45268 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 187 / Thursday, September 28, 2017 / Notices 

1The Commission voted 3–2 to publish this 

Guidance Document in the Federal Register. 

Commissioner Robert S. Adler, Commissioner 

Marietta S. Robinson, and Commissioner Elliot F. 

Kaye voted to approve publication of the Guidance 

Document. Acting Chairman Ann Marie Buerkle 

and Commissioner Joseph P. Mohorovic voted 

against publication of the Guidance Document. 

2For purposes of this guidance, OFRs refers to 

additive, non-polymeric chemicals only; it does not 

include reactive or polymeric OFRs. 

3This guidance is not a binding or enforceable 

rule and would not change any person’s rights, 

duties, or obligations under the Federal Hazardous 

Substances Act or any other Act administered by 

the Commission. 

Bicycle Helmets (OMB No. 3041–0127). 

In the Federal Register of July 21, 2017 

(82 FR 33875), the CPSC published a 

notice announcing the agency’s intent to 

seek an extension of approval of this 

collection of information. CPSC 

received no comments in response to 

that notice. Therefore, by publication of 

this notice, the Commission announces 

that CPSC has submitted to the OMB a 

request for extension of approval of that 

collection of information without 

change. 

DATES: Written comments on this 

request for extension of approval of 

information collection requirements 

should be submitted by October 30, 

2017. 

ADDRESSES: Submit comments about 

this request by email: OIRA_

submission@omb.eop.gov or fax: 202– 

395–6881. Comments by mail should be 

sent to the Office of Information and 

Regulatory Affairs, Attn: OMB Desk 

Officer for the CPSC, Office of 

Management and Budget, Room 10235, 

725 17th Street NW., Washington, DC 

20503. In addition, written comments 

that are sent to OMB also should be 

submitted electronically at http://

www.regulations.gov, under Docket No. 

CPSC–2010–0056. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Charu S. Krishnan, Consumer Product 

Safety Commission, 4330 East West 

Highway, Bethesda, MD 20814; (301) 

504–7221, or by email to: ckrishnan@

cpsc.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: CPSC has 

submitted the following currently 

approved collection of information to 

OMB for extension: 

Title: Safety Standard for Bicycle 

Helmets. 

OMB Number: 3041–0127. 

Type of Review: Renewal of 

collection. 

Frequency of Response: On occasion. 

Affected Public: Manufacturers and 

importers of bicycle helmets. 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 38 

manufacturers and importers will 

maintain test records of an estimated 

200 models total annually, including 

older models and new models. Testing 

on bicycle helmets must be conducted 

for each new production lot and the test 

records must be maintained for 3 years. 

Estimated Time per Response: 200 

hours/model to test 40 new models 

(including new prototypes) and an 

estimated 100 hours/model to test new 

production lots of 160 older models. 

Additionally, manufacturers and 

importers may require 4 hours annually 

per model for recordkeeping for 

approximately 200 models. 

Total Estimated Annual Burden: 

24,800 hours (24,000 hours for testing 

and 800 hours for recordkeeping). 

General Description of Collection: In 

1998, the Commission issued a safety 

standard for bicycle helmets (16 CFR 

part 1203). The standard includes 

requirements for labeling and 

instructions. The standard also requires 

that manufacturers and importers of 

bicycle helmets subject to the standard 

issue certificates of compliance based 

on a reasonable testing program. Every 

person issuing certificates of 

compliance must maintain certain 

records. Respondents must comply with 

the requirements in 16 CFR part 1203 

for labeling and instructions, testing, 

certification, and recordkeeping. 

Alberta E. Mills, 

Acting Secretary, Consumer Product Safety 

Commission. 

[FR Doc. 2017–20779 Filed 9–27–17; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6355–01–P 

CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY 

COMMISSION 

[CPSC Docket No. CPSC–2015–0022] 

Guidance Document on Hazardous 

Additive, Non-Polymeric 

Organohalogen Flame Retardants in 

Certain Consumer Products 

AGENCY: Consumer Product Safety 

Commission. 

ACTION: Guidance document. 

SUMMARY: The Commission announces 

that it has approved a statement that 

provides guidance for manufacturers, 

importers, distributors, retailers, and 

consumers of certain consumer products 

that may contain harmful organohalogen 

flame retardants in an additive form. To 

protect consumers and children from 

the potential toxic effects of exposure to 

these chemicals, the Commission 

recommends that manufacturers of 

children’s products, upholstered 

furniture sold for use in residences, 

mattresses (and mattress pads), and 

plastic casings surrounding electronics 

refrain from intentionally adding nonpolymeric, organohalogen flame 

retardants (‘‘OFRs’’) to their products. 

Further, the Commission recommends 

that, before purchasing such products 

for resale, importers, distributors, and 

retailers obtain assurances from 

manufacturers that such products do not 

contain OFRs. Finally, the Commission 

recommends that consumers, especially 

those who are pregnant or with young 

children, inquire and obtain assurances 

from retailers that such products do not 

contain OFRs. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

DeWane Ray, Deputy Director, Safety 

Operations, Consumer Product Safety 

Commission, 4330 East West Highway, 

Bethesda, MD 20814; telephone: (301) 

504–7547, or email: JRay@cpsc.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The text of 

the guidance document is as follows: 

Guidance for Hazardous Additive, NonPolymeric Organohalogen Flame 

Retardants in Certain Consumer 

Products 

Summary: The U.S. Consumer 

Product Safety Commission 1 issues this 

guidance to manufacturers, importers, 

distributors, retailers, and consumers to 

protect consumers (particularly 

children) from exposure to additive, 

non-polymeric organohalogen flame 

retardants (‘‘OFRs’’) 2 found in the 

following products: (1) Durable infant or 

toddler products, children’s toys, child 

care articles or other children’s products 

(other than children’s car seats); (2) 

upholstered furniture sold for use in 

residences; (3) mattresses and mattress 

pads; and (4) plastic casings 

surrounding electronics.3 OFRs, also 

referred to as halogenated flame 

retardants, typically are added to foams, 

textiles, and polymers before, during or 

after production in theory to improve 

their resistance to fire. OFRs are not 

chemically bound to the substrate and 

may be released from the product, 

thereby leading to potential human and 

environmental exposures. On June 30, 

2015, a coalition of consumer advocates 

and health professionals petitioned the 

Commission to declare four categories of 

consumer products containing OFRs to 

be ‘‘banned hazardous substances’’ 

under the Federal Hazardous 

Substances Act (‘‘FHSA’’). The 

petitioners claim that due to their 

inherent physical-chemical properties, 

OFRs, among other things, are toxic, 

migrate widely out of products 

regardless of how the products are used, 

bioaccumulate, and present a serious 

public health concern. On September 

20, 2017, the Commission voted to grant 

the petition to initiate rulemaking under 

Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 187 / Thursday, September 28, 2017 / Notices 45269 

the FHSA and directed the staff to 

convene a Chronic Hazard Advisory 

Panel pursuant to the procedures of 

section 28 of the Consumer Product 

Safety Act (15 U.S.C. 2077) to further 

study the effects of these OFRs as a class 

of chemicals on consumers’ health. In 

the meantime, based on the 

overwhelming scientific evidence 

presented to the Commission to date, 

the Commission has serious concerns 

regarding the potential toxicity of OFRs, 

and the risks of exposure, particularly to 

vulnerable populations, to OFRs, from 

the four categories of products listed in 

the petition. Accordingly, the 

Commission requests that 

manufacturers of children’s products, 

furniture, mattresses, and electronics 

casings eliminate the use of such 

chemicals in these products. The 

Commission also recommends that, 

before purchasing such products for 

resale, importers, distributors, and 

retailers obtain assurances from 

manufacturers that such products do not 

contain OFRs. Finally, the Commission 

recommends that consumers, especially 

those who are pregnant or with young 

children, inquire and obtain assurances 

from retailers that such products do not 

contain OFRs. 

Hazard: Scientific evidence to date 

demonstrates that OFRs, when used in 

non-polymeric, additive form, migrate 

from consumer products, leading to 

widespread human exposure to 

mixtures of these chemicals. Exposures 

to OFRs occur because of the semivolatile property of these chemicals that 

results in migration of the chemicals 

and the chemicals’ absorption into 

household dust and other surfaces 

where they persist in the indoor 

environment. At this time, there is no 

known way to direct consumers to use 

affected products in a manner that 

would guarantee reducing exposures to 

the American population to an 

acceptable level. Numerous peerreviewed, published studies show that 

the vast majority of consumers have 

measurable quantities of OFRs in their 

blood. The known adverse health effects 

of these chemicals to consumers 

include: Reproductive impairment (e.g., 

abnormal gonadal development, 

reduced number of ovarian follicles, 

reduced sperm count, increased time to 

pregnancy); neurological impacts (e.g., 

decreased IQ in children, impaired 

memory, learning deficits, altered motor 

behavior, hyperactivity); endocrine 

disruption and interference with thyroid 

hormone action (potentially 

contributing to diabetes and obesity); 

genotoxicity; cancer; and immune 

disorders. These chemicals have a 

disproportionately negative health effect 

on vulnerable populations, including 

children. 

Guidance: Under the FHSA, 15 U.S.C. 

1261(g) and (f)(1)(A), any substance or 

mixture of substances which is toxic, 

i.e., that has the capacity to produce 

illness through ingestion, inhalation, or 

absorption through any bodily surface, 

and may cause substantial injury or 

illness during or as a proximate result 

of customary or reasonably foreseeable 

handing or use is a ‘‘hazardous 

substance.’’ A product intended or 

packaged for household use containing 

a hazardous substance is required to 

have precautionary labeling under the 

FHSA (15 U.S.C. 1261(p)), but if 

labeling is not adequate to protect 

against the potential hazard, the 

Commission may declare the product 

banned. (15 U.S.C. 1261(q)(1)(B)). If an 

article intended for use by children is a 

hazardous substance or bears or 

contains a hazardous substance that is 

susceptible of access by a child to whom 

the article is entrusted, the article is a 

banned hazardous substance. Id. 

1261(q)(1)(A). 

To date, the Commission has not 

banned household products containing 

OFRs or required precautionary labeling 

for such products. However, on 

September 20, 2017, based on the 

overwhelming scientific evidence 

presented to date, the Commission 

voted to grant the petition to initiate 

rulemaking under the FHSA and 

directed the staff to convene a Chronic 

Hazard Advisory Panel pursuant to the 

procedures of section 28 of the 

Consumer Product Safety Act (15 U.S.C. 

2077) to further study the effects of 

OFRs as a class of chemicals on 

consumers’ health. Much of the 

evidence currently before the 

Commission suggests OFRs, as a class of 

chemicals, present a serious public 

health issue. Therefore, the Commission 

has serious concerns regarding the 

potential toxicity of OFRs, and the risks 

of exposure, particularly to vulnerable 

populations, to OFRs, from the four 

categories of products listed in the 

petition. 

For these reasons, the Commission 

considers the use of OFRs in children’s 

products, upholstered furniture sold for 

use in residences, mattresses and 

mattress pads, and plastic casings 

surrounding electronics to be ill-advised 

and encourages manufacturers to 

eliminate using them in such products. 

Further, the Commission recommends 

that, before, purchasing such products 

for resale, importers, distributors, and 

retailers obtain assurances from 

manufacturers that such products do not 

contain OFRs. Finally, the Commission 

recommends that consumers, especially 

those who are pregnant or with young 

children, inquire and obtain assurances 

from retailers that such products do not 

contain OFRs. 

Alberta E. Mills, 

Acting Secretary, U.S. Consumer Product 

Safety Commission. 

[FR Doc. 2017–20733 Filed 9–27–17; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE P 

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 

Department of the Air Force 

Record of Decision for the KC–46 Third 

Main Operating Base (MOB 3) 

Beddown 

AGENCY: Department of the Air Force. 

ACTION: Notice of Availability (NOA) of 

a Record of Decision (ROD). 

On September 8, 2017, the United 

States Air Force signed the ROD for the 

KC–46 Third Main Operating Base 

(MOB 3) Beddown. The ROD states the 

Air Force decision to beddown up to 

twelve (12) KC–46 Primary Aerospace 

Vehicles Authroized (PAA) in one 

squadron at Seymor Johnston Air Force 

Base, where the Air Force Reserve 

Command (AFRC) leads the Mobility 

Air Force Mission. 

The decision was based on matters 

discussed in the Final Environmental 

Impact Statement (FEIS) for the KC–46 

Third Main Operating Base (MOB 3) 

Beddown (http://www.kc-46abeddown.com/); contributions from the 

public and regulatory agencies; and 

other relevant factors. The FEIS was 

made available to the public on April 

14, 2017 through a NOA in the Federal 

Register (82 FR 17991) with a 30-day 

wait period that ended on May 15, 2017. 

Authority: This NOA is published 

pursuant to the regulations (40 CFR part 

1506.6) implementing the provisions of 

the NEPA of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321, et 

seq.) and the Air Force’s Environmental 

Impact Analysis Process (32 CFR parts 

989.21(b) and 989.24(b)(7)). 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. 

Hamid Kamalpour, AFCEC/CZN, 2261 

Hughes Ave., Ste. 155, Lackland AFB, 

TX 78236–9853. Ph: (210) 925–2738. 

Henry Williams, Jr., 

Acting Air Force Federal Register Liaison 

Officer. 

[FR Doc. 2017–20822 Filed 9–27–17; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 5001–10–P