Availability of Draft Toxicological Profile

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry

[ATSDR-139]

Availability of Draft Toxicological Profile

AGENCY: Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR),

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: This notice, prepared by ATSDR for the Department of Defense,

announces for review and comment, the availability of one new draft

toxicological profile on unregulated hazardous substances. Profiles

issued as ``Drafts for Public Comment'' represent the agency's best

efforts to provide important toxicological information on priority

hazardous substances. We are seeking public comments and additional

information or reports on studies about the health effects of

petrochemical substances and their components for review and potential

inclusion in the profile.

DATES: In order to be considered, comments on this draft toxicological

profile must be received on or before February 22, 1999. Comments

received after the close of the public comment period will be

considered at the discretion of ATSDR based upon scientific relevance

and public health significance.

ADDRESSES: Requests for copies of the draft toxicological profile

should be sent to the attention of Ms. Loretta Norman, Division of

Toxicology, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Mailstop

E-29, 1600 Clifton Road, NE., Atlanta, Georgia 30333. Comments

regarding the draft toxicological profile should be sent to the

attention of Dr. Ganga Choudhary, Division of Toxicology, Agency for

Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Mailstop E-29, 1600 Clifton

Road, NE., Atlanta, Georgia 30333.

Requests for the draft toxicological profile must be in writing,

and must specifically identify the profiled hazardous substance(s)

profile(s) that you wish to receive. ATSDR reserves the right to

provide only one copy of each profile requested, free of charge. In

case of extended distribution delays, requestors will be notified.

Written comments and other data submitted in response to this

notice and the draft toxicological profile should bear the docket

control number ATSDR-139. Send one copy of all comments and three

copies of all supporting documents to Dr. Ganga Choudhary at the above

address by the end of the comment period. All written comments and the

draft toxicological profile will be available for public inspection at

ATSDR, Building 4, Executive Park Drive, Atlanta, Georgia (not a

mailing address), from 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., Monday through

Friday, except for legal holidays. Because all public comments

regarding ATSDR toxicological profiles are available for public

inspection, no confidential business information should be submitted in

response to this notice.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Loretta Norman, Division of

Toxicology, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Mailstop

E-29, 1600 Clifton Road, NE., Atlanta, Georgia 30333, telephone (404)

639-6322.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization

Act (SARA) of 1986 (Pub. L. 99-499) amended the Comprehensive

Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA or

Superfund). Section 211 of SARA also amended Title 10 of the U.S. Code,

creating the Defense Environmental Restoration Program. Section 2704(a)

of Title 10 of the U.S. Code directs the Secretary of Defense to notify

the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) of not less than 25 of

the most commonly found unregulated hazardous substances at defense

facilities. The Secretary of HHS is to prepare toxicological profiles

of these substances. Each profile includes an examination, summary and

interpretation of available toxicological information and epidemiologic

evaluations. This information is used to ascertain the level of

significant human exposure for the substance and the associated health

effects. The profiles include a determination of whether adequate

information on the health effects of each substance is available or in

the process of development. When adequate information is not available,

ATSDR, in cooperation with the National Toxicology Program (NTP), is

required to assure initiation of research to determine these health

effects.

Although key studies for the substance were considered during the

profile development process, this Federal Register notice seeks to

solicit any additional studies, particularly unpublished data and

ongoing studies, which will be evaluated for possible addition to the

profile now or in the future.

The draft toxicological profile will be made available to the

public on or about October 17, 1998.

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Document Hazardous substance CAS No.

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1........................... Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons

(TPHs).

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Dated: October 29, 1998.

Donna Garland,

Acting Director, Office of Policy and External Affairs, Agency for

Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.

[FR Doc. 98-29505 Filed 11-3-98; 8:45 am]

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