Six Chemicals Under Consideration for Possible Listing via the Authoritative Bodies Mechanisms: Request for Relevant Information

Chemicals Under Consideration for Possible Listing via the Authoritative Bodies Mechanisms: 6 Chemicals
Request for Relevant Information

The Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986 (Proposition 65 or the Act) requires the Governor to publish, and update at least annually, a list of chemicals known to the State to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity. The Act provides two mechanisms for administratively listing chemicals as known to the State to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity (Health and Safety Code Section 25249.8(b)).

One mechanism by which a chemical is listed is if a body considered to be authoritative by the state's qualified experts has formally identified it as causing cancer or reproductive toxicity. For carcinogenicity, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA), the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the National Toxicology Program (NTP), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) have been identified as authoritative bodies for purposes of the Act. The criteria for listing chemicals through the "authoritative bodies" mechanism Section 12306.

As the lead agency for the implementation of Proposition 65, the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) of the California Environmental Protection Agency is investigating the possible listing of the chemicals identified below, based upon information in the references cited. Documentation summarizing the rationale for considering the evaluation of these chemicals for possible administrative listing is available from OEHHA's Proposition 65 Implementation Office at the address and telephone number indicated below, or from the downloads section below.

OEHHA is committed to public participation and external scientific peer review in its implementation of Proposition 65, and welcomes public input on this listing process. As part of its efforts to ensure that regulatory decisions are based upon a thorough consideration of all relevant information, OEHHA is soliciting information which may be relevant to the evaluation of these chemicals in the context of the Proposition 65 administrative listing regulatory criteria (22 CCR Section 12306).

A public forum will be held on Wednesday, October 29, 2003, to provide an opportunity for interested parties to present oral comments and to discuss the scientific data and other information relevant to a determination as to whether these chemicals meet the criteria for listing set forth in 22 CCR Section 12306. The public forum will be held at the California Environmental Protection Agency Headquarters Building, Sierra Hearing Room, at 1001 I Street, Sacramento, California. The meeting will begin at 10:00 a.m. and will end at 12:00 p.m. If additional time is needed to present oral comments, OEHHA will extend the forum until all comments are heard or until 5:00 p.m. Written comments provided in triplicate, along with supporting information, may also be submitted to:

Ms. Cynthia Oshita 
Street Address: 1001 I Street
Sacramento, California 95814
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 4010
Sacramento, California 95812-4010

Fax No.: (916) 323-8803
Telephone: (916) 445-6900

In order to be considered, comments must be postmarked (if sent by mail) or received at OEHHA (if hand-delivered or sent by fax) by 5:00 p.m. Tuesday, November 25, 2003.

Following the review of all comments received, OEHHA will announce its intention to proceed with the listing of those candidate chemicals that meet the regulatory criteria for administrative listing in a Notice of Intent to List Chemicals.

A. Chemicals which may meet the criteria set forth in 22 CCR Section 12306 for listing as known to cause carcinogenicity via the "authoritative bodies" mechanism:

Chemical
CAS No.
Reference
3,3'-Dimethoxybenzidine-based dyes metabolized to 3,3'-dimethoxybenzidine
---
NTP (2002a)
3,3'-Dimethylbenzidine-based dyes metabolized to 3,3'-dimethylbenzidine
---
NTP (2002a)
Ethylbenzene
100-41-4
IARC (1999)
Propylene glycol mono-t-butyl ether
57018-52-7
NTP (2003a; 2003b)
Thiouracil
141-90-2
IARC (2001)
Vanadium pentoxide
1314-62-1
NTP (2002b)

Footnotes and References

REFERENCES

International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC, 1999). IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans. Volume 77: 227-266. Some Industrial Chemicals. IARC, Lyon France.

International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC, 2001). IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans. Volume 79. Some Thyrotropic Agents. IARC, Lyon France.

National Toxicology Program (NTP, 2002a). Tenth Report on Carcinogens. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, National Institutes of Health, NTP, Research Triangle Park, NC.

National Toxicology Program (NTP, 2002b). Toxicology and Carcinogenesis Studies of
Vanadium Pentoxide (CAS No. 1314-62-1) in F344/N Rats and B6C3F1 Mice (Inhalation Studies). NTP Technical Report Series No. 507. NIH Publication No. 03-4441. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, National Institutes of Health, NTP, Research Triangle Park, NC.

National Toxicology Program (NTP, 2003a). Toxicology and Carcinogenesis Studies of Propylene Glycol Mono-t-butyl ether (CAS No. 57018-52-7) in F344/N Rats and B6C3F1 Mice and a Toxicology Study of Propylene glycol Mono-t-butyl ether in male NBR rats. Board Draft. NTP Technical Report Series No. 515. NIH Publication No. 03-4449. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, National Institutes of Health, NTP, Research Triangle Park, NC.

National Toxicology Program (NTP, 2003b). Actions on Draft Technical Reports by the NTP Board of Scientific Counselors Technical Reports Review Subcommittee on May 22, 2003, as reported on the NTP website at http://ntp-server.niehs.nih.gov.