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Request for Information, Three Chemicals Under Consideration by the OEHHA Science Advisory Board's Carcinogen Identification Committee

The California Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) is the lead agency for the implementation of the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986 (Proposition 65).

The Carcinogen Identification Committee of OEHHA's Science Advisory Board advises and assists OEHHA in compiling the list of chemicals known to the State to cause cancer which is mandated by Health and Safety Code Section 25249.8. The Committee serves as the State's qualified experts for rendering an opinion as to whether a chemical has been clearly shown, through scientifically valid testing according to generally accepted principles, to cause cancer.

OEHHA has developed a procedure for prioritizing candidate chemicals for consideration under Proposition 65 by the State's qualified experts. Refinement of this prioritization procedure is ongoing. (A workshop to discuss a revised draft procedure has been scheduled for Friday, November 15, 1996, and a notice of the workshop is published elsewhere in today's register).

On May 17, 1996, OEHHA released for public comment a draft list of prioritized candidates for evaluation as carcinogens, and Draft Data Summaries on those candidates. Although numerous comments were received during the public comment period which ended on July 15, 1996, no public comments were received on the three chemicals receiving a draft designation of a high level of carcinogenicity concern. The chemicals are:

5-chloro-ortho-toluidine and its hydrochloride
(CASRN: 95-79-4)

quinoline
(CASRN: 91-22-5)

2,4,5-trimethylaniline and its hydrochloride
(CASRN: 137-17-7)

[CASRN = Chemical Abstracts Service Registration Number]

In accordance with the procedure identified by OEHHA for identifying carcinogens, a draft hazard identification document will be prepared by OEHHA for each of these chemicals. The "synopsis" step will not be used for these chemicals because no issues have been identified for these three chemicals that merit that additional level of evaluation. The comments received provided no indication of a lack of consent that these three chemicals should be high priority candidates for consideration by the Carcinogen Identification Committee. Interested parties or members of the public wishing to provide information relevant to an assessment of the carcinogenicity of these chemicals should forward such information to the address given below. The publication of this notice marks the start of a 60-day data call-in period. This period ends on December 4, 1996. The information received during this data call-in period will be reviewed and considered.

OEHHA welcomes public participation and public input as part of these scientific assessments. If there is sufficient public interest in a specific candidate chemical, a workshop or other public forum will be held to encourage scientific dialogue prior to completion of the draft hazard identification document.

Notification of the availability of the hazard identification documents and of the time, date, location, and agenda of any workshops and of the next meeting of the Carcinogen Identification Committee will be provided in subsequent notices. In keeping with OEHHA's standard procedures, draft hazard identification documents will be made available no less than 60 days prior to the meeting at which they will be considered. At that meeting, the Committee will evaluate the chemicals as to whether they have been clearly shown through scientifically valid testing according to generally accepted principles to cause cancer.

Relevant information on these chemicals should be sent by mail or fax to:

the Proposition 65 Office
Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment
Post Office Box 4010
Sacramento, CA 95812-4010
Fax (916) 327-1097

Information on the carcinogen hazard identification process may be obtained by writing to the above address, or by calling (916) 445-6900.