Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 235 / Wednesday, December 8, 2004 / Notices 71067

Scientific Review, National Institutes of 

Health, 6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 3186, 

MSC 7848, Bethesda, MD 20892, 301–435–

0677, mannl@csr.nih.gov.

This notice is being published less than 15 

days prior to the meeting due to the timing 

limitations imposed by the review and 

funding cycle.

Name of Committee: Center for Scientific 

Review Special Emphasis Panel, Visual 

System SBIR SEP. 

Date: December 6, 2004. 

Time: 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. 

Agenda: To review and evaluate grant 

applications. 

Place: National Institutes of Health, 6701 

Rockledge Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892, 

(Telephone Conference Call). 

Contact Person: Jerome R. Wujek, PhD, 

Scientific Review Administrator, Center for 

Scientific Review, National Institutes of 

Health, 6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 5194, 

MSC 7846, Bethesda, MD 20892, (301) 435–

2507, wujekjer@csr.nih.gov.

This notice is being published less than 15 

days prior to the meeting due to the timing 

limitations imposed by the review and 

funding cycle.

Name of Committee: Center for Scientific 

Review Special Emphasis Panel, ODCS 

Special Review Panel. 

Date: December 15, 2004. 

Time: 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. 

Agenda: To review and evaluate grant 

applications. 

Place: National Institutes of Health, 6701 

Rockledge Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892, 

(Telephone Conference Call). 

Contact Person: J. Terrell Hoffeld, PhD, 

DDS, Dental Officer, USPHS, Center for 

Scientific Review, National Institutes of 

Health, 6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 4116, 

MSC 7816, Bethesda, MD 20892, (301) 435–

1781, hoffeldt@csr.nih.gov.

This notice is being published less than 15 

days prior to the meeting due to the timing 

limitations imposed by the review and 

funding cycle.

(Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance 

Program Nos. 93.306, Comparative Medicine; 

93.333, Clinical Research, 93.306, 93.333, 

93.337, 93.393–93.396, 93.837–93.844, 

93.846–93.878, 93.892, 93.893, National 

Institutes of Health, HHS)

Dated: November 30, 2004. 

LaVerne Y. Stringfield, 

Director, Office of Federal Advisory 

Committee Policy.

[FR Doc. 04–26889 Filed 12–7–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4140–01–M

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Public Health Service 

National Toxicology Program 

The National Toxicology Program 

(NTP) Center for the evaluation of risks 

to Human Reproduction (CERHR) 

announces plans for future evaluation of 

styrene; requests public comments on 

this chemical; and solicits the 

nominations of scientists qualified to 

serve on an expert panel.

SUMMARY: The CERHR plans to convene 

an expert panel to evaluate the scientific 

evidence regarding the potential 

reproductive and/or developmental 

toxicity associated with exposure to 

styrene. The expert panel will consist of 

approximately 8–12 scientists, selected 

for their scientific expertise in various 

aspects of reproductive and 

developmental toxicology and other 

relevant areas of science. The CERHR 

invites the submission of public 

comments on styrene and the 

nomination of scientists to serve on the 

expert panel for its evaluation (see

below). This meeting is tentatively 

scheduled for 2005 although the exact 

date and location are not yet 

established. As plans are finalized, they 

will be announced in the Federal 

Register and posted on the CERHR Web 

site (http://cerhr.niehs.nih.gov). CERHR 

expert panel meetings are open to the 

public with time scheduled for oral 

public comment. 

Evaluation of Styrene 

Styrene (ethenylbenzene; CAS RN: 

100–42–5) is a high production volume 

chemical used in the production of 

polystyrene resins and as a co-polymer 

with acrylonitrile and 1,3 butadiene. 

Styrene is found in items such as foam 

cups, dental fillings, matrices for ion 

exchange filters, construction materials, 

and boats. It is also used in protective 

coatings, reinforced glass fiber, 

agricultural products, and as a food 

additive. The public can be exposed to 

styrene through ingesting food or drink 

that has been in contact with styrene 

polymers or through inhalation of 

polluted air and cigarette smoke. 

CERHR selected styrene for expert panel 

evaluation because of: (1) Public 

concern about styrene exposure and (2) 

recently available exposure studies. 

Request for Public Comment on Styrene 

The CERHR invites input from the 

public and other interested parties on 

styrene including toxicology 

information from completed and 

ongoing studies, information on 

planned studies, and information about 

current production levels, human 

exposure, use patterns, and 

environmental occurrence. Information 

and comments should be forwarded to 

the CERHR at P.O. Box 12233, National 

Institute of Environmental Health 

Sciences, MD EC–32, Research Triangle 

Park, NC 27709 (mail), (919) 541–3455 

(phone), (919) 316–4511 (fax), or 

shelby@niehs.nih.gov (e-mail). 

Information and comments received by 

45 days from the publication date of this 

notice will be made available to the 

CERHR staff and the expert panel for 

consideration in the evaluation and 

posted on the CERHR Web site. 

Request for the Nomination of 

Scientists for the Expert Panel 

The CERHR invites nominations of 

qualified scientists to serve on the 

expert panel. Panelists are primarily 

drawn from the CERHR Expert Registry 

and/or the nomination of other 

scientists who meet the criteria for 

listing in that registry which include: 

Formal academic training and 

experience in a relevant scientific field, 

publications in peer-reviewed journals, 

membership in relevant professional 

societies, certification by an appropriate 

scientific board or other entities, and 

participation in similar committee 

activities. Expert panel members are 

required to sign a conflict of interest 

form in accordance with Federal 

Advisory Committee Act Guidelines (5 

U.S.C. Appendix 2). 

All panel members serve as 

individual experts in their specific areas 

of expertise and not as representatives 

of their employers or other 

organizations. Scientists on the expert 

panel will be selected to represent a 

wide range of expertise including, but 

not limited to, developmental 

toxicology, reproductive toxicology, 

epidemiology, general toxicology, 

pharmacokinetics, exposure assessment, 

and biostatistics. Nominations received 

by 45 days from the publication date of 

this notice will be considered for this 

panel and for inclusion in the CERHR 

Expert Registry. Nominations should 

include contact information and current 

curriculum vitae (if possible) and be 

forwarded to the CERHR at the address 

given above. 

Background Information About the 

CERHR 

The NTP established the CERHR in 

June 1998 (Federal Register, December 

14, 1998: Volume 63, Number 239, page 

68782). The 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. 

Information about CERHR and its 

process for nominating agents for review 

or scientists for its expert registry can be 

obtained from its Web site (http://

cerhr.niehs.nih.gov) or by contacting Dr. 

Michael Shelby, CERHR Director 

(contact information provided above). 

71068 Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 235 / Wednesday, December 8, 2004 / Notices 

The CERHR selects chemicals for 

evaluation based upon several factors, 

including production volume, extent of 

human exposure, public concern, and 

extent of the database on reproductive 

or 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 (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 the CERHR.

Dated: November 29, 2004. 

Samuel H. Wilson, 

Deputy Director, National Institute of 

Environmental Health Sciences.

[FR Doc. 04–26885 Filed 12–7–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4140–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND 

SECURITY 

Coast Guard 

[USCG–2001–9267] 

Shipboard Technology Evaluation 

Program; Programmatic Environmental 

Assessment and Finding of No 

Significant Impact

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

SUMMARY: The Coast Guard announces 

the availability of the Final 

Programmatic Environmental 

Assessment (PEA) and Finding of No 

Significant Impact (FONSI) that 

evaluated the potential environmental 

impacts resulting from the 

implementation of the Shipboard 

Technology Evaluation Program (STEP). 

The purpose of STEP is to facilitate the 

development of effective ballast water 

treatment technologies to protect U.S. 

waters against the unintentional 

introduction of nonindigenous species 

via ballast water discharges. STEP will 

create more options for vessels seeking 

alternatives to ballast water exchange as 

they manage their ballast water.

ADDRESSES: Comments and material 

received from the public, as well as 

documents mentioned in this notice as 

being available in the docket, are part of 

docket USCG–2001–9267 and are 

available for inspection or copying at 

the Docket Management Facility, U.S. 

Department of Transportation, room PL–

401, 400 Seventh Street, SW., 

Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 

p.m., Monday through Friday, except 

Federal holidays. You may also find this 

docket on the Internet at http://

dms.dot.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If 

you have questions on this program call 

Mr. Bivan Patnaik, Project Manager at 

(202) 267–1744 or e-mail: 

bpatnaik@comdt.uscg.mil. If you have 

questions on viewing or submitting 

material to the docket, call Andrea M. 

Jenkins, Program Manager, Docket 

Operations, Department of 

Transportation, telephone 202–366–

0271.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In 

accordance with the National 

Environmental Policy Act of 1969 

(Section 102(2)(c)), as implemented by 

the Council on Environment Quality 

regulations (40 CFR parts 1500–1508) 

and Coast Guard Policy for Considering 

Environmental Impacts (COMDTINST 

M16475.1D), the Coast Guard prepared 

a final PEA and FONSI for 

implementing STEP. 

Response to Comments 

The Coast Guard received one 

comment on the draft PEA. The 

commenter stated that the Coast Guard 

made inaccurate statements regarding 

the effectiveness of ozone as a ballast 

water treatment technology and the 

corrosion issues associated with the use 

of ozone.

Although the Coast Guard commends 

the ongoing efforts of developers of 

ozone technologies as an effective 

treatment for ballast water, we disagree 

with the commenter. Based on our 

review of peer-reviewed published 

literature and documents submitted by 

the commenter, it is premature to 

conclude that ozone will effectively 

remove all organisms or that corrosion 

is not an issue. Therefore, no changes 

were made to the final PEA. We look 

forward to the results of future research 

on the effectiveness of ozone 

technologies and we encourage the 

commenter to consider participation in 

STEP. 

Programmatic Environmental 

Assessment 

The final PEA identified and 

examined those reasonable alternatives 

needed to effectively implement STEP. 

The final PEA analyzed the no action 

alternative and two action alternatives 

that could fulfill the purpose and need 

of STEP. The final PEA is a program 

document meant to provide a broad 

environmental review of a Federal 

agency’s (Coast Guard) national 

program. In this case, the final PEA 

provided a broad, general view of the 

potential environmental impacts that 

could be anticipated by implementing 

STEP. Specifically, the final PEA 

considered potential effects to the 

natural and human environments 

including: fish; marine mammals; 

invertebrates; microbes and plankton; 

submerged and emergent species; 

threatened and endangered species; 

essential fish habitats; and various 

socioeconomic resources. The final PEA 

could not foresee all possible specific 

operational sites or cumulative 

environmental impacts as a result of 

implementing any of the action 

alternatives. However, once specific 

operational sites and individual 

shipboard ballast water treatment 

technologies have been identified, these 

technologies will undergo a more 

specific environmental review (tiering). 

This environmental review of 

individual shipboard ballast water 

treatment technologies and specific 

operational sites will result in the 

issuance of either: (1) Categorical 

Exclusion; (2) Finding of No Significant 

Impact (FONSI) after an Environmental 

Assessment (EA); or (3) Environmental 

Impact Statement (EIS).

Dated: November 18, 2004. 

Joseph J. Angelo, 

Director of Standards, Marine Safety, Security 

& Environmental Protection.

[FR Doc. 04–26863 Filed 12–7–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–15–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Canyons of the Ancients National 

Monument Advisory Committee; 

Notice of Renewal

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management 

(BLM), Colorado State Office, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of renewal for the 

Canyons of the Ancients National 

Monument Advisory Committee. 

SUMMARY: This notice is published in 

accordance with Section 9(a)(2) of the 

Federal Advisory Committee Act of 

1972, Public Law 92–463. Notice is 

hereby given that the Secretary of the 

Interior has renewed the Bureau of Land 

Management’s Canyons of the Ancients 

National Monument Advisory 

Committee. 

The purpose of the Committee is to 

provide advice and counsel to the 

Bureau of Land Management, through 

the Canyons of the Ancients National 

Monument Manager, regarding the 

development and implementation of a 

management plan for public lands 

within the Monument area.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Melanie Wilson Gore, 

Intergovernmental Affairs (640), Bureau