64890 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 181 / Wednesday, September 20, 2023 / Notices 

action process and further streamline 

the USPTO’s service delivery processes. 

The USPTO furnishes a courtesy 

postcard to Patent Center e-Office 

Action program users as a reminder 

when there are available USPTO 

communications that have not been 

viewed or downloaded after a period of 

time. With the transition, the USPTO 

introduced a new option to receive the 

courtesy postcard by email (e-postcards) 

rather than by postal mail (postal 

postcards). In view of the new option to 

receive e-postcards, the USPTO 

requested public comments on 

eliminating the postal postcard for all 

Patent Center e-Office Action program 

users. The USPTO is now eliminating 

the postal postcard as an option for all 

Patent Center e-Office Action program 

users. 

DATES: The option to receive a courtesy 

postal postcard under the Patent Center 

e-Office Action program will no longer 

be available as of October 20, 2023. 

Patent Center e-Office Action program 

users may manually opt in to receiving 

e-postcards prior to that date. As of 

October 20, 2023, e-postcards will be 

the only option for the courtesy 

postcard, and the USPTO will 

automatically switch over any Patent 

Center e-Office Action program users 

who have not already opted in to 

receiving e-postcards. The USPTO will 

continue to mail postal postcards for 

seven days after October 20, 2023 for 

any unviewed correspondence in the 

queue as of October 20, 2023 for those 

program users who were receiving 

postal postcards prior to that date. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Eugenia A. Jones, Senior Legal Advisor, 

Office of Patent Legal Administration, at 

571–272–7727; or Kristie A. Mahone, 

Senior Legal Advisor, Office of Patent 

Legal Administration, at 571–272–9016; 

or patentpractice@uspto.gov. For 

technical questions, please contact the 

Patent Electronic Business Center (EBC) 

at 1–866–217–9197 (toll-free), 571–272– 

4100 (local), or ebc@uspto.gov. The 

Patent EBC is open from 6 a.m. to 

midnight ET, Monday–Friday. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In April 

2023, the USPTO migrated all 

participants from the Private PAIR eOffice Action program to the Patent 

Center e-Office Action program. The 

USPTO informed the public of the 

migration in advance. See Patent Center 

Electronic Office Action Program, 88 FR 

20138 (Apr. 5, 2023) (April 2023 

Notice). 

Under the current Patent Center eOffice Action program, users have the 

option to receive either a courtesy postal 

postcard through the United States 

Postal Service or a courtesy e-postcard 

by email. Courtesy reminder postcards 

are sent when none of the Office 

communications listed in the email 

notification have been viewed or 

downloaded in Patent Center within 

seven calendar days after the date of the 

notification and at least one of the listed 

Office communications requires the 

applicant’s reply. In the April 2023 

Notice, the USPTO requested comments 

on eliminating the courtesy postal 

postcard as an option. The USPTO 

received one comment in response to 

the request for comments. The 

commenter did not express any views 

on eliminating the postal postcard and 

only made a general comment about 

Patent Center. 

The USPTO has determined that 

maintaining postal postcards is not 

necessary. Eliminating the postal 

postcard will reduce paper waste and 

mitigate the impact of potential postal 

delays. Furthermore, exclusively using 

e-postcards will enable the USPTO to 

continue to furnish courtesy reminders 

while more effectively streamlining 

service delivery processes. Therefore, 

the USPTO is eliminating the postal 

postcard as an option for all Patent 

Center e-Office Action program users. 

Instead, the USPTO will send a courtesy 

e-postcard notifying Patent Center eOffice Action program users if none of 

the Office communications listed in the 

email notification are viewed or 

downloaded through Patent Center 

within seven calendar days after the 

date of the email notification and at 

least one of the Office communications 

requires an applicant’s reply. The 

USPTO will email courtesy e-postcards 

to the same email addresses assigned to 

the Customer Number for the 

correspondence address. 

Participation in the Patent Center eOffice Action program will continue to 

be optional. Additional information on 

the Patent Center e-Office Action 

Program is available at www.uspto.gov/ 

patents/apply/checking-applicationstatus/e-office-action-program. 

Katherine K. Vidal, 

Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual 

Property and Director of the United States 

Patent and Trademark Office. 

[FR Doc. 2023–20351 Filed 9–19–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–16–P 

CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY 

COMMISSION 

[Docket No. CPSC–2023–0033] 

Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances 

(PFAS) in Consumer Products 

AGENCY: Consumer Product Safety 

Commission. 

ACTION: Notice of availability and 

request for information. 

SUMMARY: The Consumer Product Safety 

Commission (Commission or CPSC) is 

publishing this notice to request 

information on per- and polyfluoroalkyl 

substances (PFAS) used in commerce or 

potentially used in consumer products, 

potential exposures associated with the 

use of PFAS in consumer products, and 

potential human health effects 

associated with exposures to PFAS from 

their use in consumer products. This 

notice also includes the availability 

information of a related contractor 

report. 

DATES: Written comments must be 

submitted by November 20, 2023. 

ADDRESSES: You can submit comments, 

identified by Docket No. CPSC–2023– 

0033, by any of the following methods: 

Electronic Submissions: Submit 

electronic comments to 

www.regulations.gov. Follow the 

instructions for submitting comments. 

Do not submit through this website: 

confidential business information, trade 

secret information, or other sensitive or 

protected information that you do not 

want to be available to the public. CPSC 

typically does not accept comments 

submitted by email, except as described 

below. 

Mail/Hand Delivery/Courier/ 

Confidential Written Submissions: CPSC 

encourages you to submit electronic 

comments by using 

www.regulations.gov. You may, 

however, submit comments by mail, 

hand delivery, or courier to: Office of 

the Secretary, Consumer Product Safety 

Commission, 4330 East-West Highway, 

Bethesda, MD 20814; telephone: (301) 

504–7479. 

Instructions: All submissions must 

include the agency name and docket 

number. CPSC may post all comments 

without change, including any personal 

identifiers, contact information, or other 

personal information provided to 

www.regulations.gov. If you wish to 

submit confidential business 

information, trade secret information, or 

other sensitive or protected information 

that you do not want to be available to 

the public, you may submit such 

comments by mail, hand delivery, or 


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Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 181 / Wednesday, September 20, 2023 / Notices 64891 

1PFAS are persistent in the environment and can 

bioaccumulate in organisms. There is variability in 

the persistence of different PFAS in various 

environmental media and biological matrices. 

2The report (Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances 

(PFAS) Report | A Report by the Joint Subcommittee 

on Environment, Innovation, and Public Health) is 

available at https://www.whitehouse.gov/wpcontent/uploads/2023/03/OSTP-March-2023-PFASReport.pdf. 

3The report (Characterizing PFAS Chemistries, 

Sources, Uses, and Regulatory Trends in U.S. and 

International Markets) is available in the docket and 

at https://www.cpsc.gov/content/CPSC-PFASWhitePaper. 

4The statement (CPSC Staff Statement on: 

Characterizing PFAS Chemistries, Sources, Uses, 

and Regulatory Trends in the U.S. and International 

Markets) is available in the docket and at https:// 

www.cpsc.gov/content/PFAS-Market-Use-CoverMemo. 

5The file names and descriptions of appendices 

and databases contained in supporting files are 

described in CPSC Staff’s Statement. Appendices 

and supporting files are available in the docket and 

at https://www.cpsc.gov/Research--Statistics/ 

Chemicals. 

courier, or you may email them to: cpscos@cpsc.gov. 

Docket: For access to the docket to 

read background documents or 

comments received, go to 

www.regulations.gov, and insert the 

docket number, CPSC–2023–0033, into 

the ‘‘Search’’ box, and follow the 

prompts. The report (Characterizing 

PFAS Chemistries, Sources, Uses, and 

Regulatory Trends in U.S. and 

International Markets) is available in the 

docket, under ‘‘Supporting and Related 

Material’’ on the Commission’s website 

at https://www.cpsc.gov/content/CPSCPFAS-WhitePaper, and from the CPSC’s 

Office of the Secretary. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Charles Bevington, Directorate for 

Health Sciences, U.S. Consumer Product 

Safety Commission, 5 Research Place, 

Rockville, MD 20850; telephone: (301) 

987–2009; email: cbevington@cpsc.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background 

PFAS are manufactured chemicals 

that contain multiple fluorine atoms 

attached to carbon chains. There is no 

single, universally accepted definition 

of PFAS or authoritative list of 

substances, although some researchers 

and organizations have published 

preferred definitions or have generated 

such lists. The U.S. Environmental 

Protection Agency (EPA) and other data 

sources indicate that there are 

thousands of different PFAS that could 

be registered on U.S. or global chemical 

inventories and are potentially in 

commerce, hundreds of PFAS with 

reported use information from the U.S. 

or international sources, and several 

dozen PFAS that are more commonly 

measured in consumer products, the 

environment, or in people. PFAS have 

a variety of applications, including in 

non-stick cookware; water-repellent and 

stain resistant clothing, carpets and 

other fabrics; some cosmetics; some 

firefighting foams; and common home 

products such as cleaning supplies, 

waxes, coatings, adhesives, paints, and 

sealants. This Request for Information 

concerns ‘‘consumer products’’ which 

includes products used in or around the 

home or school that are subject to CPSC 

jurisdiction under the Consumer 

Product Safety Act (CPSA), 15 U.S.C. 

2051 et seq., Federal Hazardous 

Substances Act, 15 U.S.C. 1261 et seq., 

and other statutes administered by 

CPSC. Cosmetics, drugs, and pesticides 

generally are not within CPSC’s 

jurisdiction under the CPSA. 

PFAS can move through the 

environment, and they break down very 

slowly. They are commonly referred to 

as ‘‘forever chemicals.’’ 1 Consumer 

products containing PFAS contribute to 

aggregate exposures through mediated 

(e.g., ingestion of indoor dust and 

inhalation of indoor air) and contact 

(e.g., mouthing of products and direct 

dermal transfer) exposure pathways. 

Consumer products containing PFAS 

also contribute to aggregate exposures 

through releases to the environment 

from manufacturing and processing of 

PFAS and formulation and disposal of 

consumer products containing PFAS 

(e.g., ingestion of drinking water). 

Currently in the United States, local 

jurisdictions, states, and other federal 

agencies, including the EPA, U.S. Food 

and Drug Administration (FDA), and 

U.S. Department of Agriculture are 

studying PFAS occurrences, human 

exposures, and health effects that are 

largely associated with environmental 

exposures (e.g., contaminated drinking 

water, food chain). In March 2023, the 

White House Office of Science and 

Technology Policy (OSTP) released a 

PFAS Report informed by a Request for 

Information and developed in 

collaboration with many federal 

agencies.2 That report provides a 

comprehensive and recent summary of 

known data and research gaps in four 

areas: removal, destruction, or 

degradation of PFAS, safer alternatives, 

source and pathways of exposure, and 

toxicity. This request for information by 

CPSC is solely focused on potential use 

or presence of PFAS in consumer 

products, potential human exposures 

associated with consumer product use, 

and potential adverse human health 

effects associated with consumer 

product use. 

CPSC contracted with RTI 

International (Contract No. GS–00F– 

354CA, Order No. 61320622F0078) to 

complete an overview of PFAS with a 

focus on PFAS that are potentially used 

or present in consumer products. The 

main objectives of the contract were to 

(1) broadly characterize PFAS and 

identify the uses and applications of 

PFAS in consumer products, identify 

significant individual PFAS with known 

or potential consumer product 

applications, and identify trends 

associated with production and use of 

PFAS in consumer products; (2) identify 

international, federal, state, and local 

regulations or restrictions for individual 

or grouped PFAS; and (3) summarize 

recent hazard (toxicity), exposure, or 

risk assessments that have been 

completed by authoritative bodies. 

The completed RTI report,3 CPSC 

staff’s statement on the report,4 and the 

accompanying appendices and database 

files 5 provide this information, describe 

some data gaps, limitations, and 

uncertainties, and identify possible next 

steps. 

The completed contractor report and 

associated materials are available at: 

https://www.regulations.gov under 

docket number CPSC–2023–0033, on 

the Commission’s website at https:// 

www.cpsc.gov/Research--Statistics/ 

Chemicals under the heading ‘‘Per- and 

Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS’’), 

and from the CPSC’s Office of the 

Secretary at the location listed in the 

ADDRESSES section of this notice. 

This request for information (RFI) 

seeks input from the public on PFAS 

and potential uses or presence of PFAS 

in consumer products, potential human 

exposures associated with consumer 

product use, and potential adverse 

human health effects associated with 

consumer product use. This RFI does 

not constitute or propose regulatory 

action, but rather is intended to inform 

the Commission and the public. 

II. Information Requested 

CPSC is requesting information from 

all stakeholders such as consumers, 

manufacturers and importers, 

government agencies, non-governmental 

organizations, and researchers. Please 

provide information focused on 

consumer products and with 

consideration for the information 

already available to CPSC in the 

contract report and associated 

supporting files. The contractor report is 

not a risk assessment and did not 

identify all potential data sources that 

could be used for risk assessment. 

CPSC is particularly requesting 

information on PFAS and potential use 

or presence of PFAS in consumer 

products, potential human exposures to 


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64892 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 181 / Wednesday, September 20, 2023 / Notices 

PFAS associated with consumer product 

use including information about 

potentially highly exposed population 

groups, and potential adverse human 

health effects informed by toxicological 

data sources. The Commission seeks 

comment on all significant aspects of 

this issue, including but not limited to 

the following questions. 

Use or Potential Use of PFAS in 

Consumer Products 

1. Please provide information about 

the definition of PFAS, including which 

chemical substances should be 

considered a perfluoroalkyl or 

polyfluoroalkyl substance, which 

chemical substances should be excluded 

from consideration as a PFAS, and 

which PFAS are considered in 

commerce. 

2. Please identify specific PFAS 

potentially used or present in consumer 

products that are not already included 

in the contract report and related 

supporting files. For each PFAS 

chemical identified, specify relevant 

consumer product(s) and/or use 

categories. 

3. Please provide information about 

which specific PFAS the CPSC should 

prioritize in assessments of potential 

uses or presence of PFAS in consumer 

products. 

4. Please provide information about 

which specific consumer products CPSC 

should prioritize in assessments of 

potential uses or presence of PFAS. 

5. Please provide information about 

consumer products or materials used in 

consumer products that may be sources 

of PFAS. 

5a. For intentional uses of PFAS, 

please provide information on: 

Chemical identity and physical form 

(solid, liquid, gas, semi-solid); 

Functional purpose of the PFAS; and 

measurements or estimates of levels/ 

concentration of PFAS used in 

consumer products. 

5b. Where PFAS may be present in 

consumer products other than for 

intentional, functional uses (such as 

manufacturing or environmental 

contaminants), please provide 

information on sources of contaminants; 

chemical identity and physical form; 

degradation of substances or materials 

in consumer products to PFAS; and 

measurements or estimates of levels/ 

concentration of PFAS in consumer 

products other than from intentional 

uses. 

Potential Human Exposures to PFAS 

Associated With Consumer Products 

Use, Including Information About 

Potentially Highly Exposed Population 

Groups 

6. Please provide information related 

to the emission of PFAS from consumer 

products into the indoor environment. 

For example, studies or data that 

estimate emission rates or mass transfer 

parameters of PFAS chemicals from 

consumer products or materials. 

7. Please provide information related 

to the migration of PFAS from consumer 

products into saliva, gastrointestinal 

fluid, or skin. For example, studies or 

data that estimate migration rates into 

biological fluids or surfaces based on 

sustained contact time. 

8. Please provide information about 

the potential for exposure and risk from 

presence of PFAS in consumer products 

(including contact exposures from direct 

use of consumer products and mediated 

exposures such as through emission of 

PFAS from products to surfaces, indoor 

dust, or indoor air). Please provide: 

8a. Data related to specific exposure 

pathways from consumer product 

sources and associated data or estimates 

of occurrence of PFAS in environmental 

media; 

8b. Data on measurements or 

estimates of PFAS intake, uptake, 

clearance, half-life, or occurrence in 

people (biomonitoring); and 

8c. Data on the relative source 

contribution of consumer product(s) or 

ingestion of indoor dust, or inhalation of 

indoor air compared with other relevant 

sources such as ingestion of drinking 

water or ingestion of food associated 

with estimates of aggregate exposures. 

9. Please provide information about 

population groups that may use certain 

consumer products for a greater than 

average magnitude, frequency, or 

duration based on habits, practices, and 

characteristics specific to that 

population group. 

Potential Adverse Human Health Effects 

Informed by Toxicological Data 

10. Please provide reports and 

underlying data for data sources that 

could inform whether individual PFAS 

or subclasses or categories of PFAS have 

potential for adverse human health 

effects. This includes human or animal 

studies that report the relationship 

between known exposures and observed 

effects. This also includes new approach 

methodology studies such as in-vitro 

assays or in-silico predictions that 

report the relationship between known 

exposures and observed biological 

activities related to health effects. 

11. Please provide information on 

additional sources of data and other 

information that CPSC should consider 

that are not already included or 

mentioned in the contract report and 

associated data files. 

If you wish to submit confidential 

information in response to this RFI, 

please follow the instructions in the 

ADDRESSES section above. 

Alberta E. Mills, 

Secretary, Consumer Product Safety 

Commission. 

[FR Doc. 2023–20332 Filed 9–19–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6355–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 

Department of the Army, U.S. Army 

Corps of Engineers 

Notice of Funding Availability for 

Applications for Credit Assistance 

Under the Corps Water Infrastructure 

Financing Program 

AGENCY: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 

Department of Defense (DoD). 

ACTION: Notice of funding availability. 

SUMMARY: The Corps Water 

Infrastructure Financing Program 

(CWIFP) is the U.S. Army Corps of 

Engineers’ (Corps) new credit assistance 

program for non-federal dam safety 

projects. Through the Consolidated 

Appropriations Act of 2021, the 

Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, 

and the Consolidated Appropriations 

Act of 2022, CWIFP has been provided 

$81 million in budget authority. The 

purpose of this Notice of Funding 

Availability (NOFA) is to solicit 

preliminary applications from 

prospective borrowers seeking credit 

assistance from the Corps under CWIFP. 

The Corps will evaluate and select 

projects using selection criteria as 

further described in this NOFA. 

DATES: The preliminary application 

submittal period begins today and ends 

at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on 

December 19, 2023. 

ADDRESSES: Prospective borrowers 

should submit all preliminary 

applications (OMB Control Number 

0710–0026) electronically via the Corps 

online application portal, located at: 

https://CWIFPapp.usace.army.mil. After 

registering within the application portal, 

prospective borrowers will be able to 

securely provide all required 

information for the preliminary 

application. If a prospective borrower 

has any questions or needs assistance, 

they should contact CWIFP@

usace.army.mil. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Nathan Campbell at 651–219–2963 or by 


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