35760 Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 107 / Friday, June 3, 2016 / Notices 

385.214) on or before 5:00 p.m. Eastern 

time on the specified comment date. 

Protests will be considered by the 

Commission in determining the 

appropriate action to be taken, but will 

not serve to make protestants parties to 

the proceeding. Any person wishing to 

become a party must file a notice of 

intervention or motion to intervene, as 

appropriate. Such notices, motions, or 

protests must be filed on or before the 

comment date. Anyone filing a motion 

to intervene or protest must serve a copy 

of that document on the Petitioner. 

The Commission encourages 

electronic submission of protests and 

interventions in lieu of paper, using the 

FERC Online links at http://

www.ferc.gov. To facilitate electronic 

service, persons with Internet access 

who will eFile a document and/or be 

listed as a contact for an intervenor 

must create and validate an 

eRegistration account using the 

eRegistration link. Select the eFiling 

link to log on and submit the 

intervention or protests. 

Persons unable to file electronically 

should submit an original and 5 copies 

of the intervention or protest to the 

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 

888 First Street NE., Washington, DC 

20426. 

The filings in the above proceeding 

are accessible in the Commission’s 

eLibrary system by clicking on the 

appropriate link in the above list. They 

are also available for review in the 

Commission’s Public Reference Room in 

Washington, DC. There is an 

eSubscription link on the Web site that 

enables subscribers to receive email 

notification when a document is added 

to a subscribed docket(s). For assistance 

with any FERC Online service, please 

email FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov. or 

call (866) 208–3676 (toll free). For TTY, 

call (202) 502–8659. 

Comment Date: 5:00 p.m. Eastern time 

on June 3, 2016. 

Dated: May 26, 2016. 

Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr., 

Deputy Secretary. 

[FR Doc. 2016–13064 Filed 6–2–16; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6717–01–P 

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION 

AGENCY 

[EPA–HQ–OW–2009–0297; FRL–9947–20– 

OW] 

Request for Nominations for Peer 

Reviewers for EPA’s Draft Biologically 

Based Dose-Response (BBDR) Model 

for Perchlorate, Draft Model Support 

Document and Draft Approach for 

Deriving a Maximum Contaminant 

Level Goal (MCLG) for Perchlorate in 

Drinking Water 

AGENCY: Environmental Protection 

Agency (EPA). 

ACTION: Request for nominations for 

peer reviewers. 

SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection 

Agency (EPA) is expanding the scope of 

the request for nominations announced 

in the Federal Register on March 1, 

2016. Requested nominations are for an 

external peer review of the draft 

Biologically Based Dose-Response 

model and the draft model support 

document for perchlorate in drinking 

water. The expanded scope will include 

the review of the application of the draft 

Biologically Based Dose-Response 

Model to develop a perchlorate 

maximum contaminant level goal. EPA 

is combining the two panels to achieve 

efficiency and transparency in 

evaluating the development and 

application of key scientific products for 

analyzing perchlorate in drinking water. 

EPA invites the public to nominate 

scientific experts for the peer review. 

Persons nominated during the previous 

nomination period requested in the 

March 1, 2016, Federal Register notice 

do not need to be renominated under 

this notice and will be considered for 

selection for the interim and final list of 

peer reviewers. 

DATES: The nomination period for 

scientific experts begins on June 3, 2016 

and ends on July 5, 2016. 

ADDRESSES: Any interested person or 

organization may nominate scientific 

experts to be considered as peer 

reviewers. Nominations should be 

submitted in time to arrive no later than 

July 5, 2016. Self-nominations will also 

be accepted. Nominations should be 

submitted to the EPA contractor, Versar, 

Inc., using the following email address: 

perchlorate@versar.com (the subject line 

should read: BBDR Model Peer Review 

and Peer Review of Approach for 

Deriving a Perchlorate MCLG). 

Nominations will also be accepted via 

the U.S. Postal Service mail or by an 

overnight/priority mail service. Mailed 

nominations should be addressed to 

Versar, Inc., 6850 Versar Center, 

Springfield, VA 22151 (Attention: David 

Bottimore). Nominations should include 

all nominee information outlined in 

section II of the SUPPLEMENTARY

INFORMATION section of this document. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Questions concerning the nomination 

process should be directed to the EPA 

contractor, Versar, Inc., at 6850 Versar 

Center, Springfield, VA 22151; by email 

to perchlorate@versar.com (the subject 

line should read: BBDR Model Peer 

Review and Peer Review of Approach 

for Deriving a Perchlorate MCLG); or by 

phone: (703) 642–6815 (ask for David 

Bottimore). For additional information 

concerning the draft Biologically Based 

Dose-Response Model, the draft Model 

Support Document and the draft 

approach for deriving a perchlorate 

MCLG, please contact Russ Perkinson at 

the U.S. Environmental Protection 

Agency, Office of Ground Water and 

Drinking Water, Standards and Risk 

Management Division, (Mail Code 

4607M), 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue 

NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone: 

202–564–4901; or email: 

perkinson.russ@epa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Information on the Draft Biologically 

Based Dose-Response (BBDR) Model, 

the Draft Model Support Document for 

Perchlorate and the Draft Approach for 

Deriving a Perchlorate Maximum 

Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG) 

EPA has begun the process for 

developing a National Primary Drinking 

Water Regulation (NPDWR) for 

Perchlorate in accordance with the 

requirements under the Safe Drinking 

Water Act (SDWA). Among these 

requirements are that the agency must 

request comment from EPA’s Science 

Advisory Board (SAB) prior to proposal 

of an MCLG and a NPDWR. 42 U.S.C. 

1412(e). For additional background 

information, refer to the March 1, 2016, 

Federal Register notice (81 FR 10617). 

Based on the SAB’s 

recommendations, EPA, with 

contributions from Food and Drug 

Administration (FDA) scientists, 

developed a draft BBDR model to 

determine under what conditions of 

iodine nutrition and exposure to 

perchlorate across sensitive life stages 

low serum free and total thyroxine 

would result. The draft BBDR model 

integrates physiologically-based 

pharmacokinetic models for perchlorate 

with iodine models for thyroid 

hormones in formula-fed and nursing 

infants, as well as lactating women. The 

draft model predicts the effects of 

perchlorate on serum thyroid hormone 

concentrations in infants exposed via 

mstockstill on DSK3G9T082PROD with NOTICES

Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 107 / Friday, June 3, 2016 / Notices 35761 

ingestion of formula mixed with 

contaminated drinking water or breast 

milk. 

EPA is considering deriving a 

perchlorate MCLG by linking BBDR 

model output to alterations in thyroid 

hormone status that result in alterations 

in neurodevelopment. The draft 

approach for deriving a perchlorate 

MCLG outlines an assessment of the 

literature linking alterations in thyroid 

hormone status to alterations in 

neurodevelopment. Based on the results 

of this literature review, the report 

describes potential approaches to set the 

MCLG based on the availability of the 

current literature and the output of the 

BBDR model, predicting the effects of 

perchlorate on serum thyroid hormone 

concentrations in infants exposed via 

ingestion of formula mixed with 

contaminated drinking water or breast 

milk (see 81 FR 10617, March 1, 2016). 

The draft approach will be 

approximately 100 pages in length with 

approximately 7–10 figures and 10–15 

tables. The draft approach describes 

application of the BBDR model to the 

development of a perchlorate MCLG and 

the appropriateness of the process under 

SDWA guidelines. 

EPA anticipates releasing the draft 

BBDR model, draft model support 

document, and draft approach for peer 

review and public comment in the near 

future (the exact date to be determined). 

II. How To Submit Nominations for 

Peer Reviewers 

Expanded Expertise Sought: EPA is 

seeking candidates who are nationally 

and/or internationally recognized 

scientific experts to serve as external 

peer reviewers for the draft BBDR 

model, the draft model support 

document, and the draft approach to 

derive a perchlorate MCLG. Nominees 

should possess and demonstrate 

background knowledge and experience 

in one or more of the following areas of 

risk assessment to include: An 

understanding of thyroid function 

(preferably in the sensitive life stages of 

interest), the importance of maternal 

thyroid hormone homeostasis in each 

stage of gestation, hypothyroxinemia, 

neurodevelopmental assessment indices 

for young children including the 

Bayley’s Scale, the toxicity of 

perchlorate, epidemiological assessment 

techniques, and statistics. 

Expanded Selection Criteria: 

Selection criteria for individuals 

nominated to serve as external peer 

reviewers of the draft BBDR model, draft 

model support document, and draft 

approach to derive an MCLG for 

perchlorate include the following: (1) 

Demonstrated expertise through 

relevant peer reviewed publications, (2) 

professional accomplishments and 

recognition by professional societies, (3) 

demonstrated ability to work 

constructively and effectively in a 

committee setting, (4) absence of 

financial conflicts of interest, (5) no 

actual conflicts of interest or the 

appearance of lack of impartiality, (6) 

willingness to commit adequate time for 

the thorough review of the draft BBDR 

model, the draft model support 

document and the draft approach for 

deriving a perchlorate MCLG, 

commencing approximately during the 

summer of 2016 (exact date to be 

determined), and (7) availability to 

participate in person in a two-day peer 

review meeting in the Washington, DC 

metro area, projected to occur during 

the fall of 2016 (exact date will be 

published in the Federal Register at 

least 30 days prior to the external peer 

review meeting). Further logistical 

information regarding the external peer 

review meeting will be announced at a 

later date in the Federal Register. 

Expanded Required Nominee 

Information: To receive full 

consideration, the following information 

should be submitted to Versar 

(perchlorate@versar.com) (the subject 

line should read: BBDR Model Peer 

Review and Peer Review of Approach 

for Deriving a Perchlorate MCLG): (1) 

Contact information for the person 

making the nomination; (2) contact 

information for the nominee; (3) the 

disciplinary and specific areas of 

expertise of the nominee; (4) the 

nominee’s curriculum vitae; and (5) a 

biographical sketch of the nominee 

indicating current position, educational 

background, past and current research 

activities, recent service on other 

advisory committees, peer review 

panels, editorial boards or professional 

organizations, sources of recent grant 

and/or contract support and other 

comments on the relevance of the 

nominee’s expertise to this peer review 

topic. Compensation for non-federal 

peer reviewers will be provided by 

Versar. 

Expanded Selection Process: EPA’s 

contractor, Versar, will notify 

candidates of selection or non-selection. 

Versar may also conduct an 

independent search for candidates to 

assemble a balanced group representing 

the expertise needed to fully evaluate 

EPA’s draft BBDR model, draft model 

support document for perchlorate, and 

draft approach for deriving a perchlorate 

MCLG. The contractor will consider and 

screen all candidates against the criteria 

previously listed. Following the 

screening process, the contractor will 

narrow the list of potential reviewers to 

approximately 12–18 interim 

candidates. Prior to selecting the final 

peer reviewers, a Federal Register 

notice will be published (exact date to 

be determined) to solicit comments on 

the interim list of candidates. In that 

notice, the public will be requested to 

provide relevant information or 

documentation on the nominees within 

30 days of the announcement of the 

interim list of candidates. Once the 

contractor has considered the public 

comments on the interim list of 

candidates, the contractor will select the 

final list of peer reviewers based on 

who, collectively, will best provide 

expertise spanning the disciplines listed 

above and (to the extent feasible) best 

provide a balance of perspectives. 

Dated: May 23, 2016. 

Joel Beauvais, 

Deputy Assistant Administrator. 

[FR Doc. 2016–12724 Filed 6–2–16; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6560–50–P 

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION 

AGENCY 

[ER–FRL–9027–4] 

Environmental Impact Statements; 

Notice of Availability 

Responsible Agency: Office of Federal 

Activities, General Information (202) 

564–7146 or http://www.epa.gov/nepa. 

Weekly receipt of Environmental Impact 

Statements (EISs) 

Filed 05/23/2016 Through 05/27/2016 

Pursuant to 40 CFR 1506.9. 

Notice 

Section 309(a) of the Clean Air Act 

requires that EPA make public its 

comments on EISs issued by other 

Federal agencies. EPA’s comment letters 

on EISs are available at: http://

www.epa.gov/compliance/nepa/

eisdata.html. 

EIS No. 20160112, Draft, USFS, MT, 

Galton Vegetation Management, 

Comment Period Ends: 07/25/2016, 

Contact: Ron Komac 406–296–2536 

x7130. 

EIS No. 20160113, Draft, USFS, MT, 

Flathead National Forest Plan 

Revision and Northern Continental 

Divide Ecosystem Grizzly Bear 

Conservation Strategy Forest Plan 

Amendments to the Lolo, Helena, 

Lewis & Clark, and Kootenai National 

Forests, Comment Period Ends: 10/03/ 

2016, Contact: Joe Krueger 406–758– 

5243. 

EIS No. 20160114, Final, FHWA, TX, 

Grand Parkway (State Highway 99) 

Segment B, Review Period Ends: 07/ 

05/2016, Contact: Carlos Swonke 512– 

416–2734. 

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