place sanitized copies in the public docket. 2. 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 your estimate in sufficient detail to allow for it to be reproduced. vi. Provide specific examples to illustrate your concerns and suggest 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 A. What Action is the Agency Taking? The Agency is issuing this notice to increase awareness of the proposals to list certain chemicals under Annexes A, B, or C of the Stockholm Convention, and to provide interested persons with an opportunity to provide comments to EPA for its consideration in the development of the U. S.' comments on the draft risk profiles and risk management evaluations. By May 29, 2007, the Secretariat is expected to have invited Parties and observers to submit to the POPs Review Committee (POPRC) (via the Secretariat) comments on the draft risk profiles and draft risk management evaluations (http://www.pops.int)