Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 219 / Wednesday, November 15, 2023 / Notices 78355 

white-house-environmental-justiceadvisory-council. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Charter of the WHEJAC (available at 

https://www.epa.gov/system/files/ 

documents/2023-03/2023%20

White%20House%20

Environmental%20

Justice%20Advisory%20

Council%20Charter.pdf) states that the 

advisory committee will provide 

independent advice and 

recommendations to the Chair of CEQ 

and to the IAC. The WHEJAC provides 

advice and recommendations about how 

to increase the Federal Government’s 

efforts to address current and historic 

environmental injustice, which may 

include addressing broad cross-cutting 

issues related, but not limited, to issues 

of environmental justice and pollution 

reduction, energy, climate change 

mitigation and resiliency, 

environmental health, and racial 

inequity. The WHEJAC’s efforts include 

a broad range of strategic, scientific, 

technological, regulatory, community 

engagement, and economic issues 

related to environmental justice. 

I. Registration 

Individual registration is required for 

the public meeting. Information on how 

to register is located at https://

www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/ 

white-house-environmental-justiceadvisory-council. Registration for the 

meeting is available until the scheduled 

end time of the meeting. Registration to 

speak during the public comment 

period will close at 11:59 p.m., ET, on 

Wednesday, November 29, 2023. When 

registering, please provide your name, 

organization, city and state, and email 

address for follow up. Please also 

indicate whether you would like to 

provide public comment during the 

meeting, or if you are submitting written 

comments. 

A. Public Comment 

The WHEJAC is interested in 

receiving public comments relevant to 

the following charges, topics, and 

questions currently under 

consideration: (1) the Climate and 

Economic Justice Screening Tool; (2) the 

Environmental Justice Scorecard; (3) 

carbon management; (4) ways that the 

WHEJAC could recommend advancing 

environmental justice through a wholeof-government approach; and (5) 

environmental justice issues affecting 

Indigenous Peoples and Tribal Nations. 

With respect to environmental justice 

issues affecting Indigenous Peoples and 

Tribal Nations, the WHEJAC Indigenous 

Peoples and Tribal Nations Workgroup 

is particularly interested in receiving 

comments on: Examples of 

environmental hazards of particular 

concern for Indigenous Peoples and 

Tribal Nations (for example, 

environmental hazards related to 

Federal activities that may affect sacred 

sites and areas of cultural significance, 

cultural or other traditions or practices, 

subsistence, and ways of life); ways in 

which the Federal government can 

address community impacts on, and 

concerns of, Indigenous Peoples and 

Tribal Nations; and ways in which the 

incorporation of Indigenous knowledge 

into Federal decision-making could help 

address environmental hazards and 

environmental justice concerns. More 

information on WHEJAC Workgroup 

charges is located online at: https://

www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/ 

white-house-environmental-justiceadvisory-council, under WHEJAC 

Membership and Workgroups. 

Priority to speak during the meeting 

will be given to public commenters with 

comments relevant to the topics and 

questions listed above. Every effort will 

be made to hear from as many registered 

public commenters during the time 

specified on the agenda. Individuals or 

groups making remarks during the 

public comment period will be limited 

to three (3) minutes. Please be prepared 

to briefly describe your issue and your 

recommendation relevant to the current 

charges, topics, and questions under 

consideration by the WHEJAC. 

Submitting written comments for the 

record is strongly encouraged. You can 

submit your written comments in three 

different ways: (1) by creating comments 

in the Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–OEJECR– 

2023–0099 at http://

www.regulations.gov, (2) by using the 

webform at https://www.epa.gov/ 

environmentaljustice/forms/whitehouse-environmental-justice-advisorycouncil-whejac-public-comment, and (3) 

by sending comments via email to 

whejac@epa.gov. Written comments can 

be submitted through Wednesday, 

December 20, 2023. 

B. Information About Services for 

Individuals With Disabilities or 

Requiring English Language Translation 

Assistance 

To request special accommodations 

for a disability or other assistance, 

please submit your request at least five 

(5) working days prior to the meeting to 

give EPA sufficient time to process your 

request. All requests should be sent to 

the email listed in the FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT section. 

Matthew Tejada, 

Deputy Assistant Administrator for 

Environmental Justice, Office of 

Environmental Justice and External Civil 

Rights. 

[FR Doc. 2023–25232 Filed 11–14–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6560–50–P 

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION 

AGENCY 

[EPA–HQ–OPPT–2023–0456; FRL–11424– 

01–OCSPP] 

Proposed Revisions to the National 

Lead Laboratory Accreditation 

Program (NLLAP); Notice of 

Availability and Request for Comment 

AGENCY: Environmental Protection 

Agency (EPA). 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection 

Agency (EPA) is announcing the 

availability of and soliciting comment 

on proposed revisions to EPA’s 

document titled ‘‘Laboratory Quality 

System Requirements (LQSR) Revision 

3.0’’ dated November 5, 2007, under the 

National Lead Laboratory Accreditation 

Program (NLLAP). Proposed revisions 

reflected in the draft document titled, 

‘‘Laboratory Quality Standards for 

Recognition’’ (LQSR 4.0),’’ are intended 

to update and streamline the guidance 

by referencing existing laboratory 

standards already in practice by NLLAP 

participating laboratories and directly 

related to laboratory lead analysis, and 

to update the test and sampling method 

standards to better complement EPA’s 

lead-based paint program activities. 

DATES: Comments must be received on 

or before December 15, 2023. 

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, 

identified by docket identification (ID) 

number EPA–HQ–OPPT–2023–0456, 

through the Federal eRulemaking Portal 

at https://www.regulations.gov. Follow 

the online instructions for submitting 

comments. Do not submit electronically 

any information you consider to be 

Confidential Business Information (CBI) 

or other information whose disclosure is 

restricted by statute. Additional 

instructions on commenting and visiting 

the docket, along with more information 

about dockets generally, is available at 

https://www.epa.gov/dockets. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

For technical information contact: 

Scott Drewes, Existing Chemicals Risk 

Management Division, Office of 

Pollution Prevention and Toxics, 

Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
78356 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 219 / Wednesday, November 15, 2023 / Notices 

Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 

20460–0001; telephone number: (202) 

564–8833; email address: drewes.scott@

epa.gov. 

For general information contact: The 

TSCA-Hotline, ABVI-Goodwill, 422 

South Clinton Ave., Rochester, NY 

14620; telephone number: (202) 554– 

1404; email address: TSCA-Hotline@

epa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. General Information 

A. Does this action apply to me? 

You may be potentially affected by 

this action if you perform or may 

perform testing under the Agency’s 

regulations regarding lead or otherwise 

interact with such testing programs. 

Specifically, entities potentially affected 

by these revisions are Fixed-Site, 

Mobile, and Field Sampling and 

Measurement Organizations (FSMOs) 

that perform lead testing. Analytical 

testing laboratories currently recognized 

by the NLLAP, and accreditation 

organizations that currently administer 

the NLLAP or other organizations that 

might seek a Memorandum of 

Understanding (MOU) with the Agency 

to become an accreditation organization 

could be affected by today’s revisions. 

In addition, certified inspectors, 

certified risk assessors, developers, 

manufacturers, distributors of 

equipment and supplies used by FSMOs 

testing lead might also be affected by 

these revisions; and EPA-authorized 

state and tribal lead-based paint training 

and certification programs may also be 

affected by these revisions. 

Other entities potentially affected by 

changes to the NLLAP for lead testing 

are the owners and managers of target 

housing and child-occupied facilities, as 

well as realtors, lessees, and residents, 

who ultimately pay for the testing 

services and stand to benefit by 

obtaining lead test results quicker. 

Since other entities may also be 

interested, the Agency has not 

attempted to describe all of the specific 

entities that may be affected by this 

notice. If you have any questions 

regarding the applicability of this notice 

to a particular entity, consult the 

technical person listed under FOR

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. 

B. Reasonable Availability to the Public 

You may access the International 

Organization for Standardization and 

International Electrochemical 

Commission (ISO/IEC) Standard 17025: 

2017 (E) ‘‘General requirements for the 

competence of testing and calibration 

laboratories.’’ through the ANSI IBR 

reading room at https://ibr/ansi.org as 

well as the American Society for Testing 

and Materials (ASTM) standard E1583– 

17 ‘‘Standard Practice for Evaluating 

Laboratories Engaged in Determination 

of Lead in Paint, Dust, Airborne 

Particulates, and Soil Taken from and 

Around Buildings and Related 

Structures’’ at https://astmy.sharepoint.com/:w:/g/personal/ 

mpezzella_astm_org/EVDPKoF

ENotKmA_Cx20yyZoB8A2L-Uh8ou1nfIE

GZoHfgA?rtime=sxRRGVaB20g. These 

standards were incorporated into the 

LQSR 4.0 and referenced in this 

document. 

C. What should I consider as I prepare 

my comments for EPA? 

1. Submitting CBI 

Do not submit CBI to EPA through 

https://www.regulations.gov or email. If 

you wish to include CBI in your 

comment, please follow the applicable 

instructions at https://www.epa.gov/ 

dockets/commenting-epa-dockets#rules 

and clearly mark the part or all of the 

information that you claim to be CBI. In 

addition to one complete version of the 

comment that includes information 

claimed as CBI, a copy of the comment 

that does not contain the information 

claimed as CBI must be submitted for 

inclusion in the public docket. 

Information so marked will not be 

disclosed except in accordance with 

procedures set forth in 40 CFR part 2. 

2. Tips for Preparing Your Comments 

When preparing and submitting your 

comments, see the commenting tips at 

https://www.epa.gov/dockets/ 

comments.html. 

II. Background 

EPA is identified by Congress as the 

federal agency responsible for 

establishing an accreditation program 

for laboratories participating in the 

analysis of lead in paint, soil and dust 

samples as a part of a national 

residential lead-based paint abatement 

and control program. In response to this 

federal mandate, the Office of Pollution 

Prevention and Toxics (OPPT) 

established the NLLAP which 

recognizes laboratories which have 

demonstrated the ability to accurately 

analyze for lead in paint, dust and soil 

samples. EPA also publishes the LQSR 

which sets the minimum lab standards 

under Toxic Substances Control Act 

(TSCA) section 405(b) for laboratory 

analysis of lead in paint films, soil and 

dust. 

There are two basic components to 

the NLLAP. The first component is a 

laboratory proficiency testing program 

(the Environmental Laboratory 

Proficiency Analytical Testing (ELPAT) 

Program) administered by the American 

Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) 

in conjunction with EPA’s NLLAP. 

AIHA sends out ELPAT proficiency 

testing samples on a quarterly basis 

(four test rounds per year). AIHA 

assimilates the test results for each test 

round and evaluates the laboratories 

performance on a statistical basis. The 

second component of the NLLAP is a 

systems audit to be conducted by a 

laboratory accrediting organization 

recognized by EPA. EPA currently 

recognizes the organizations as 

accrediting organizations through a 

memorandum of agreement (https://

www.epa.gov/lead/national-leadlaboratory-accreditation-programnllap). Once a laboratory successfully 

meets the requirements of the ELPAT 

Program and passes an NLLAP system 

audit, the laboratory is recognized by 

EPA under the NLLAP. 

In 1993, EPA issued its first version 

of the LQSR, which outlined minimum 

requirements for NLLAP recognized 

laboratories. An organization requesting 

NLLAP recognition shall be a laboratory 

capable of performing sampling and/or 

lead testing. A laboratory shall have 

distinct staffing, instrumentation, 

sampling and test methods, as 

appropriate, and depending upon the 

type, a laboratory may have multiple 

physical facilities and may use field test 

kits. Currently, an organization must 

meet the requirements listed in the third 

version of the LSQR, also referred to as 

LQSR 3.0, to attain recognition under 

the NLLAP as a lead-testing laboratory. 

The last revision of the LQSR was 

published in 2007 and EPA is now 

proposing to revise and rename it to 

‘‘Laboratory Quality Standards for 

Recognition’’ (LQSR 4.0). 

III. Proposed Revisions 

The National Technology Transfer 

and Advancement Act (NTTAA) 

requires federal agencies to use 

technical standards already developed 

or adopted by voluntary consensus 

standards bodies if compliance would 

not be inconsistent with applicable law 

or otherwise impracticable. The current 

LQSR guidance (LQSR 3.0), refers to a 

now outdated 2005 version of a 

laboratory quality standard, ISO/IEC 

Standard 17025: 2005 (E) ‘‘General 

requirements for the competence of 

testing and calibration laboratories’’. In 

addition, there are other laboratory 

standards in LQSR 3.0 that are already 

in practice by NLLAP participating 

laboratories and directly related to 

laboratory lead analysis, making parts of 

the elements in LQSR 3.0 duplicative. 

Therefore, EPA is proposing to 


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Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 219 / Wednesday, November 15, 2023 / Notices 78357 

streamline the LQSR by conforming and 

referencing the updated ISO 17025: 

2017 (E) and ASTM E1583–17. OPPT 

has reviewed the updated laboratory 

standards and identified any gaps or 

areas where additional clarification or 

criteria are needed between ISO 17025: 

2017 and ASTM E1583–17 and the 

proposed LQSR 4.0. These additional 

clarifications or criteria are included 

throughout the proposed draft. 

EPA is also proposing updates in 

LQSR 4.0 which are needed to support 

EPA’s implementation of EPA’s leadbased paint program, specifically the 

activities under 40 CFR part 745 which 

are being reconsidered in a separate 

action titled, ‘‘Reconsideration of the 

Dust-Lead Hazard Standards and DustLead Post-Abatement Clearance Levels’’ 

(88 FR 50444, August 1, 2023) (FRL– 

8524–01–OCSPP). For example, EPA is 

proposing in this action to clarify that 

the laboratory must demonstrate that the 

test and/or sampling methods used can 

achieve a quantitation limit equal to or 

less than 50% of the lowest action level 

for dust wipe samples for the relevant 

surface area (e.g., windowsills, floors). 

EPA is requesting comment on the 

impact of the proposed revision as it 

relates to laboratory capabilities to meet 

the proposed lower regulatory limits. 

Learn more about EPA’s efforts to lower 

the dust-lead hazard standards and postabatement dust-lead clearance levels 

under TSCA sections 402 and 403: 

https://www.epa.gov/lead/hazardstandards-and-clearance-levels-leadpaint-dust-and-soil-tsca-sections-402- 

and-403. 

Authority: 15 U.S.C. 2601 et seq. 

Dated: November 8, 2023. 

Denise Keehner, 

Director, Office of Pollution Prevention and 

Toxics. 

[FR Doc. 2023–25141 Filed 11–14–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6560–50–P 

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION 

AGENCY 

[EPA–HQ–OPP–2023–0562; FRL–11546–01– 

OCSPP] 

Pesticides; White Paper Describing 

Benefits of Structured and Digital 

Content Labels for Pesticide Products; 

Notice of Availability and Request for 

Comment 

AGENCY: Environmental Protection 

Agency (EPA). 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection 

Agency (EPA) is announcing the 

availability of and soliciting public 

comment on a white paper describing 

the benefits of the creation, submission, 

review, approval, and distribution of 

structured content and digital pesticide 

labels. Structured labels are information 

or content that is organized in a 

predictable way, and digital content is 

those categorized fields with metadata. 

The current process for submitting, 

reviewing, and approving labels is timeconsuming for both registrants and 

regulators. The increasing complexity of 

pesticide labels, inconsistent label 

language across products, and 

inconsistent placement of information 

on the labels often creates significant 

challenges for pesticide users and the 

public seeking information about how to 

use the products. Structured content 

and digital labels could streamline and 

standardize the submission, review, and 

access to label content, providing 

benefits across the spectrum of 

stakeholders. In addition to developing 

a framework for structured content and 

digital labels, EPA intends to identify 

the key information needed for the 

structured digital label. 

DATES: Submit your comments on or 

before March 14, 2024. 

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, 

identified by docket identification (ID) 

number EPA–HQ–OPP–2023–0562, 

through https://www.regulations.gov. 

Follow the online instructions for 

submitting comments. Do not submit 

electronically any information you 

consider to be Confidential Business 

Information (CBI) or other information 

whose disclosure is restricted by statute. 

Additional instructions on commenting 

and visiting the docket, along with more 

information about dockets generally, is 

available at https://www.epa.gov/ 

dockets. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Christian Bongard, Information 

Technology and Resources Management 

Division (7602M), Office of Program 

Support, Environmental Protection 

Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, 

Washington, DC 20460–0001; telephone 

number: (706) 566–2238; email address: 

bongard.christian@epa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Executive Summary 

A. Does this action apply to me? 

You may be potentially affected by 

this action if you are a producer, 

registrant, or user of pesticide products. 

The following list of North American 

Industrial Classification System 

(NAICS) codes is not intended to be 

exhaustive, but rather provides a guide 

to help readers determine whether this 

document applies to them. Potentially 

affected entities may include: 

• Chemical Producers (NAICS 32532), 

e.g., pesticide manufacturers or 

formulators of pesticide products, 

pesticide importers or any person or 

company who seeks to register a 

pesticide. 

• Agricultural Establishments (Crop 

Production) (NAICS code 111). 

• Nursery and Tree Production 

(NAICS code 111421). 

• Agricultural Pest Control and 

Pesticide Handling on Farms (NAICS 

code 115112). 

• Crop Advisors (NAICS codes 

115112, 541690, 541712). 

• Agricultural (Animal) Pest Control 

(Livestock Spraying) (NAICS code 

115210). 

• Forestry Pest Control (NAICS code 

115310). 

• Wood Preservation Pest Control 

(NAICS code 321114). 

• Pesticide Registrants (NAICS code 

325320). 

• Pesticide Dealers (NAICS codes 

424690, 424910, 444220). 

• Research & Demonstration Pest 

Control, Crop Advisor (NAICS code 

541710). 

• Industrial, Institutional, Structural 

& Health Related Pest Control (NAICS 

code 561710). 

• Ornamental & Turf, Rights-of-Way 

Pest Control (NAICS code 561730). 

• Environmental Protection Program 

Administrators (NAICS code 924110). 

• Governmental Pest Control 

Programs (NAICS code 926140), 

Since other entities may also be 

interested, the Agency has not 

attempted to describe all the specific 

entities that may be interested in this 

action. If you have any questions 

regarding the applicability of this action 

to a particular entity, consult the person 

listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

CONTACT. 

B. What is the Agency’s authority for 

taking this action? 

This action is being taken under the 

authority of the Federal Insecticide, 

Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) 

(7 U.S.C. 136 et seq.). 

C. What action is the Agency taking? 

EPA is announcing the availability of 

and soliciting public comment on the 

document entitled ‘‘White Paper: 

Benefits of the Adoption of Structured 

Content and Digital Pesticide Labels’’ 

(also referred to as the White Paper), a 

copy of which is available in the docket. 

The White Paper describes a framework 

for the creation, submission, review, 

approval, and distribution of structured 

content and digital pesticide labels. 


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