[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 210 (Wednesday, November 1, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50649-50650]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-23817]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OPP-2017-0214; FRL-9968-69]


FIFRA Scientific Advisory Panel; Notice of Public Meeting for the 
Clarification of Charge Questions on Alternate High-Throughput Screens 
To Determine Endocrine Disruption

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: There will be a three-hour meeting of the Federal Insecticide, 
Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, Scientific Advisory Panel (FIFRA SAP) 
to review and consider the scope and clarity of the draft charge 
questions for the November 28-30, 2017 SAP Meeting on the Continuing 
Development of Alternative High-Throughput Screens to Determine 
Endocrine Disruption, Focusing on Androgen Receptor, Steroidogenesis, 
and Thyroid Pathways.

DATES: The meeting will be held on Monday, November 6, 2017 from 
approximately 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. (EST). This is an open public meeting 
that will be conducted via webcast using Adobe Connect and telephone. 
Registration is required to attend this meeting. Please visit: http://www.epa.gov/sap to register.
    Comments. Written comments on the scope and clarity of the draft 
charge questions should be submitted by noon on Wednesday, November 1, 
2017. FIFRA SAP may not be able to fully consider written comments 
submitted after noon on Wednesday, November 1, 2017. Requests to make 
oral comments at the meeting should be submitted on or before noon on 
Wednesday, November 1, 2017 by registering at http://www.epa.gov/sap. 
For additional instructions, see Unit I.C. of the SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION or contact the Designated Federal Official (DFO) listed 
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
    Webcast. This meeting will be webcast only. Please refer to the 
FIFRA SAP Web site at http://www.epa.gov/sap for information on how to 
access the webcast.
    Special accommodations. For information on access or services for 
individuals with disabilities, and to request accommodation of a 
disability, please contact the DFO listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
CONTACT at least 10 days prior to the meeting to allow EPA time to 
process your request.

ADDRESSES: 
    Meeting: This meeting will be webcast only. Please refer to the 
following Web site to register and for information on how to access the 
webcast: http://www.epa.gov/sap.
    Comments. Submit your comments, identified by docket identification 
(ID) number EPA-HQ-OPP-2017-0214, by one of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://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.
     Mail: OPP Docket, Environmental Protection Agency Docket 
Center (EPA/DC), (28221T), 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 
20460-0001.
     Hand Delivery: To make special arrangements for hand 
delivery or delivery of boxed information, please follow the 
instructions at http://www.epa.gov/dockets/contacts.html.
    Additional instructions on commenting or visiting the docket, along 
with more information about dockets generally, is available at http://www.epa.gov/dockets.
    Requests for special accommodations. Submit requests for special 
accommodations to the DFO listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Todd Peterson, DFO, Office of 
Science Coordination and Policy (7201M), Environmental Protection 
Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001; 
telephone number: 202-564-6428; email address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. General Information

A. Does this action apply to me?

    This action is directed to the public in general. This action may, 
however, be of interest to persons who are or may be required to 
conduct testing of chemical substances under the Federal Food, Drug, 
and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) and FIFRA. Since other entities may also be 
interested, the Agency has not attempted to describe all the specific 
entities that may be affected by this action.

B. What should I consider as I prepare my comments for EPA?

    1. Submitting CBI. Do not submit CBI information to EPA through 
regulations.gov or email. If your comments contain any information that 
you consider to be CBI or otherwise protected, please contact the DFO 
listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT to obtain special 
instructions before submitting your comments.

[[Page 50650]]

    2. Tips for preparing your comments. When preparing and submitting 
your comments, see the commenting tips at http://www.epa.gov/dockets/comments.html.

C. How may I participate in this meeting?

    You may participate in this meeting by following the instructions 
in this unit. To ensure proper receipt by EPA, it is imperative that 
you identify docket ID number EPA-HQ-OPP-2017-0214 in the subject line 
on the first page of your request.
    1. Written comments. Written comments should be submitted, using 
the instructions in ADDRESSES and Unit I.B., on or before noon on 
Wednesday, November 1, 2017, to provide FIFRA SAP the time necessary to 
consider and review the written comments. FIFRA SAP may not be able to 
fully consider written comments submitted after noon on Wednesday, 
November 1, 2017.
    2. Oral comments. Registration is required to attend this meeting. 
Please visit: http://www.epag.gov/sap to register. Each individual or 
group wishing to make brief oral comments to FIFRA SAP may submit their 
request by registering on or before noon Wednesday, November 1, 2017. 
Oral comments before FIFRA SAP are limited to approximately 5 minutes 
due to the time constraints of this webcast.

II. Background

A. Purpose of FIFRA SAP Virtual Meeting on Charge Questions on 
Alternate High-Throughput Screens To Determine Endocrine Disruption

    FIFRA SAP serves as the primary scientific peer review mechanism of 
EPA's Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP) and is 
structured to provide scientific advice, information and 
recommendations to the EPA Administrator on pesticides and pesticide-
related issues as to the impact of regulatory actions on health and the 
environment. FIFRA SAP is a Federal advisory committee established in 
1975 pursuant to FIFRA and operates in accordance with requirements of 
the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. Appendix). FIFRA SAP is 
composed of a permanent panel consisting of seven members who are 
appointed by the EPA Administrator from nominees provided by the 
National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation. The 
FIFRA SAP is assisted in their reviews by ad hoc participation from the 
Science Review Board (SRB). As a scientific peer review mechanism, 
FIFRA SAP provides comments, evaluations, and recommendations to 
improve the effectiveness and quality of analyses made by Agency 
scientists. The FIFRA SAP strives to reach consensus; however, is not 
required to reach consensus in its recommendations to the Agency.

B. Public Meeting

    During the meeting scheduled for Monday, November 6, 2017, the 
FIFRA SAP will review and consider the Charge Questions for the Panel's 
November 28-30, 2017 meeting on the Continuing Development of 
Alternative High-Throughput Screens to Determine Endocrine Disruption, 
Focusing on Androgen Receptor, Steroidogenesis, and Thyroid Pathways. 
The SAP will receive a short background briefing including the EPA's 
history and current position on the use of alternative high-throughput 
screens. In addition, the panel members will have the opportunity to 
comment on the scope and clarity of the draft charge questions. 
Subsequent to this meeting, final charge questions will be provided for 
the FIFRA SAP's deliberation on the white papers and supplemental 
information during the in-person meeting to be held on November 28-30, 
2017.

C. FIFRA SAP Documents and Meeting Minutes

    EPA's background documents and charge questions to the FIFRA SAP 
are in the docket (identification number EPA-HQ-OPP-2017-0214). The 
Agenda for the virtual meeting will be posted at: www.epa.gov/sap/virtual-meeting-clarify-draft-charge-questions-high-throughput-screens-determine-endocrine. In addition, the Agency may provide additional 
background documents as additional materials become available. You may 
obtain electronic copies of most meeting documents, including FIFRA SAP 
composition (i.e., members and ad hoc members for this meeting) and the 
meeting agenda, at http://www.regulations.gov and the FIFRA SAP Web 
site at http://www.epa.gov/sap.
    FIFRA SAP will prepare meeting minutes approximately 90 calendar 
days after the in-person meeting. The meeting minutes will be posted on 
the FIFRA SAP Web site: http://www.epa.gov/sap and may be accessed in 
the docket at http://www.regulations.gov.

    Authority:  7 U.S.C. 136 et. seq.; 21 U.S.C. 301 et seq.

    Dated: October 11, 2017.
Inza Graves,
Deputy Director, Office of Science Coordination and Policy.
[FR Doc. 2017-23817 Filed 10-31-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P


