36898 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 113 / Monday, June 12, 2000 / Notices

CAC–8.

Omitted

CAC–9.

Docket# RM98–17, 002, Landowners

Notification Expanded Categorical

Exclusions and Other Environmental

Filing Requirements

CAC–10.

Omitted

Energy Projects—Hydro Agenda

H–1. Reserved

Energy Projects—Certificates Agenda

C–1.

Reserved

Markets, Tariffs and Rates—Electric Agenda

E–1.

Reserved

Markets, Tariffs and Rates—Gas Agenda

G–1.

Reserved

David P. Boergers,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 00–14836 Filed 6–8–00; 10:59 am]

BILLING CODE 6717–01–P

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

AGENCY

[FRL–6714–9]

Draft Dioxin Reassessment

Documents; Toxicity Equivalence

Factors (TEFs) for Dioxin and Related

Compounds and Integrated Summary

and Risk Characterization for 2,3,7,8-

Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-Dioxin (TCDD)

and Related Compounds

AGENCY: Environmental Protection

Agency

ACTION: Notice of peer review workshop

and public comment period.

SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental

Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing

that an EPA contractor will be

organizing, convening, and conducting

an external peer review workshop to

review the external review draft

documents entitled, Part II. Chapter 9:

Toxicity Equivalence Factors (TEFs) for

Dioxin and Related Compounds

(hereafter, TEF chapter) and Part III.

Integrated Summary and Risk

Characterization for 2,3,7,8-

Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-Dioxin (TCDD)

and Related Compounds (hereafter,

Integrated Summary and Risk

Characterization). The EPA is also

announcing an extended public

comment period for these two draft

documents. The peer review workshop

will be organized, convened, and

conducted by the Eastern Research

Group, Inc. (ERG), an EPA contractor for

this external scientific peer review. The

documents were prepared by the EPA’s

Office of Research and Development

(ORD) and with the involvement of

other federal agencies, in particular the

National Institutes of Health’s National

Institute of Environmental Health

Sciences. EPA will consider the peer

review advice and public comment

submissions in revising these draft

dioxin reassessment documents in

preparation for an upcoming review by

EPA’s Science Advisory Board (SAB).

DATES: The two-day peer review

workshop will be held on Tuesday, July

25, 2000, 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and

Wednesday, July 26, 2000, 8:30 a.m. to

5:00 p.m. Members of the public may

attend as observers, and there will be a

limited time for comments from the

public. The extended public comment

period begins June 12, 2000, and

concludes two weeks following the

SAB’s peer review meeting on the

dioxin reassessment which is scheduled

for October 2000. The specific date of

that meeting has not been determined.

EPA will announce in a subsequent

Federal Register (FR) notice the formal

closing date of the public comment

period.

ADDRESSES: The external peer review

workshop will be held at the Holiday

Inn Capital, 550 C Street, SW,

Washington, DC 20024, Tel: 202–479–

4000. The Eastern Research Group, Inc.

(ERG), an EPA contractor, is organizing,

convening, and conducting the peer

review workshop. To attend the

workshop as an observer, please register

by Monday, July 17, 2000, by calling

ERG at Tel: 781–674–7374, or send a

facsimile to: 781–674–2906. Space is

limited, and registrations to attend will

be accepted on a first-come, first-served

basis. Time will be set aside each day

to hear comments from observers.

Individual comments will be limited to

no more than 5 minutes per person, and

the number of people giving oral

comments will be limited by the time

available. If you wish to make

comments at the workshop, please sign

up in advance by contacting ERG.

Commenters will be scheduled on a

first-come, first-served basis. Please

reference the ‘‘EPA Dioxin Workshop’’

when contacting ERG or the hotel.

Document Availability: The primary

distribution method for the external

review drafts of the TEF chapter and

Integrated Summary and Risk

Characterization to the public will be

via the Internet on ORD’s National

Center for Environmental Assessment

(NCEA) website. These external review

drafts are available at http://

www.epa.gov/ncea/dioxin.htm. These

documents can be viewed and

downloaded from the Internet for

review and comment. Background

information is also available at the

above-mentioned website. This

information, provided as background

only, consists of other exposure and

health sections of the reassessment,

specifically Part I: Estimating Exposure

to Dioxin-Like Compounds (Volumes 2–

4) and Part II: Health Assessment for

2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-Dioxin

(TCDD) and Related Compounds

(Chapters 1–8).

In addition, a Compact Disk-Read

Only Memory (CD–ROM) containing the

external review draft of the TEF chapter

and the background information, is

available from EPA’s National Service

Center for Environmental Publications

(NSCEP) in Cincinnati, Ohio (telephone:

1–800–490–9198, or 513–489–8190;

facsimile 513–489–8695). If you are

requesting a copy of the CD–ROM,

please provide your name, mailing

address, and reference the ‘‘Dioxin CD’’

and Document number EPA/600/P–00/

001Ab-Ae. The background documents

are available only on CD–ROM and the

Internet.

Also, a limited number of paper

copies of only the draft TEF chapter and

the Integrated Summary and Risk

Characterization will be available from

NSCEP. If you are requesting a paper

copy of either the draft TEF chapter or

draft Integrated Summary and Risk

Characterization, please provide your

name, mailing address, and the

document title and number, Part II.

Chapter 9: Toxicity Equivalence Factors

(TEFs) for Dioxin and Related

Compounds, Document number NCEA–

I–0836; and/or Part III. Integrated

Summary and Risk Characterization for

2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-Dioxin

(TCDD) and Related Compounds,

Document number EPA/600/P–00/

001Ag. Copies of draft documents or

background information are not

available from ERG.

Comment Submission: Comments

may be mailed to the Technical

Information Staff (8623D), NCEA–W,

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,

1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Ariel

Rios Building, Washington, DC 20460,

or delivered to the Technical

Information Staff at 808 17th Street,

NW., 5th Floor, Washington, DC 20006;

telephone: 202–564–3261; facsimile:

202–565–0050. Comments should be in

writing. Please submit one unbound

original with pages numbered

consecutively, and three copies of the

comments. For attachments, provide an

index, number pages consecutively with

the comments, and submit an unbound

original and three copies. Electronic

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 113 / Monday, June 12, 2000 / Notices 36899

comments may be emailed to:

dioxin.ncea@epa.gov.

Please note that all technical

comments received in response to this

notice will be placed in a public record.

For that reason, commentors should not

submit personal information (such as

medical data or home address),

Confidential Business Information, or

information protected by copyright. Due

to limited resources, acknowledgments

will not be sent.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For

workshop information, registration, and

logistics, contact ERG, 110 Hartwell

Avenue, Lexington, Massachusetts,

02421–3136; Tel: 781–674–7374; Fax:

781–674–2906.

For information on the public

comment period, contact Linda C.

Tuxen, NCEA, telephone: 202–564–

3332; facsimile: 202–565–0090; or

email: tuxen.linda@epa.gov. This is an

extended public comment period that

will continue until the SAB meeting in

the Fall 2000. It is very important to

note that, as the dioxin reassessment

process continues, two versions of the

draft sections will be put on the dioxin

website. The external review drafts, the

availability of which are announced in

this FR notice, will be replaced by the

SAB review drafts in early September.

The public is requested to make clear in

their submitted comments on which

draft document they are commenting.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In April

1991, EPA announced that it would

conduct a scientific reassessment of the

health risks of exposure to dioxin and

dioxin-like compounds. Previous EPA

dioxin assessment documents, one final

and one draft, were completed in 1985

and 1988, respectively. EPA undertook

the 1991 reassessment in light of

significant advances in our scientific

understanding of mechanisms of dioxin

toxicity, significant new studies of

dioxin’s carcinogenic potential in

humans and increased evidence of other

adverse health effects. EPA has worked

to make each phase of the dioxin

reassessment an open and participatory

process. These efforts have included the

involvement of outside scientists as

principal authors of several chapters,

frequent public meetings to report

progress and take public comment, and

publication of early drafts for public

comment and peer review. Early in the

reassessment process, EPA held public

meetings (1991 and 1992) to inform the

public of the Agency’s plans and

activities for the reassessment, to hear

and receive public comments and

reviews of the proposed plans, and to

receive any current, scientifically

relevant information. In 1992 and 1993,

the Agency convened three peer-review

workshops to review early drafts of the

reassessment chapters.

In September 1994, EPA released the

external review drafts of the health

effects and exposure documents which

amounted to over 2,200 pages. In late

1994 EPA took public comment and

held numerous public meetings across

the country on the drafts, followed by

SAB review of the draft dioxin

reassessment in May 1995. The SAB’s

report was received in the Fall of that

year. In its report to the Agency, the

SAB responded favorably to most

portions of the reassessment, but

recommended substantive revision of

two key sections. The SAB

recommended the revision of these two

sections, Chapter 8: Dose-Response

Modeling for 2,3,7,8-TCDD and the Risk

Characterization document, and the

development of an additional document

that would focus on the toxicity

equivalent factors (TEFs) for dioxin and

dioxin-like compounds. In addition to

these substantive recommendations, the

SAB suggested that the redrafting

process include broader participation of

outside scientists from both the public

and private sectors. They also requested

that the two redrafted chapters and the

new TEF chapter be submitted to

independent external peer review,

before being returned to the SAB for rereview. With respect to Chapters 1–7 of

the health document and the full

exposure reassessment document, the

SAB accepted these sections. They

suggested that the sections be updated

to address public and SAB comments

and to incorporate new scientific data,

but the SAB’s report stated that

substantive further review of these

sections by the SAB was not needed.

After receipt of the SAB’s report, the

Agency worked with over 40 individual

stakeholders from the private and public

sectors, representing environmental,

industry, academic, state, and other

public interest and public health

communities, on the next steps and to

gather input on possible approaches for

conducting the revision process. The

Agency has tried to keep these

individuals apprised of reassessment

activities at critical points in the

revision process. The Agency expects

that these individuals will be important

avenues of public comment on the draft

documents.

The final dioxin reassessment will

consist of three parts. Part I: Estimating

Exposure to Dioxin-Like Compounds

focuses on sources, levels of dioxin-like

compounds in environmental media,

and human exposures. Part II: Health

Assessment for 2,3,7,8-

Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-Dioxin (TCDD)

and Related Compounds includes

information on critical human health

end points, mode of action,

pharmacokinetics, dose-response, and

TEFs. There will be a total of nine

chapters in Part II. Part III: Integrated

Summary and Risk Characterization for

2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-Dioxin

(TCDD) and Related Compounds is

intended to be a stand-alone document.

In this part, key findings pertinent to

understanding the potential hazards and

risks of dioxins are described and

integrated, including a discussion of all

important assumptions and

uncertainties.

The two draft documents that are the

subject of the independent scientific

peer review meeting announced today

are the new TEF chapter and the

updated, revised, and reformatted

Integrated Summary and Risk

Characterization. The TEF chapter was

developed as a result of a

recommendation from the SAB to gather

in one place the discussion and

scientific information on the complex

issue and use of TEFs for dioxin and

dioxin-like compounds. The draft TEF

chapter was developed by a team of

experts and has undergone internal EPA

review. The Integrated Summary and

Risk Characterization, formerly

identified as Chapter 9: Risk

Characterization in the 1994 draft

reassessment, was initially revised using

a writing team process. The writing

team was composed of approximately

12 leading scientific experts in fields

related to dioxin exposure and health

effects. These experts came from a wide

range of public and private

organizations, as well as academia. A

preliminary revised draft was developed

by a writing group and was reviewed by

the 40 individual stakeholders. This

preliminary draft was used as the

framework for an extensively revised

document developed by a small internal

EPA writing group.

The third section of the reassessment

on which the SAB recommended

substantive revisions is Chapter 8: DoseResponse Modeling for 2,3,7,8-TCDD.

The draft Chapter 8 underwent public

comment and external peer review in

March 1997. A writing team developed

the draft final chapter based on the peer

review and public comments and any

relevant new scientific data in January

2000. Because this section has already

undergone extensive review, we are not

soliciting further comments. The next

step for Chapter 8 is SAB review in the

Fall 2000.

After the July 25 and 26 external peer

review workshop, the TEF chapter and

Integrated Summary and Risk

Characterization will be revised to

36900 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 113 / Monday, June 12, 2000 / Notices

reflect the comments of the independent

scientific peer reviewers, other Federal

agencies, and the public. In the Fall, the

SAB will conduct a scientific peer

review of the TEF chapter, the doseresponse modeling chapter, and the

Integrated Summary and Risk

Characterization. The SAB review will

be anounced in the Federal Register.

EPA expects to conclude the dioxin

reassessment about six months from

now, incorporating appropriate changes

that have been indicated by the

comments of Federal agencies, the

public, the external peer reviewers, and

the SAB review panel. Final SAB

approval is needed to produce a final

EPA dioxin reassessment document.

Dated: June 6, 2000.

Norine E. Noonan,

Assistant Administrator for Research and

Development.

[FR Doc. 00–14853 Filed 6–9–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560–50–P

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

AGENCY

[FRL–6713–8]

Casmalia Disposal Site; Notice of

Extension of the Public Comment

Period for Proposed CERCLA

Administrative De Minimis Settlement

AGENCY: Environmental Protection

Agency.

ACTION: Notice; extension of public

comment period.

SUMMARY: In accordance with section

122(i) of the Comprehensive

Environmental Response,

Compensation, and Liability Act, as

amended (‘‘CERCLA’’), 42 U.S.C.

9622(i), and section 7003(d) of the

Resource Conservation and Recovery

Act, as amended (‘‘RCRA’’) 42 U.S.C.

6973(d), the Environmental Protection

Agency (‘‘EPA’’) provided notice in the

March 15, 2000, Federal Register, 65 FR

13967–13969, of a proposed

administrative de minimis settlement

concerning the Casmalia Disposal Site

in Santa Barbara County, California

(‘‘the Casmalia Disposal Site’’). This

notice extends the public comment

period through June 26, 2000. Section

122(g) of CERCLA, 42 U.S.C. 9622(g),

provides EPA with the authority to enter

into administrative de minimis

settlements. This settlement is intended

to resolve the liabilities of 433 settling

parties for the Casmalia Disposal Site

under sections 106 and 107 of CERCLA,

42 U.S.C. 9606, 9607, and section 7003

of RCRA, 42 U.S.C. 6973. For most of

the settling parties, the settlement will

also resolve their Casmalia Disposal

Site-related liability for the response

costs incurred or to be incurred by the

federal Natural Resources Trustees’ (the

United States Fish and Wildlife Service,

the National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration, and the United States

Department of the Air Force), and

potential natural resource damages. The

settling parties will pay a total of $27.6

million toward Casmalia Disposal Site

response costs.

Through June 26, 2000, EPA will

receive written comments relating to the

settlement. In addition, in accordance

with section 7003(d) of RCRA, 42 U.S.C.

6973(d), EPA will hold a public hearing

to receive comments on the proposed

settlement, on June 26, 2000, from 7–9

p.m., in the Board of Supervisors’

Hearing Room, at the County

Administration Building, 511 E.

Lakeside Parkway, Santa Maria,

California. EPA will consider all

comments it receives during this

comment period, and may modify or

withdraw its consent to the settlement

if any comments disclose facts or

considerations indicating that the

settlement is inappropriate, improper,

or inadequate. EPA’s written responses

to all comments will be made available

at the EPA Region IX Superfund

Records Center (415–536–2000), 95

Hawthorne Street, Suite 403 S, San

Francisco, CA 94105–3901 and at the

Santa Maria Library (805–925–0994),

420 South Broadway, Santa Maria, CA

93454.

DATES: Original, signed comments must

be received by EPA on or before June 26,

2000.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be

addressed to the Regional Hearing Clerk,

U.S. EPA Region IX (ORC–1), 75

Hawthorne Street, San Francisco, CA

94105–3901, and should refer to:

Casmalia Disposal Site, Santa Barbara

County, CA, U.S. EPA Docket No. 99–

02(a). The proposed settlement and

additional background information

relating to the settlement are available

for inspection at the EPA Region IX

Superfund Records Center (415–536–

2000), 95 Hawthorne Street, Suite 403 S,

San Francisco, CA 94105–3901 and at

the Santa Maria Library (805–925–

0994), 420 South Broadway, Santa

Maria, CA 93454. A copy of the

proposed Administrative Order on

Consent may be obtained from the

Regional Hearing Clerk at the address

provided above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Karen Goldberg, Assistant Regional

Counsel, U.S. EPA Region IX (ORC–3),

75 Hawthorne Street, San Francisco, CA

94105–3901; E-Mail:

goldberg.karen@epa.gov; Tel: (415) 744–

1382.

Keith Takata,

Director, Superfund Division, Region IX.

[FR Doc. 00–14770 Filed 6–9–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560–50–U

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

AGENCY

[FRL–6714–1]

Lancaster Plating Site/Lillington, NC;

Notice of Proposed Settlement

AGENCY: Environmental Protection

Agency.

ACTION: Notice of proposed settlement.

SUMMARY: Under section 122(h)(1) of the

Comprehensive Environmental

Response, Compensation, and Liability

Act (CERCLA), the Environmental

Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed

to settle claims for response costs at the

Lancaster Plating Site (Site) located in

Lillington, North Carolina, with

Kimrick, Inc. EPA will consider public

comments on the proposed settlement

for thirty days. EPA may withdraw from

or modify the proposed settlement

should such comments disclose facts or

considerations which indicate the

proposed settlement is inappropriate,

improper, or inadequate. Copies of the

proposed settlement are available from:

Ms. Paula V. Batchelor, U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency,

Region IV, CERCLA Program Services

Branch, Waste Management Division, 61

Forsyth Street, SW., Atlanta, Georgia

30303, (404) 562–8887.

Written comments may be submitted

to Ms. Batchelor at the above address

within 30 days of the date of

publication.

Dated: May 25, 2000.

Franklin E. Hill,

Chief, CERCLA Program Services Branch,

Waste Management Division.

[FR Doc. 00–14772 Filed 6–9–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560–50–U

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS

COMMISSION

[ET Docket No. 98–237, FCC 00–181]

3650–3700 MHz Government Transfer

AGENCY: Federal Communications

Commission.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: This document modifies the

freeze imposed on applications for new

earth stations and major modifications