

[Federal Register: December 21, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 244)]
[Notices]               
[Page 75812-75813]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr21de05-51]                         

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-ORD-2005-0504; FRL-8011-9]

 
Notice of Availability of the Nanotechnology White Paper External 
Review Draft

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of document availability.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is submitting the 
Nanotechnology White Paper External Review Draft for independent 
external peer review, which will be conducted in the February 
timeframe. Public comments will be accepted prior to the meeting of the 
external peer review panel. All comments received by January 31, 2006 
will be shared with the external peer review panel for their 
consideration. Comments received beyond that time will be considered by 
EPA. The public release of this draft document is solely for the 
purpose of seeking public comment and peer review. This draft white 
paper does not represent and should not be construed to represent any 
EPA policy, viewpoint, or determination. Members of the public may 
obtain the draft white paper from http://www.regulations.gov; or http://www.epa.gov/osa/nanotech.htm
; or from Dr. Kathryn Gallagher via the 
a the 
    The Nanotechnology White Paper External Review Draft identifies 
data gaps that need to be filled and recommends research for both 
environmental applications and implications of nanotechnology that 
would inform the appropriate regulatory safeguards for nanotechnology. 
The draft white paper describes the technology and provides a 
discussion of potential environmental benefits of nanotechnology. Risk 
management issues and the Agency's statutory mandates are outlined, 
following an extensive discussion of risk assessment issues. The draft 
white paper concludes with recommendations on next steps for addressing 
science policy issues and research needs. Supplemental information is 
provided in a number of appendices.
    Following the expert review, EPA will issue a final white paper on 
nanotechnology in early 2006. To obtain additional information, visit: 
http://www.epa.gov/osa/nanotech.htm.


DATES: All comments received by January 31, 2006 will be shared with 
the external peer review panel for their consideration. Comments 
received beyond that time will be considered by EPA.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-
ORD-2005-0504, by one of the following methods:
     http://www.regulations.gov: Follow the on-line 

instructions for submitting comments.
     E-mail: ORD.Docket@epa.gov.
     Mail: ORD Docket, Environmental Protection Agency, 
Mailcode: 28221T,

[[Page 75813]]

1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460.
     Hand Delivery: EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), Room B102, EPA 
West Building, 1301 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460, 
Attention Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-2005-0504. Deliveries are only 
accepted from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding 
legal holidays. Special arrangements should be made for deliveries of 
boxed information.
    Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-
2005-0504. EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included 
in the public docket without change and may be made available online at 
http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information 

provided, unless the comment includes information claimed to be 
Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose 
disclosure is restricted by statute. Do not submit information that you 
consider to be CBI or otherwise protected through http://www.regulations.gov or e-mail. The http://www.regulations.gov Web site 

is an ``anonymous access'' system, which means EPA will not know your 
identity or contact information unless you provide it in the body of 
your comment. If you send an e-mail comment directly to EPA, without 
going through http://www.regulations.gov, your e-mail address will be 

automatically captured and included as part of the comment that is 
placed in the public docket and made available on the Internet. If you 
submit an electronic comment, EPA recommends that you include your name 
and other contact information in the body of your comment and with any 
disk or CD-ROM you submit. If EPA cannot read your comment due to 
technical difficulties and cannot contact you for clarification, EPA 
may not be able to consider your comment. Electronic files should avoid 
the use of special characters, any form of encryption, and be free of 
any defects or viruses.
    Docket: All documents in the docket are listed in the http://www.regulations.gov
 index. Although listed in the index, some 

information is not publicly available, e.g., CBI or other information 
whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Certain other material, such 
as copyrighted material, will be publicly available only in hard copy. 
Publicly available docket materials are available either electronically 
in http://www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at the ORD Docket, EPA/

DC, EPA West, Room B102, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC. 
The Public Reading Room is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday 
through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The telephone number for the 
Public Reading Room is (202) 566-1744, and the telephone number for the 
ORD Docket is (202) 566-1752.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Kathryn Gallagher, Office of the 
Science Advisor, Mail Code 8105-R, Environmental Protection Agency, 
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: 
(202) 564-1398; fax number: (202) 564-2070, E-mail: 
Gallagher.kathryn@epa.gov.


    Dated: December 16, 2005.
William H. Farland,
Acting Chair, Science Policy Council.
[FR Doc. 05-24304 Filed 12-20-05; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
