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Product Stewardship Program for Six Siloxanes Conducted Under a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Signed by EPA and The Dow Corning Corporation; Notice of Receipt and Availability of the MOU Data

Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.

PDF Version (3 pp, 79K, About PDF)

[Federal Register: July 30, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 145)]
[Notices]
[Page 38013-38015]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr30jy09-60]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-HQ-OPPT-2009-0180; FRL-8426-1]

Product Stewardship Program for Six Siloxanes Conducted Under a
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Signed by EPA and The Dow Corning
Corporation; Notice of Receipt and Availability of the MOU Data

AGENCY:  Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION:  Notice.

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SUMMARY:  This document announces the receipt of toxicity and exposure
data and information that were developed through a Product Stewardship
Program (PSP) agreed upon under a

[[Page 38014]]

Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by EPA and Dow Corning
Corporation. The MOU covered six siloxanes deemed representative of a
broad class of siloxanes that have widespread use in a variety of
industrial and consumer applications. A docket has been established to
make data and information developed through this MOU available to the public.

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) 564-8182; e-mail
address: lintner.colby@epa.gov.
    For technical information contact: Robert Jones, Chemical Control
Division (7405M), Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics,
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW.,
Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone number (202) 564-8161; e-mail
address: jones.robert@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 those persons who are or may be interested in
the information developed on the six siloxane chemicals subject to the
PSP MOU. If you have any questions regarding the completion of the MOU
or the availability of the information from this effort, consult the
technical person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

B. How Can I Get Copies of this Document and Other Related Information

    1. Docket. EPA has established a docket for this action under
docket identification (ID) number EPA-HQ-OPPT-2009-0180. All documents
in the docket are listed in the docket index available at http://
www.regulations.gov. Although listed in the index, some information is
not publicly available, e.g., Confidential Business Information (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 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. 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 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.
    2. Electronic access. You may access this Federal Register document
electronically through the EPA Internet under the ``Federal Register''
listings at http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr.

II. Background

    The 30th Report of the TSCA Interagency Testing Committee (ITC) to
the EPA Administrator recommended 56 silicone chemicals for health
effects testing to meet data needs expressed by the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (57 FR 30608, July 9, 1992). The six siloxanes covered
by this MOU between EPA and the Dow Corning Corporation are included
among the 56 silicone chemicals recommended by the ITC in its 30th
Report to EPA. In response to that ITC recommendation, EPA issued a
final TSCA section 8(d) information reporting rule (58 FR 28511, May
14, 1993) requiring manufacturers, importers, and processors of the 56
silicone chemicals to submit to EPA unpublished health and safety data
on those chemicals; information concerning the uses of and exposure to
the chemicals was submitted voluntarily by industry directly to the
ITC. On review of the TSCA section 8(d) information materials received,
the ITC considered the need for formal designations for testing under
section 4 of TSCA. EPA issued a notice titled Testing Consent
Agreement; Development for Octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (OMCTS);
Solicitation of Interested Parties (53 FR 11341, April 6, 1988) and a
final rule titled Testing Consent Order for Octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane
(54 FR 818, January 10, 1989) docket number OPTS-42071B.
    These actions lead to the more broadly based discussion of an
appropriate PSP based on the Responsible Care principles developed by
the Chemical Manufacturers Association--now the American Chemistry
Council. Dow Corning Corporation agreed to develop a specific PSP for
six siloxane chemicals including: Octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (D4) CAS
No. 556-67-2; decamethylcyclopentasiloxane (D5) CAS No. 541-02-6;
dodecamethylcyclohexasiloxane (D6) CAS No. 540-97-6;
hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDS) CAS No. 107-46-0; polydimethylsiloxane
(PDMS 10 cst) CAS No. 63148-62-9; and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS 350
cst) CAS No. 63148-62-9. These were selected because they are
representative of the broad class of siloxane materials that have
widespread use in industrial and consumer applications. Dow Corning
Corporation and EPA signed the formal PSP MOU on April 9, 1996. The MOU
was initiated in 1996 with a baseline report, and a Project Plan for
assessing exposure. The MOU was monitored through annual progress
reports and regular scientific briefings with EPA.
    This notice acknowledges that work agreed upon in the MOU has been
received and announces that the data and information produced under the
MOU is available in the public docket at http://www.regulations.gov at
docket number EPA-HQ-OPPT-2009-0180. Materials include annual progress
reports, over 88 reports assessing potential toxicity and exposures
concerning the six siloxanes, and related TSCA section 8(e) notices and
FYI submissions. The MOU and a baseline report describe the PSP based
on ``Implementing Product Stewardship: a Resource Guide,'' Chemical
Manufacturers Association (CMA), 1992. The program included a
description of the PSP goals, plans for communicating health and safety
information, toxicity testing, exposure assessment and monitoring,
identifying any additional data needs for risk assessment, development
and implementation of pollution prevention, waste minimization, and
exposure reduction plans, and exercising its environmental
responsibility through design of processes, products, packaging, etc.
to minimize the consumption of natural resources and energy and
eliminate, where feasible, generation of waste materials and releases
to the environment.

List of Subjects

    Environmental protection, Hazardous chemicals, Siloxanes.

[[Page 38015]]

    Dated: July 21, 2009.
Jim Willis,
Director, Chemical Control Division, Office of Prevention, Pesticides
and Toxic Substances.
[FR Doc. E9-18195 Filed 7-29-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-S

 
 

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