[Federal Register: April 2, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 62)]
[Notices]
[Page 15695-15696]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr02ap07-70]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
National Toxicology Program (Ntp); Center for the Evaluation of
Risks to Human Reproduction (CERHR); Announcement of the Second
Bisphenol A Expert Panel Meeting and Availability of Interim Draft
Expert Panel Report
AGENCY: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS);
National Institutes of Health.
ACTION: Announcement of a meeting and request for public comment.
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SUMMARY: CERHR announces the second meeting of the expert panel on
bisphenol A on May 21-23, 2007, tentatively planned for the Washington,
DC area. The interim draft expert panel report will be posted on the
CERHR Web site (http://cerhr.niehs.nih.gov) and available in printed
text from CERHR (see ``FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT'' below) by
April 20. CERHR invites submission of written public comments on the
interim draft expert panel report (see ``SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION''
below). The expert panel meeting is open to the public with time
scheduled for oral public comment. Attendance is limited only by the
available meeting room space. CERHR also announces that the working
groups for sections 3 and 4 of the expert panel report will meet April
5-6, 2007, in Durham, NC to continue discussions not completed at the
March meeting.
DATES: The second CERHR expert panel meeting on bisphenol A will be
held May 21-23, 2007. The interim draft expert panel report containing
sections 1-4 will be available for public comment by April 20, 2007.
Written public comments on the interim draft report must be received by
May 14. Time will be set-aside at the expert panel meeting on May 21
for oral public comments. Individuals wishing to make oral public
comments are asked to
[[Page 15696]]
contact Dr. Michael D. Shelby, CERHR Director, by May 14, 2007, and if
possible, send a copy of their PowerPoint slides, statement, or talking
points at that time. Persons needing special assistance, such as sign
language interpretation or other reasonable accommodation in order to
attend, should contact 919-541-2475 (voice), 919-541-4644 TTY (text
telephone), through the Federal TTY Relay System at 800-877-8339, or by
e-mail to niehsoeeo@niehs.nih.gov. Requests should be made at least
seven business days in advance of the event.
ADDRESSES: The location of the second expert panel meeting on bisphenol
A is not yet set. Comments on the interim draft expert panel report
should be sent to Dr. Michael D. Shelby, CERHR Director, NIEHS, P.O.
Box 12233, MD EC-32, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709 (mail), (919)
316-4511 (fax), or shelby@niehs.nih.gov (e-mail). Courier address:
CERHR, 79 T.W. Alexander Drive, Building 4401, Room 103, Research
Triangle Park, NC 27709. The working groups will meet in Durham, NC.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Michael D. Shelby, CERHR Director,
919-541-3455, shelby@niehs.nih.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
CERHR convened the first expert panel meeting on March 5-7 in
Alexandria, VA to assess the potential reproductive and developmental
hazards of bisphenol A. The panel discussed the scientific evidence and
made revisions to the draft expert panel report on bisphenol A, but
because of the length and complexity of this evaluation, the panel was
unable to complete its task (a meeting summary is available at http://cerhr.niehs.nih.gov/chemicals/bisphenol/bisphenol.html
).
The expert panel will reconvene on May 21-23, 2007, for a second
meeting. The meeting location, which is not yet set, will be posted on
the CERHR Web site when finalized along with a schedule for the
meeting. The meeting will begin each day at 8:30 a.m. and continue
until adjournment. It is expected to adjourn by noon on May 23,
although adjournment may occur earlier or later depending upon the time
needed for the expert panel to complete its work. The expert panel will
(1) continue its review, (2) finalize sections 1-4 of the draft report,
(3) reach conclusions regarding whether exposure to bisphenol A is a
hazard to human reproduction or development, and (4) write Section 5
Summary, Conclusions, and Critical Data Needs.
At the March meeting, working groups for sections 1-4 of the draft
report met periodically to discuss their sections and prepare materials
for deliberation by the panel during public plenary sessions. The
working groups for Section 3 Developmental Toxicity Data and Section 4
Reproductive Toxicity Data will meet on April 5-6 in Durham, NC to
continue discussions not completed at the March meeting. Their edits
will be included in the interim draft expert panel report, which will
be posted on the CERHR Web site and available for public comment by
April 20, and brought before the expert panel during the public plenary
sessions at the May 21-23 meeting.
The interim draft report, which will show all edits to date, will
be posted on the CERHR Web site by April 20 and serve as the starting
point for the panel's discussions at its May meeting.
Bisphenol A (CAS RN: 80-5-07) is a high production volume chemical
used in the production of epoxy resins, polyester resins, polysulfone
resins, polyacrylate resins, polycarbonate plastics, and flame
retardants. Polycarbonate plastics are used in food and drink
packaging; resins are used as lacquers to coat metal products such as
food cans, bottle tops, and water supply pipes. Some polymers used in
dental sealants and tooth coatings contain bisphenol A. Exposure to the
general population can occur through direct contact to bisphenol A or
by exposure to food or drink that has been in contact with a material
containing bisphenol A. CERHR selected this chemical for evaluation
because of (1) high production volume, (2) widespread human exposure,
(3) evidence of reproductive toxicity in laboratory animal studies, and
(4) public concern.
Request for Comments
The CERHR invites written public comments on the interim draft
expert panel report on bisphenol A. Any comments received will be
posted on the CERHR Web site prior to the second meeting and
distributed to the expert panel and CERHR staff for their consideration
in revising the draft report and/or preparing for the second meeting.
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. Shelby (see ADDRESSES above) for receipt by May 14,
2007.
Time will be set-aside on May 21, 2007, for the presentation of
oral public comments at the expert panel meeting. Seven minutes will be
available for each speaker (one speaker per organization). When
registering to comment orally, please provide your name, affiliation,
mailing address, telephone and facsimile numbers, e-mail and sponsoring
organization (if any). If possible, send a copy of the PowerPoint
slides, statement, or talking points to Dr. Shelby by May 14. 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 May 21, 2007, from 7:30-8:30 a.m. Persons
registering at the meeting are asked to bring 20 copies of their
statement or talking points for distribution to the expert panel and
for the record.
Background Information on CERHR
NTP established CERHR in June 1998 [Federal Register, December 14,
1998 (Volume 63, Number 239, page 68782)]. CERHR is a publicly
accessible resource for information about adverse reproductive and/or
developmental health effects associated with exposure to environmental
and/or occupational exposures. Expert panels conduct scientific
evaluations of agents selected by the CERHR in public forums.
CERHR invites the nomination of agents for review or scientists for
its expert registry. Information about CERHR and the nomination process
can be obtained from its homepage (http://cerhr.niehs.nih.gov) or by
contacting Dr. Shelby (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT above).
CERHR selects chemicals for evaluation based upon several factors
including production volume, potential for human exposure from use and
occurrence in the environment, extent of public concern, and extent of
data from reproductive and developmental toxicity studies.
CERHR follows a formal, multi-step process for review and
evaluation of selected chemicals. The formal evaluation process was
published in the Federal Register on July 16, 2001 (Volume 66, Number
136, pages 37047-37048) and is available on the CERHR Web site under
``About CERHR'' or in printed copy from CERHR.
Dated: March 21, 2007.
David A. Schwartz,
Director, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and
National Toxicology Program.
[FR Doc. E7-6080 Filed 3-30-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P