[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 88 (Monday, May 7, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26751-26755]
[FR Doc No: 2012-10935]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-9670-2; Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-2007-0664]

Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS); Announcement of 2012
Program

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

ACTION: Announcement of 2012 Program; request for information.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing
the IRIS 2012 agenda and requesting scientific information on health
effects that may result from exposure to the chemical substances on the
agenda, including assessments that EPA is starting this year.

DATES: While EPA is not expressly soliciting comments on this notice,
the Agency will accept information related to the substances included
herein. Please submit any information in accordance with the
instructions provided below.

ADDRESSES: Please submit relevant scientific information identified by
docket ID number EPA-HQ-ORD-2007-0664, online at www.regulations.gov
(EPA's preferred method); by email to<EMAIL_ADDRESS>by mail to
Office of Environmental Information (OEI) Docket (Mail Code: 2822T),
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW.,
Washington, DC 20460-0001; or by hand delivery or courier to EPA Docket
Center, EPA West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Avenue NW., Washington,
DC, between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding
legal holidays. The telephone number for the EPA Docket Center is 202-
566-1744. Detailed instructions are

provided below under How to Submit Information to the Docket.
    Background: EPA's IRIS Program is a human health assessment program
that evaluates quantitative and qualitative risk information on effects
that may result from exposure to chemical substances found in the
environment. Through the IRIS Program, EPA provides high quality
science-based human health assessments to support the Agency's
regulatory activities. The IRIS database contains information for more
than 540 chemical substances that can be used to support the first two
steps (hazard identification and dose-response evaluation) of the risk
assessment process. When supported by available data, IRIS provides
oral reference doses (RfDs) and inhalation reference concentrations
(RfCs) for chronic noncancer health effects and cancer assessments.
Combining IRIS toxicity values with specific exposure information,
government and private entities use IRIS to help characterize public
health risks of chemical substances in site-specific situations and
thereby support risk management decisions designed to protect public
health.
    EPA' s process for developing IRIS assessments consists of: (1) A
comprehensive search of the current scientific literature, a data call-
in, and development of a draft IRIS health assessment; (2) internal
EPA-wide review; (3) science consultation on the draft assessment with
other Federal agencies and White House offices; (4) independent expert
peer review, public review and comment, and public listening session;
(5) revision of the assessment to address peer review and public
comments; (6) internal EPA-wide review and interagency science
discussion of EPA's disposition of peer review and public comments; and
(7) clearance and posting of the final assessment on IRIS (www.epa.gov/iris).
    The Iris Agenda: As part of the IRIS process, EPA solicited
nominations of chemicals for IRIS assessment or reassessment from EPA
Program Offices and Regions, other Federal agencies and White House
offices, and the public (75 FR 63827). EPA announced six general
criteria for selection of chemicals for assessment or reassessment: (1)
Potential public health impact; (2) EPA statutory, regulatory, or
program-specific implementation needs; (3) availability of new
scientific information or methodology that might significantly change
the current IRIS information; (4) interest to other governmental
agencies or the public; (5) availability of other scientific assessment
documents that could serve as a basis for development of an IRIS
assessment; and (6) other factors such as widespread exposure. The
decision of when to start assessments of the selected high-priority
chemical substances depends on available Agency resources. Availability
of risk assessment guidance, guidelines, and science policy decisions
may also have an impact on the timing of EPA's decision to assess a
chemical substance.
    In developing the IRIS agenda for 2012, EPA conducted literature
searches for the nominated chemicals and made a determination as to
whether a particular chemical had sufficient information to develop at
least one toxicity value. EPA offices were asked to indicate which
chemicals with sufficient data were priorities for their offices. EPA
then considered the other criteria as listed in the Federal Register
Notice (75 FR 63827) and the capacity of the IRIS Program to begin
draft development for each chemical under consideration.
    EPA is soliciting public involvement in assessments on the IRIS
agenda, including new assessments starting in 2012, 2013, and 2014.
While EPA conducts a thorough literature search for each chemical
substance, there may be unpublished studies or other primary technical
sources that are not available through the open literature. EPA is
soliciting scientific information from the public during the
information gathering stage for the list of new assessments provided in
this notice. Interested persons should provide scientific analyses,
studies, and other pertinent scientific information. While EPA is
primarily soliciting information on new assessments announced in this
notice, the public may submit information on any chemical substance at
any time.
    This notice provides: (1) A list of assessments completed since the
IRIS agenda was last published in October 2010 (75 FR 63827); (2) a
list of IRIS assessments in progress; (3) a list of IRIS assessments
that will start in 2012, 2013, and 2014; and (4) instructions to the
public for submitting scientific information to EPA pertinent to the
development of assessments.

Assessments Completed

    The following assessments have been completed since the last IRIS
agenda was published in a Federal Register Notice on October 18, 2010
(75 FR 63827).

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                          Chemical                             Cas No.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
dichloromethane (methylene chloride).......................      75-09-2
hexachloroethane...........................................      67-72-1
2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (noncancer)............    1746-01-6
tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene)....................     127-18-4
tetrahydrofuran............................................     109-99-9
trichloroacetic acid.......................................      76-03-9
trichloroethylene..........................................      79-01-6
urea.......................................................      57-13-6
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Assessments in Progress

    The following assessments are underway. The status and planned
milestone dates for each assessment can be found on the IRIS Track
system, accessible from the IRIS database home page (www.epa.gov/iris).
IRIS assessments for all substances listed as in progress in 2012 will
be provided on the IRIS Web site at www.epa.gov/iris as they are
completed. This publicly available Web site is EPA's primary location
for IRIS documents. In addition, external peer review drafts of IRIS
assessments are posted for public information and comment. These drafts
will continue to be accessible via the IRIS and NCEA Web sites. Note
that these drafts are intended for public information only, and do not
represent the Agency's final position.
    All health endpoints, cancer and noncancer, due to chronic exposure
are being assessed unless otherwise noted. For all endpoints assessed,
both qualitative and quantitative assessments are being developed where
information is available.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                 Chemical                             Cas No.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
acetaldehyde \1\.........................  75-07-0.
acrylonitrile \1\........................  107-13-1.
ammonia \1\..............................  7664-41-7.
arsenic, inorganic \1\...................  7440-38-2.
benzo(a)pyrene \1\.......................  50-32-8.
beryllium \1\............................  7440-41-7.
biphenyl \1\.............................  92-52-4.
n-butanol \1\............................  71-36-3.
tert-butanol.............................  75-65-0.
butyl benzyl phthalate \1\...............  85-68-7.
cadmium \1\..............................  7440-43-9.
chloroethane.............................  75-00-3.
chloroform\1\............................  67-66-3.
chromium VI \1\..........................  18540-29-9.
cobalt...................................  7440-48-4.
copper \1\...............................  7440-50-8.
cumulative assessment for 6 phthalates...  various.
di-n-butyl phthalate \1\.................  84-74-2.
1,2-dichlorobenzene \1\..................  95-50-1.
1,3-dichlorobenzene \1\..................  541-73-1.
1,4-dichlorobenzene \1\..................  106-46-7.
diethyl phthalate \1\....................  84-66-2.
di(2-ethylhexyl) adipate \1\.............  103-23-1.
di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate \1\...........  117-81-7.
diisobutyl phthalate.....................  84-69-5.
diisononyl phthalate.....................  58033-90-2.
1,4-dioxane (inhalation) \1\.............  123-91-1.
dipentyl phthalate.......................  131-18-0.

ethyl tertiary butyl ether (ETBE)........  637-92-3.
ethylbenzene \1\.........................  100-41-4.
ethylene oxide (cancer)..................  75-21-8.
formaldehyde \1\.........................  50-00-0.
hexabromocyclododecane (mixed              3194-55-6, 25637-99-5.
 stereoisomers).
hexachlorobutadiene \1\..................  87-68-3.
hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-triazine (RDX)    121-82-4.
 \1\.
Libby amphibole asbestos.................  1332-21-4.
methanol (cancer)........................  167-56-1.
methanol (noncancer) \1\.................  167-56-1.
methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) \1\.......  1634-04-4.
naphthalene \1\..........................  91-20-3.
nickel (soluble salts) \1\...............  various.
halogenated platinum salts and platinum    various.
 compounds.
polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)           various.
 (noncancer) \1\.
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)      various.
 mixtures.
styrene \1\..............................  100-42-5.
2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin        1746-01-6.
 (cancer).
1,2,3-trimethylbenzene...................  526-73-8.
1,2,4-trimethylbenzene...................  95-63-6.
1,3,5-trimethylbenzene...................  108-67-8.
uranium (natural) \1\....................  7440-61-1.
vanadium pentoxide \1\...................  1314-62-1.
vinyl acetate \1\........................  108-05-4.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Reassessment of chemical currently on IRIS.

    The cancer and noncancer assessments for inorganic arsenic, treated
as two separate assessments in previous agendas, will be combined and
proceed through the IRIS review process as one assessment. Similarly,
the oral and inhalation assessments for chromium VI will be combined
and proceed through the IRIS process as one assessment. EPA will update
both the noncancer and cancer beryllium assessments, rather than just
the cancer assessment.
    In January 2010, the IRIS assessment for methanol was released for
external peer review and public comment. In June 2010, EPA decided to
put the IRIS cancer assessment for methanol on hold pending a review of
an underlying study by the Ramazzini Institute (RI). This review was
conducted by an independent Pathology Working Group (PWG), jointly
sponsored by EPA and the National Institute of Environmental Health
Sciences (NIEHS), which was established to conduct a review of several
RI studies including the methanol study. Based on differences of
opinion between the RI and PWG scientists in diagnosing leukemias and
lymphomas, EPA has decided not to rely on RI data on leukemias and
lymphomas in IRIS assessments. This decision impacts the methanol
cancer assessment. EPA will discontinue the peer review of the draft
methanol cancer assessment and develop a new draft that does not rely
on the RI study. A schedule for the development and review of the
cancer assessment will be announced on IRIS track (www.epa.gov/iris).
The assessment of methanol's noncancer health effects does not rely on
data from the RI. Therefore, the assessment for the noncancer effects
of methanol will continue through remaining steps as a separate
assessment.
    EPA is adding 1,2,3-trimethylbenzene (TMB) to the IRIS agenda to
complete the set of three TMB isomers. Two other isomers of TMB are
already included on the IRIS agenda and undergoing review (1,2,4-TMB
and 1,3,5-TMB). 1,2,3-TMB is often found in the environment with 1,2,4-
and 1,3,5-TMB. Given this situation, and in response to comments
received in the Agency Review and Interagency Science Consultation for
1,2,4- and 1,3,5-TMB, EPA is adding 1,2,3-TMB to the agenda and will
conduct assessments of all three isomers at the same time. Because the
1,2,4- and 1,3,5-TMB assessments are already underway, EPA would
appreciate notification of any additional literature as soon as
possible so that this information can be included in the 1,2,3-TMB
assessment prior to public comment and external peer review.
    The ethanol assessment is on the IRIS agenda but has not been
started. Taking into account the complexity of the ethanol dataset, EPA
is considering various approaches to conducting the ethanol assessment.
EPA will revisit the priority of the ethanol assessment in FY13.

New Assessments for 2012 Agenda

    EPA developed a list of priority chemicals for 2012 from two
sources: (1) Chemicals nominated for IRIS assessment by EPA programs,
other Federal agencies, and the public; and (2) chemicals already on
the IRIS agenda but delayed because of resource limitations. For newly
nominated chemicals, EPA first considered whether sufficient data are
available to support development of one or more IRIS toxicity values.
For chemicals with sufficient data, EPA considered statutory,
regulatory, or programmatic need based on the stated priorities of
EPA's Program and Regional Offices; potential public health impact of
the assessment; interest to other levels of government or the public;
and whether a partially completed draft for delayed assessments or an
assessment by another organization is available that could serve as a
basis for developing an IRIS assessment.
    The following chemicals have been selected for inclusion in the
2012 IRIS agenda. The projected start dates included in the table below
indicate the U.S. fiscal year in which EPA will start or update
literature searches for these chemicals.
    EPA is requesting information from the public for consideration in
the development of these assessments. Instructions on how to submit
information are provided below under How to Submit Information to the
Docket.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
            Chemical                   Cas No.          Projected start
------------------------------------------------------------------------
antimony \1,3\.................  7440-36-0..........  FY13.
carbonyl sulfide \1,3\.........  463-58-1...........  FY12.
chlorobenzene \2,3\............  108-90-7...........  FY13.
decamethylcyclopentasiloxane     541-02-6...........  FY13.
 (D5) \2\.
octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane     556-67-2...........  FY13.
 (D4) \2\.
1,2-dichloroethane (ethylene     107-06-2...........  FY14.
 dichloride) \1,3\.
diisopropyl ether (DIPE) \1\...  108-20-3...........  FY12.
tert-amyl methyl ether           994-05-8...........  FY12.
 (TAME)``\1\.
4,4'-dimethyl-3-oxahexane        919-94-8...........  FY12.
 (TAEE) \1\.
isopropanol \1\................  67-63-0............  FY13.
manganese \1,3\................  7439-9.............  FY13.
mercury, elemental \2,3\.......  7439-96-5..........  FY14.
methyl mercury \2,3\...........  22967-92-6.........  FY14.
tungsten and related compounds   7440-33-7, various.  FY14.
 \1\.
vanadium, elemental and          ...................  FY13
 compounds \2\ various.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Chemical was previously on the IRIS agenda but assessment was
  delayed due to resource limitations.

\2\ Chemical is a new addition to IRIS agenda.
\3\ Reassessment of chemical currently on IRIS.

    By FY14, EPA will have started all of the chemicals that were
previously on the IRIS agenda, but delayed because of resource
limitations, except for the chemicals that are being withdrawn from the
agenda as described below under Withdrawn Assessments and the ethanol
assessment, described above under Assessments in Progress. Among the
new additions to the IRIS agenda, chlorobenzene, mercury, methyl
mercury, and vanadium were selected for assessment because they are
priorities for multiple EPA Program Offices and Regions and all
chemicals have the potential for high impact on public health. While
only two EPA Offices indicated that the siloxanes are priorities, D4
and D5 were selected for IRIS assessment because they met other
criteria including high potential for impact on public health and
widespread exposure and because of the opportunity afforded to perform
a cumulative assessment of emerging contaminants.
    One of the highest priority substances nominated for assessment was
lead. EPA will defer a decision on the development of an IRIS
assessment for lead until the end of 2012. EPA anticipates publication
of a final Integrated Science Assessment (ISA) for lead during the
summer of 2012. The ISA offers a comprehensive summary of the health
and ecological scientific evidence and also includes information on
lead sources, ambient air concentrations, fate and transport, exposure,
and toxicokinetics. A draft ISA is available at http://epa.gov/ncea/isa/lead.htm. In addition, the National Toxicology Program (NTP)
anticipates completion in 2012 of a draft Monograph on Health Effects
of Low-Level Lead, which summarizes the health evidence in humans
related to major effects with a focus on blood lead levels <10 ug/dL. A
draft NTP report, available at http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/36639, has
been reviewed by an NTP Peer Review Panel. Upon completion, these
documents will be evaluated to determine if an IRIS assessment is
needed.
    In FY2013, before beginning draft development, EPA will conduct a
state-of-the-science workshop on manganese. Similarly, in FY2014, EPA
will conduct a state-of-the-science workshop on elemental mercury and
methyl mercury. These meetings will be open to the public.

Withdrawn Assessments

    The following chemicals are withdrawn from the IRIS agenda:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                 Chemical                              Cas No.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
alkylates.................................  various.
bisphenol A...............................  80-05-7.
mirex.....................................  2385-85-5.
refractory ceramic fibers.................  not applicable.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The alkylates are a distillation fraction of petroleum and are
present in gasoline. Common alkylates found in gasoline for which IRIS
assessments have not been recently completed include n-heptane,
methylcyclohexane, 2-methylbutane, 2-methylpentane, 3-methylpentane, n-
octane, 2,3,3-trimethylpentane, 2,3,4-trimethylpentane, and 2,2,5-
trimethylhexane. This class of chemicals is withdrawn from the IRIS
agenda because there are multiple chemicals in the class, many with
limited databases. If individual alkylates with sufficient data to
support an IRIS assessment are nominated in the future, the IRIS
Program will consider these nominations individually. Bisphenol A is
withdrawn because EPA is awaiting further analysis and results from the
U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the NIEHS prior to determining
whether Agency action under the Toxic Substances Control Act is
required for protection of human health. Refractory ceramic fibers and
mirex are withdrawn because they are no longer priorities for EPA.
    We continue to request the submission of any scientific information
that you would like EPA to consider for any assessment on the IRIS
agenda. Instructions for submitting information are provided below.
    How to Submit Information to the Docket: Submit your information,
identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-2007-0664, by one of the
following methods:
     http://www.regulations.gov: Follow the online instructions
for submitting comments.
     Email<EMAIL_ADDRESS>     Facsimile:<PHONE_NUMBER>.
     Mail: Office of Environmental Information (OEI) Docket
(Mail Code: 2822T), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1200
Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20460. The telephone number is
202-566-1752. If you provide comments by mail, please submit one
unbound original with pages numbered consecutively, and three copies of
the comments. For attachments, provide an index, number pages
consecutively with the comments, and submit an unbound original and
three copies.
     Hand Delivery: The OEI Docket is located in the EPA
Headquarters Docket Center, EPA West Building, Room 3334, 1301
Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC. The EPA Docket Center 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<PHONE_NUMBER>. Deliveries are only accepted during the
docket's normal hours of operation, and special arrangements should be
made for deliveries of boxed information. If you provide comments by
hand delivery, please submit one unbound original with pages numbered
consecutively, and three copies of the comments. For attachments,
provide an index, number pages consecutively with the comments, and
submit an unbound original and three copies.
    It is EPA's policy to include all comments it receives in the
public docket without change and to make the comments available online
at http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information
provided, unless comments include 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 email. The http://www.regulations.gov Web site
is an ``anonymous access'' system, which means that EPA will not know
your identity or contact information unless you provide it in the body
of your comments. If you send email comments directly to EPA without
going through http://www.regulations.gov, your email address will be
automatically captured and included as part of the comments that are
placed in the public docket and made available on the Internet. If you
submit electronic comments, EPA recommends that you include your name
and other contact information in the body of your comments and with any
disk or CD-ROM you submit. If EPA cannot read your comments due to
technical difficulties and cannot contact you for clarification, EPA
may not be able to consider your comments. Electronic files should
avoid the use of special characters and any form of encryption and be
free of any defects or viruses. For additional information

about EPA's public docket, visit the EPA Docket Center homepage at
http://www.epa.gov/epahome/dockets.htm.
    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
at http://www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at the OEI Docket in the
EPA Headquarters Docket Center.
    Additional Information: For information on the docket or
www.regulations.gov, please contact the Office of Environmental
Information (OEI) Docket (Mail Code: 2822T), U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20460;
telephone:<PHONE_NUMBER>; facsimile:<PHONE_NUMBER>; or email:
<EMAIL_ADDRESS>    For information on the IRIS program, contact Karen Hammerstrom,
IRIS Program Deputy Director, National Center for Environmental
Assessment, (Mail Code: 8601P), Office of Research and Development,
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW.,
Washington, DC 20460; telephone:<PHONE_NUMBER>; or email: FRN
<EMAIL_ADDRESS>    For general questions about access to IRIS, or the content of IRIS,
please call the IRIS Hotline at<PHONE_NUMBER> or send electronic mail
inquiries to<EMAIL_ADDRESS>
    Dated: April 30, 2012.
Darrell A. Winner,
Acting Director, National Center for Environmental Assessment.
[FR Doc. 2012-10935 Filed 5-4-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P


[DATE]
To EPA ENERGY STAR Program:
[BRAND OWNER COMPANY] is the owner of the [BRAND NAME] brand, which it licenses to [LICENSEE] for the manufacture and sale of [BRAND] [ENERGY STAR Product Category  -  e.g., water coolers] in [COUNTRY NAME  -  e.g., the U.S.]. The model number(s) that [LICENSEE] will submit for ENERGY STAR certification under [BRAND NAME] are exclusive to [LICENSEE].
[LICENSEE] bears full responsibility for control of the product including the sales, marketing, distribution, product warranties, and all product certification. Upon completion of the license agreement, [LICENSEE] retains full responsibility for the life of the product.
The following contacts for [BRAND OWNER COMPANY] and [LICENSEE] should be associated with the [LICENSEE] ENERGY STAR Partnership for [ENERGY STAR Product Category]:
BRAND OWNER COMPANY
NAME, TITLE
ADDRESS
PHONE NUMBER
EMAIL ADDRESS

LICENSEE COMPANY
NAME, TITLE
ADDRESS
PHONE NUMBER
EMAIL ADDRESS

The license agreement between [BRAND OWNER COMPANY] and [LICENSEE] ends on [MONTH], [DATE], [YEAR]. When the agreement comes to end or is extended for any reason, [LICENSEE] will provide notification to the EPA indicating any change to the original agreement.
Sincerely,
BRAND OWNER COMPANY
Signature

LICENSEE COMPANY
Signature


[Federal Register: August 29, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 167)]
[Notices]
[Page 49750-49752]
[DOCID:fr29au07-101]

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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Release No. 34-56307; File No. SR-Amex-2007-96]

Self-Regulatory Organizations; American Stock Exchange LLC;
Notice of Filing of Proposed Rule Change Relating to an Extension of
the Options Penny Quoting Pilot Program

August 22, 2007.
    Pursuant to section 19(b)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
(``Act''),\1\ and Rule 19b-4 thereunder,\2\ notice is hereby given that
on August 21, 2007, the American Stock Exchange LLC (``Amex'' or
``Exchange'') filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
(``Commission'') the proposed rule change as described in Items I, II,
and III below, which items have been substantially prepared by Amex.\3\
The Commission is publishing this notice to solicit comments on the
proposed rule change from interested persons.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
    \2\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4.
    \3\ The Commission notes that the proposed rule change submitted
by the Exchange contained non-substantive errors, which, for the
purpose of this notice, have been corrected. The Exchange has
committed to address these errors formally in an amendment to the
proposed rule change following publication of this notice. Telephone
conversation between Jeffrey Burns, Vice President and Associate
General Counsel and Jennifer Colihan, Special Counsel, Division of
Market Regulation, Commission on August 22, 2007.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

I. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Terms of Substance
of the Proposed Rule Change

    The Exchange proposes to (i) Expand the current pilot program for
the quoting of a limited number of options classes in pennies (the
``Penny Quoting Pilot Program'' or ``Pilot Program'') and (ii) extend
the Pilot Program through March 27, 2009. The text of the proposed rule
change is available at http://www.amex.com, at the Exchange, and at the

Commission's Public Reference Room.

II. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Purpose of, and
Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change

    In its filing with the Commission, the Exchange included statements
concerning the purpose of, and basis for, the proposed rule change and
discussed any comments it received on the proposed rule change. The
text of these statements may be examined at the places specified in
Item IV below. The Exchange has prepared summaries, set forth in
sections A, B, and C below, of the most significant aspects of such
statements.

A. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Purpose of, and
Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change

1. Purpose
    The Amex is proposing to expand the current Penny Pilot Quoting
Pilot Program \4\ which commenced on January 26, 2007. The Exchange
believes that expanding the current Pilot Program, as proposed in this
rule filing, will allow further analysis and review of the impact of
penny quoting based on a greater number of actively-traded options
classes.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \4\ See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 55162 (January 24,
2007), 72 FR 4738 (February 1, 2007).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The current Penny Quoting Pilot Program includes thirteen (13)
options classes. The Pilot Program was recently extended by the
Exchange through September 27, 2007.\5\ The Exchange intends to roll-
out the proposed expansion of the Pilot Program in two (2) phases.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \5\ See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 56159 (July 27,
2007), 72 FR 43300 (August 3, 2007).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    First, commencing on September 28, 2007, the Exchange will include
the twenty-two (22) most actively-traded, multiply-listed options
classes (excluding Google (GOOG), Nasdaq-100 Index (NDX) and the
Russell 2000 Index (RUT)) in the Penny Quoting Pilot Program. The
Exchange also proposes to set forth in a Regulatory Circular the list
of the options classes subject to the proposed expansion of the Pilot
Program. In addition to the thirteen (13) options classes that are
currently part of the Pilot Program, this would expand the Penny
Quoting Pilot Program to include approximately 35% of total industry
options volume.
    Second, the Exchange on March 28, 2008 would further commence an
expansion of the Pilot Program to last for one (1) year through March
27, 2009. Amex anticipates that an additional twenty-eight (28) option
classes will be added to the Penny Quoting Pilot Program at that time
such that the Pilot would include the Top 50 multiply-listed options
classes by national volume. As a result, the Pilot Program would then
consist of sixty-three (63) options classes. The Exchange will

submit a proposed rule change pursuant to section 19(b)(3)(A) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 identifying the options classes to be
included in the second phase of the Pilot Program expansion.
    The Exchange believes that the proposed expansion is a measured
increase to the existing Pilot Program given system capacity
constraints and concerns that exist industry-wide. As set forth in the
Exchange's original rule filing in connection with the Pilot Program,
the Amex believes that a considerate and measured expansion is required
because quoting options in pennies is expected to increase quote
message traffic. The Exchange believes that the proposed expansion of
options classes that may quote in pennies under the Pilot Program is
reasonable given the system capacity constraints and quote mitigation
strategies in place at the Amex as well as the other options exchanges.
    The Exchange represents that it will submit reports analyzing the
Pilot Program for the following time periods: (i) May 1, 2007 through
September 27, 2007; (ii) September 28, 2007 through January 31, 2008;
(iii) February 1, 2008 through July 31, 2008; and (iv) August 1, 2008
through January 31, 2009. The Pilot Reports will be submitted to the
Commission within thirty (30) days of the end of such time periods. The
Exchange expects the Pilot Reports, among other things, to assess the
impact of the Pilot Program during the relevant time period comparing
quotation and trading activity as follows: (1) Quotation spread,
quotation size, average daily volume and other relevant factors: (2)
the number of quotations in the Penny Quoting Pilot Program and the
effect on Amex system's capacity; and (3) an assessment of trade-
throughs and how they were addressed.
    The quoting requirements in connection with the Penny Quoting Pilot
Program will continue to provide for (i) A minimum price variation
(``MPV'') of $0.01 for options with premiums of up to $3 or (ii) a MPV
of $0.05 for options with premiums of $3 or greater, except for QQQQ
options which trade at an MPV of $0.01 for all premiums.
    As part of the Penny Quoting Pilot Program, the Exchange
implemented quote mitigation strategies due to concerns regarding
system capacity. The Exchange believes that the quote mitigation
strategies in place since the introduction of the Pilot Program
continue to be effective. Therefore, in this filing, the Exchange is
also proposing to further extend the effectiveness of the quote
mitigation strategies through March 27, 2009.
    Finally, the Exchange believes that an additional extension of the
Penny Quoting Pilot Program through March 27, 2009 is warranted and
appropriate for the purpose of implementing the proposed expansion.
2. Statutory Basis
    The Exchange believes that the proposed rule change is consistent
with section 6(b) of the Act,\6\ in general, and furthers the
objectives of section 6(b)(5) of the Act,\7\ in particular, in that the
proposed rule change is designed to prevent fraudulent and manipulative
acts and practices, to promote just and equitable principles of trade,
to remove impediments to and perfect the mechanism of a free and open
market and a national market system, and, in general, to protect
investors and the public interest.
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    \6\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b).
    \7\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).
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B. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Burden on Competition

    The Exchange does not believe that the proposed rule change will
result in any burden on competition that is not necessary or
appropriate in furtherance of the purposes of the Act.

C. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Comments on the Proposed
Rule Change Received From Members, Participants, or Others

    Written comments on the proposed rule change were neither solicited
nor received.

III. Date of Effectiveness of the Proposed Rule Change and Timing for
Commission Action

    Within 35 days of the date of publication of this notice in the
Federal Register or within such longer period (i) As the Commission may
designate up to 90 days of such date if it finds such longer period to
be appropriate and publishes its reasons for so finding or (ii) as to
which the Exchange consents, the Commission will:
    (A) By order approve such proposed rule change, or
    (B) institute proceedings to determine whether the proposed rule
change should be disapproved.

IV. Solicitation of Comments

    Interested persons are invited to submit written data, views and
arguments concerning the foregoing, including whether the proposed rule
change is consistent with the Act. The Commission also requests and
encourages interested persons to submit comments on the following
specific questions:
     Whether there are circumstances under which options
classes included in the Penny Pilot should be removed from the Pilot?
     If so, what factors should be considered in making the
determination to remove an option class from the Penny Pilot?
    [cir] Should an objective standard be used? For instance, should an
option class come out of the Penny Pilot if its trading volume drops
below a threshold amount? If so, what should that threshold be? Or,
should an option class come out of the Penny Pilot if it is no longer
among the most actively-traded options? If so, what should be
considered the most-actively traded options? What statistics or
analysis should be used to support a determination to remove an options
class?
    [cir] Should a more subjective analysis be allowed? If so, what
factors should be taken into account?
     What concerns might arise by removing an option from the
Penny Pilot? How could such concerns be ameliorated?
     How frequently should the analysis be undertaken (e.g.,
annually, bi-annually, quarterly), or should the evaluation be an
automated process?
     If a determination is made that an option should be
removed from the Penny Pilot, how much notice should be given to market
participants that the quoting increment will change?
    Comments may be submitted by any of the following methods:

Electronic Comments

     Use the Commission's Internet comment form (http://www.sec.gov/rules/sro.shtml.
); or     Send an e-mail to<EMAIL_ADDRESS>Please include

File Number SR-Amex-2007-96 on the subject line.

Paper Comments

     Send paper comments in triplicate to Nancy M. Morris,
Secretary, Securities and Exchange Commission, 100 F. Street, NE.,
Washington, DC 20549-1090.
    All submissions should refer to File Number SR-Amex-2007-96. This
file number should be included on the subject line if e-mail is used.
To help the Commission process and review your comments more
efficiently, please use only one method. The Commission will post all
comments on the Commission's Internet Web site (http://www.sec.gov/rules/sro.shtml
 ). Copies of the

submission, all subsequent amendments, all written statements with
respect to the proposed rule change that are filed with the Commission,
and all written communications relating to the proposed rule change
between the Commission and any person, other than those that may be
withheld from the public in accordance with the provisions of 5 U.S.C.
552, will be available for inspection and copying in the Commission's
Public Reference Room, 100 F. Street, NE., Washington, DC 20549, on
official business days between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Copies
of such filing also will be available for inspection and copying at the
principal office of the Exchange. All comments received will be posted
without change; the Commission does not edit personal identifying
information from submissions. You should submit only information that
you wish to make available publicly. All submissions should refer to
File Number SR-Amex-2007-96 and should be submitted on or before
September 19, 2007.
    For the Commission, by the Division of Market Regulation, pursuant
to delegated authority.\8\
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    \8\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).

Florence E. Harmon,
Deputy Secretary.
 [FR Doc. E7-17082 Filed 8-28-07; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 8010-01-P


[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 34 (Wednesday, February 22, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11353-11355]
[FR Doc No: 2017-03412]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP17-15-000]

Dominion Cove Point LNG, LP; Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Eastern Market Access
Project, Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice of
Public Scoping Session

    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or
Commission) will prepare an environmental assessment (EA) that will
discuss the environmental impacts of the Eastern Market Access Project
involving construction and operation of facilities by Dominion Cove
Point LNG, LP (DCP) in Charles County, Maryland and Loudoun and Fairfax
Counties, Virginia. The Commission will use this EA in its decision-
making process to determine whether the project is in the public
convenience and necessity.
    This notice announces the opening of the scoping process the
Commission will use to gather input from the public and interested
agencies on the project. You can make a difference by providing us with
your specific comments or concerns about the project. Your comments
should focus on the potential environmental effects, reasonable
alternatives, and measures to avoid or lessen environmental impacts.
Your input will help the Commission staff determine what issues they
need to evaluate in the EA. To ensure that your comments are timely and
properly recorded, please send your comments so that the Commission
receives them in Washington, DC on or before March 17, 2017.
    If you sent comments on this project to the Commission before the
opening of this docket on November 15, 2016, you will need to file
those comments in Docket No. CP17-15-000 to ensure they are considered
as part of this proceeding.
    This notice is being sent to the Commission's current environmental
mailing list for this project. State and local government
representatives should notify their constituents of this proposed
project and encourage them to comment on their areas of concern.
    DCP provided landowners with a fact sheet prepared by the FERC
entitled ``An Interstate Natural Gas Facility On My Land? What Do I
Need To Know?'' This fact sheet addresses a number of typically asked
questions, including the use of eminent domain and how to participate
in the Commission's proceedings. It is also available for viewing on
the FERC Web site (www.ferc.gov).

Public Participation

    For your convenience, there are four methods you can use to submit
your comments to the Commission. The Commission will provide equal
consideration to all comments received, whether filed in written form
or provided verbally. The Commission encourages electronic filing of
comments and has expert staff available to assist you at<PHONE_NUMBER>
or<EMAIL_ADDRESS>Please carefully follow these instructions so that
your comments are properly recorded.
    (1) You can file your comments electronically using the eComment
feature on the Commission's Web site (www.ferc.gov) under the link to
Documents and Filings. This is an easy method for submitting brief,
text-only comments on a project;
    (2) You can file your comments electronically by using the eFiling
feature on the Commission's Web site (www.ferc.gov) under the link to
Documents and Filings. With eFiling, you can provide comments in a
variety of formats by attaching them as a file with your submission.
New eFiling users must first create an account by clicking on
``eRegister.'' If you are filing a comment on a particular project,
please select ``Comment on a Filing'' as the filing type; or
    (3) You can file a paper copy of your comments by mailing them to
the following address. Be sure to reference the project docket number
(CP17-15-000) with your submission: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary,
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE., Room 1A,
Washington, DC 20426.
    (4) In lieu of sending written or electronic comments, the
Commission invites you to attend the public scoping session its staff
will conduct in the project area, scheduled as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
             Date and time                           Location
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thursday, March 2, 2017, 4:00 p.m.-8:00  Hilton Garden Inn--Waldorf,
 p.m..                                    10385 O'Donnell Place,
                                          Waldorf, Maryland 20603.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The primary goal of this scoping session is to have you identify
the specific environmental issues and concerns that should be
considered in the EA to be prepared for this project. Individual verbal
comments will be

taken on a one-on-one basis with a court reporter. This format is
designed to receive the maximum amount of verbal comments, in a
convenient way during the timeframe allotted.
    The scoping session is scheduled from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time
Zone. You may arrive at any time after 3:30 p.m. There will not be a
formal presentation by Commission staff when the session opens. If you
wish to speak, the Commission staff will hand out numbers in the order
of your arrival; distribution of numbers will be discontinued at 7:00
p.m. Please see appendix 1 for additional information on the session
format and conduct.\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ The appendices referenced in this notice will not appear in
the Federal Register. Copies of the appendices were sent to all
those receiving this notice in the mail and are available at
www.ferc.gov using the link called ``eLibrary'' or from the
Commission's Public Reference Room, 888 First Street NE.,
Washington, DC 20426, or call<PHONE_NUMBER>. For instructions on
connecting to eLibrary, refer to the last page of this notice.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Your scoping comments will be recorded by the court reporter (with
FERC staff or representative present) and become part of the public
record for this proceeding. Transcripts will be publicly available on
FERC's eLibrary system (see below for instructions on using eLibrary).
If a significant number of people are interested in providing verbal
comments in the one-on-one settings, a time limit of 5 minutes may be
implemented for each commentor.
    It is important to note that verbal comments hold the same weight
as written or electronically submitted comments. Although there will
not be a formal presentation, Commission staff will be available
throughout the comment session to answer your questions about the
environmental review process. Representatives from DCP will also be
present to answer project-specific questions.

Summary of the Proposed Project

    DCP proposes to provide 294 million standard cubic feet per day of
natural gas firm transportation service to Washington Gas Light Company
and to fuel a new power generation facility, the Mattawoman Energy
Center, proposed by Mattawoman Energy, LLC. DCP's proposed project
facilities are in Maryland and Virginia.
    The project would consist of the following facilities:
     A new 24,370 horsepower (hp) natural gas compressor
station and ancillary facilities in Charles County, Maryland;
     two new taps for customer delivery at the existing WGL
Interconnect in Charles County, Maryland;
     One new 7,000 hp electric reciprocating compression unit
and discharge gas cooler, replacement of three gas coolers and
compression cylinders for three existing reciprocating compressors, and
an increase discharge piping to 30-inches diameter at the existing
Loudoun Compressor Station in Loudoun County, Virginia;
     one new meter building to enclose existing equipment at
the Loudoun Metering and Regulating Station in Loudoun County,
Virginia.
     Pleasant Valley Compressor Station (Fairfax County,
Virginia):
     Re-wheel compressor on one existing 17,400 hp electric
unit and upgrade two gas coolers at the Pleasant Valley Compressor
Station in Fairfax County, Virginia.
    The general location of the project facilities is shown in appendix
1.

Land Requirements for Construction

    Construction of the proposed facilities would impact 48.3 acres of
land during construction, with 18.9 acres maintained for operation of
the facilities. The remaining 29.4 acres would be restored and revert
to former uses. Construction would occur within DCP-owned lands, or
within existing, maintained DCP rights-of-way.

The EA Process

    The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires the
Commission to take into account the environmental impacts that could
result from an action whenever it considers the issuance of a
Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity. NEPA also requires us
\2\ to discover and address concerns the public may have about
proposals. This process is referred to as ``scoping.'' The main goal of
the scoping process is to focus the analysis in the EA on the important
environmental issues. By this notice, the Commission requests public
comments on the scope of the issues to address in the EA. We will
consider all filed comments during the preparation of the EA.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ ``We,'' ``us,'' and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff
of the Commission's Office of Energy Projects.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    In the EA we will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of
the construction and operation of the proposed project under these
general headings:
     Geology and soils;
     land use and socioeconomics;
     water resources, fisheries, and wetlands;
     cultural resources;
     vegetation and wildlife;
     air quality and noise;
     endangered and threatened species;
     public safety; and
     cumulative impacts.
    We will also evaluate reasonable alternatives to the proposed
project or portions of the project, and make recommendations on how to
lessen or avoid impacts on the various resource areas.
    The EA will present our independent analysis of the issues. The EA
will be available in the public record through eLibrary. We will
publish and distribute the EA to the public for an allotted comment
period. We will consider all comments on the EA before making our
recommendations to the Commission. To ensure we have the opportunity to
consider and address your comments, please carefully follow the
instructions in the Public Participation section, beginning on page 2.
    With this notice, we are asking agencies with jurisdiction by law
and/or special expertise with respect to the environmental issues of
this project to formally cooperate with us in the preparation of the
EA.\3\ Agencies that would like to request cooperating agency status
should follow the instructions for filing comments provided under the
Public Participation section of this notice.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \3\ The Council on Environmental Quality regulations addressing
cooperating agency responsibilities are at Title 40, Code of Federal
Regulations, Part 1501.6.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Consultations Under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation
Act

    In accordance with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation's
implementing regulations for section 106 of the National Historic
Preservation Act, we are using this notice to initiate consultation
with the applicable State Historic Preservation Offices (SHPO), and to
solicit their views and those of other government agencies, interested
Indian tribes, and the public on the project's potential effects on
historic properties.\4\ We will define the project-specific Area of
Potential Effects (APE) in consultation with the SHPO(s) as the project
develops. On natural gas facility projects, the APE at a minimum
encompasses all areas subject to ground disturbance (examples include
construction right-of-way, contractor/pipe storage yards, compressor
stations, and access roads). Our EA for this project will document our
findings on

the impacts on historic properties and summarize the status of
consultations under section 106.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \4\ The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation's regulations
are at Title 36, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 800. Those
regulations define historic properties as any prehistoric or
historic district, site, building, structure, or object included in
or eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic
Places.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Environmental Mailing List

    The environmental mailing list includes federal, state, and local
government representatives and agencies; elected officials;
environmental and public interest groups; Native American Tribes; other
interested parties; and local libraries and newspapers. This list also
includes all affected landowners (as defined in the Commission's
regulations) who are potential right-of-way grantors, whose property
may be used temporarily for project purposes, or who own homes within
certain distances of aboveground facilities, and anyone who submits
comments on the project. We will update the environmental mailing list
as the analysis proceeds to ensure that we send the information related
to this environmental review to all individuals, organizations, and
government entities interested in and/or potentially affected by the
proposed project.
    Copies of the EA will be sent to the environmental mailing list for
public review and comment. If you would prefer to receive a paper copy
of the document instead of the CD version or would like to remove your
name from the mailing list, please return the attached Information
Request (appendix 2).

Becoming an Intervenor

    In addition to involvement in the EA scoping process, you may want
to become an ``intervenor'' which is an official party to the
Commission's proceeding. Intervenors play a more formal role in the
process and are able to file briefs, appear at hearings, and be heard
by the courts if they choose to appeal the Commission's final ruling.
An intervenor formally participates in the proceeding by filing a
request to intervene. Instructions for becoming an intervenor are in
the ``Document-less Intervention Guide'' under the ``e-filing'' link on
the Commission's Web site. Motions to intervene are more fully
described at http://www.ferc.gov/resources/guides/how-to/intervene.asp.

Additional Information

    Additional information about the project is available from the
Commission's Office of External Affairs, at (866) 208-FERC, or on the
FERC Web site at www.ferc.gov using the ``eLibrary'' link. Click on the
eLibrary link, click on ``General Search'' and enter the docket number,
excluding the last three digits in the Docket Number field (i.e., CP17-
15-000). Be sure you have selected an appropriate date range. For
assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at
<EMAIL_ADDRESS>or toll free at<PHONE_NUMBER>, or for TTY,
contact<PHONE_NUMBER>. The eLibrary link also provides access to the
texts of formal documents issued by the Commission, such as orders,
notices, and rulemakings.
    In addition, the Commission offers a free service called
eSubscription which allows you to keep track of all formal issuances
and submittals in specific dockets. This can reduce the amount of time
you spend researching proceedings by automatically providing you with
notification of these filings, document summaries, and direct links to
the documents. Go to www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/esubscription.asp.
    Finally, public sessions or site visits will be posted on the
Commission's calendar located at www.ferc.gov/EventCalendar/EventsList.aspx along with other related information.

    Dated: February 15, 2017.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2017-03412 Filed 2-21-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6717-01-P