(fwd) Endocrine Disruptors; Notice of Public Meeting

[ttweed@wildrockies.org (Tony Tweedale)]

not sure if dioxin-l has already seen this, the whole notice anyway...

>Date: Wed, 27 Nov 1996 12:12:25 -0500
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>From: envsubset <envsubset@epamail.epa.gov>
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>Subject: Endocrine Disruptors; Notice of Public Meeting
>X-Comment: U.S. EPA FEDERAL REGISTER TOXIC documents
>
>[Federal Register: November 27, 1996 (Volume 61, Number 230)]
>[Notices]
>[Page 60280-60281]
>>From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
>
>-----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
>-----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
>[OPPTS-42189; FRL-5575-7]
>
>
>Endocrine Disruptors; Notice of Public Meeting
>
>AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
>
>ACTION: Notice of public meeting.
>
>-----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>SUMMARY: EPA is announcing the first meeting of the Endocrine
>Disruptors Screening and Testing Advisory Committee (EDSTAC), a
>committee established under the provisions of the Federal Committee
>Advisory Act (FACA) to advise EPA on a strategy for screening and
>testing chemicals and pesticides for their potential to disrupt
>endocrine functions in humans and wildlife.
>
>DATES: The meeting will be held on December 12-13, 1996. It will begin
>at 8 a.m. and end at 5 p.m. on December 12th. There will be an
>opportunity for public comment from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. on the evening
>of December 12th. The Committee will reconvene at 8 a.m. and adjourn at
>12:30 p.m. on December 13th.
>
>ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Embassy Suites Hotel, 250
>Gateway Blvd., South San Francisco, CA 94080. A block of rooms has been
>reserved at a rate of $109/night. When contacting the hotel please
>refer to the ``Endocrine Disrupter Screening and Testing Advisory
>Committee'' meeting to obtain this rate. The telephone number at the
>hotel is 425-589-3400, fax: 415-876-0305.
>
>FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To obtain additional information
>please contact the contractor assisting EPA with meeting facilitation
>and logistics: Ms. Tutti Otteson, The Keystone Center, P.O. Box 8606,
>Keystone, CO 80435, telephone: 970-468-5822, fax: 970-262-0152, email:
>totteson@keystone.org. For technical information, contact Tony
>Maciorowski (telephone: 202-260-3048; e-mail:
>maciorowski.tony@epamail.epa.gov) or Gary Timm (telephone: 202-260-
>1859; e-mail: timm.gary@epamail.epa.gov) at EPA.
>SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA's Office of Prevention, Pesticides and
>Toxic Substances is taking the lead for the Agency on endocrine
>disruption screening and testing issues. EPA began its efforts to
>develop a screening and testing strategy by obtaining the views of key
>stakeholders at a meeting on May 15-16, 1996 (61 FR 20814, May 8, 1996)
>(FRL-5369-8). At the May stakeholder's meeting participants generally
>agreed that government, industry, academia and public interest groups
>should work
>
>[[Page 60281]]
>
>collaboratively to develop a screening and testing strategy.
>    Recent legislation (i.e., reauthorization of the Safe Drinking
>Water Act and passage of the Food Quality Protection Act) has mandated
>that such a screening and testing program be developed by EPA. Further,
>underlying authority for EPA to consider implementation of such a
>program is found in the existing Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and
>Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).
>    EPA has concluded that a FACA chartered committee would be the best
>means of providing advice and consultation to the Agency regarding the
>development of an endocrine disruptor screening and testing program and
>proposes to form the Endocrine Disrupter Screening and Testing Advisory
>Committee (EDSTAC). An organizational meeting of EDSTAC nominees and
>other interested stakeholders was held in Washington, DC on October 31
>and November 1, 1996 (61 FR 54195, October 17, 1996) (FRL-5571-2).
>
>EDSTAC Purpose and Goals
>
>    The purpose of EDSTAC is to provide advice and counsel to the
>Agency on a strategy to screen and test endocrine disrupting chemicals
>and pesticides in humans, fish, and wildlife. This strategy will be
>aimed at reducing or mitigating risk to human health and the
>environment. The broad goals and objectives of EDSTAC are set forth in
>its charter and include the following:
>    (a) A strategy for identifying and selecting from among existing
>and new initial screening mechanisms, as well as the methods to ensure
>their validation.
>    (b) The selection of validated initial screens EPA should use to
>initiate the endocrine disrupter screening and testing program.
>    (c) A strategy and criteria for deciding when more thorough
>endocrine disrupter testing, beyond the initial screening, is needed,
>what existing and new tests may be appropriate, as well as the methods
>to ensure their validation.
>    (d) The selection of validated tests EPA should use subsequent to,
>or in lieu of, the initial screens.
>    (e) A flexible process to select and prioritize the chemicals and
>pesticides that will be subjected to the initial screening and, where
>appropriate, subsequent testing.
>    The Committee may pursue these goals sequentially or in parallel
>tracks. In either case, the Committee may recommend that EPA take
>action to implement agreements that are reached on one or more of these
>goals before agreements are reached on all of the goals. EPA expects
>the EDSTAC to take a consensus approach to reaching their findings and
>recommendations.
>    These goals will also be pursued in a manner that recognizes the
>data made available as a result of the endocrine disrupter screening
>and testing program will be used to reduce or mitigate risk to human
>health and the environment. It is anticipated that this overarching
>risk management goal will eventually require the development of
>approaches to: Synthesize exposure and hazard information; and
>incorporate synthesized exposure and hazard information into risk
>reduction and risk management decisions.
>
>EDSTAC Communication Objectives
>
>    In developing its recommendations on an endocrine disrupter
>screening and testing program, the Committee may also need to address
>issues associated with how to publicly communicate the true intent of
>their substantive agreements and recommendations they submit to EPA.
>The Committee may also need to develop recommendations for how EPA
>should communicate screening and testing information to the public if
>the Agency follows the Committee's recommended approaches to screening
>and testing.
>
>Proposed Agenda for December 12-13 Meeting
>
>    The following is the proposed agenda for this first meeting.
>    1. Discuss and further refine the goals and objectives of EDSTAC.
>    2. Discuss and agree on the scope of EDSTAC's activities. The scope
>of EDSTAC's activities may encompass:
>    a. Only estrogen effects stipulated as the minimum requirement by
>legislation or other endocrine disrupter effects. If broader than
>estrogen, which additional hormonal effects should be included (e.g.,
>androgens, anti-androgens, anti-estrogens, thyroids)?
>    b. Single compounds or mixtures of compounds as well. If mixtures
>are included, are there specific commonly found mixtures or classes of
>chemicals that can be included rather than all possible mixtures?
>    c. Only human health effects or ecological effects as well.
>    3. Review and approve the Committee's operating ground rules.
>    4. Discuss the structure and utilization of work groups to address
>the issues encompassed by the scope of the Committee's activities.
>    5. Initiate discussion of the principles that should guide the
>Agency's endocrine disrupter screening and testing program. These
>principles will be applicable to the development of the EDSTAC's
>screening and testing recommendations, as well as future EPA endocrine
>disrupter screening and testing policy decisions. These principles
>would address:
>    a. The purpose of screening and testing.
>    b. Selecting from among alternative screens and tests.
>    c. Establishing the order or logical relationships for using
>different screens and tests.
>    d. Validating screens and tests.
>    e. Interpreting the results of screens and tests, including the
>utility of the information to be gained from screens and tests in
>deciding what happens both within the screening and testing arena
>itself as well as in the broader risk management/ decision making
>arena.
>    f. How to expand screening and testing beyond whatever hormonal
>effects the Committee recommends to be the initial focus of EPA's
>endocrine disrupter screening and testing program.
>
>    Dated: November 21, 1996.
>Lynn R. Goldman,
>Assistant Administrator for Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic
>Substances.
>[FR Doc. 96-30309 Filed 11-26-96; 8:45 am]
>BILLING CODE 6560-50-F
>