4252 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 18 /Wednesday, January 28, 1998 / Notices

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

AGENCY

[FRL–5955–6]

Public Stakeholders Meeting on the

Process for Implementing the

Guidelines for Carcinogen Risk

Assessment

AGENCY: Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

SUMMARY: This document announces a

stakeholders meeting sponsored by the

Environmental Protection Agency’s

(EPA’s) Science Policy Council. EPA is

presenting a process for reassessing

cancer assessments as part of EPA’s

initiative for implementing the

Guidelines for Carcinogen Risk

Assessment. The Guidelines were

proposed in 1996. EPA also proposed an

implementation process for reassessing

cancer assessments in 1996 and is

revising the process based on public

comments. EPA is now seeking

additional public comment and input

on its current implementation process.

The implementation process will be

finalized at the same time as the

Guidelines for Carcinogen Risk

Assessment. The agenda will include

opportunities for short stakeholder

presentations, as well as structured,

informal discussion based on the issues.

DATES: The meeting will begin on

Tuesday, February 24, 1998, at 8:30 a.m.

and end on Wednesday, February 25,

1998, at approximately 12 noon.

Members of the public are invited to

attend.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at

the Sheraton Crystal City Hotel at 18th

and Eads Streets in Arlington, VA.

Resolve, Inc., an EPA contractor, has

sub-contracted to The Mediation

Institute, the logistical support and

facilitation for the meeting. EPA urges

participants to pre-register with Alana

Knaster or Janet Pittman, The Mediation

Institute, 4508 Park Cordero, Calabasas,

CA 91302, Tel: 818/591–9526, FAX:

818/591–0980 as soon as possible.

Space is limited. Registrants will receive

an information packet containing the

draft meeting agenda, and a discussion

document outlining EPA’s position on

several major issues, along with other

meeting information.

PRESENTATIONS: Members of the public

who are interested in making a short

presentation on a particular issue at the

stakeholder meeting are requested to

sign up for one of the topic areas at the

time of their registration. EPA would

appreciate receiving a short summary of

the presentation, which should be no

more than one page. Presentations are

limited to 5 minutes. Because EPA is

seeking a variety of opinions, the

facilitator will ensure that there is a

balance of viewpoints.

SUBMITTING COMMENTS: To ensure that

stakeholders who are unable to attend

the meeting may present their views,

EPA will also accept short written

comments on the implementation

process until March 27, 1998.

Comments should be submitted to:

Alana Knaster, same address and phone

numbers as above.

Please note that all comments

responding to this notice will be placed

in a public administrative record. For

that reason, commentors should not

submit personal information such as

medical data or home addresses,

confidential business information or

information protected by copyright. Due

to limited time and resources,

acknowledgments will not be sent.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For

technical inquiries, as well as questions

about the meeting, please contact Alana

Knaster, same address and phone

numbers as above. The main discussion

document containing the

implementation process can be obtained

from the EPA World Wide Web site at

http://www.epa.gov/ncea/riskassf.htm.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA is

presenting a process for implementing

the Guidelines for Carcinogen Risk

Assessment for reassessing cancer

assessments. The Guidelines were

developed under the auspices of the

EPA’s Risk Assessment Forum (RAF)

and proposed in 1996 (61 FR 17960).

EPA also proposed an implementation

process for reassessing cancer

assessments in 1996 (61 FR 32799) and

is revising the process based on public

comments. The implementation process

will be finalized at the same time as the

Guidelines for Carcinogen Risk

Assessment.

It is expected that once the Guidelines

become final, existing cancer

assessments will need reassessment

based upon the revised Guidelines. The

implementation process will help the

EPA and the public select and prioritize

the chemicals that would need a

reassessment. It will also allow a

selection of new assessments to be

incorporated in the schedule for the

reassessments.

The four main issues for which EPA

specifically seeks public opinion

include: (1) The implementation

process, including opportunities for

public input, (2) the criteria for

selection of chemicals for reassessment,

(3) whether small changes can be made

in toxicity assessments without

completely reassessing all toxicity

information, and (4) the form of external

review for identification and

prioritization of chemicals.

Following this meeting, EPA will use

the comments to finalize the

implementation process for cancer

reassessments once the Guidelines for

Carcinogen Risk Assessment are final.

Dated: January 22, 1998.

Dorothy E. Patton,

Director, Office of Science Policy.

[FR Doc. 98–2083 Filed 1–27–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560–50–P

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

AGENCY

[PF–787; FRL–5763–6]

Notice of Filing of Pesticide Petitions

AGENCY: Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: This notice announces the

initial filing of pesticide petitions

proposing the establishment of

regulations for residues of certain

pesticide chemicals in or on various

food commodities.

DATES: Comments, identified by the

docket control number PF–787, must be

received on or before February 27, 1998.

ADDRESSES: By mail submit written

comments to: Public Information and

Records Integrity Branch, Information

Resources and Services Division

(7502C), Office of Pesticides Programs,

Environmental Protection Agency, 401

M St., SW., Washington, DC 20460. In

person bring comments to: Rm. 1132,

CM #2, 1921 Jefferson Davis Highway,

Arlington, VA.

Comments and data may also be

submitted electronically to: oppdocket@epamail.epa.gov. Follow the

instructions under ‘‘SUPPLEMENTARY

INFORMATION.’’ No confidential

business information should be

submitted through e-mail.

Information submitted as a comment

concerning this document may be

claimed confidential by marking any

part or all of that information as

‘‘Confidential Business Information’’

(CBI). CBI should not be submitted

through e-mail. Information marked as

CBI will not be disclosed except in

accordance with procedures set forth in

40 CFR part 2. A copy of the comment

that does not contain CBI must be

submitted for inclusion in the public

record. Information not marked

confidential may be disclosed publicly

by EPA without prior notice. All written

comments will be available for public