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[Federal Register: April 10, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 69)]
[Notices]
[Page 19036-19037]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr10ap00-131]
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DEPARTMENT OF STATE
[Public Notice No. 3276]
Bureau of Oceans, International Environmental and Scientific
Affairs; Public Meeting to Discuss Progress on International
Harmonization of Chemical Hazard Classification and Labeling
SUMMARY: The United States Government, through an interagency working
group, is preparing for a series of international meetings to further
develop a harmonized system of chemical hazard classification and
labeling, an effort referred to as the "globally harmonized system"
or GHS. The Department of State is announcing a public meeting to
review the progress since the last public meeting on October 6, 1999,
and to outline the issues likely to arise in upcoming international
meetings. The public meeting will take place on Thursday, April 27,
2000, from 10:00 am until noon in Room 311 of the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, Crystal Mall 2, 1921 Jefferson Davis Highway,
Arlington, Virginia. To facilitate entry, attendees should bring
picture identification with them. No advance registration is necessary.
For further information, please contact Marie Ricciardone, U.S.
Department of State, Office of Environmental Policy (OES/ENV), Room
4325, 2201 C Street NW, Washington, DC 20520; telephone (202) 647-9799;
fax (202) 647-5947; e-mail RicciardoneMD@state.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The U.S. Department of State is issuing this
notice to help ensure that interested organizations and individuals are
aware of and knowledgeable about the effort to internationally
harmonize chemical hazard classification and labeling, and have an
opportunity to offer comments. Several agencies participate in the U.S.
government interagency group, including: Department of State,
Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Transportation,
Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Consumer Product Safety
Commission, Food and Drug Administration, Department of Commerce,
Department of Agriculture, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, and
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. For more complete
information on the harmonization process, please refer to State
Department Public Notice 2526, pages 15951-15957 of the Federal
Register of April 3, 1997.
This meeting will provide an update on GHS activities since the
previous public meeting on October 6, 1999 (see Department of State
Public Notice 3121 on page 49834 of the Federal Register of September
14, 1999):
-- Fourth Meeting of the Inter-Organization Program for the
Sound Management of Chemicals (IOMC)/International Labor Organization
(ILO) Working Group on Hazard Communication, November 1-4, 1999,
Washington, DC;
-- Fifteenth Consultation of the IOMC Coordinating Group for
the Harmonization of Chemical Classification Systems, November 5, 1999,
Washington, DC;
-- Fifth Meeting of the Organization for Economic Cooperation
and Development Expert Group on Classification Criteria for Chemical
Mixtures, November 8-9, 1999, Washington, DC;
-- Seventeenth Session of the UN Subcommittee of Experts on
the Transport of Dangerous Goods, December 6-16, 1999, Geneva,
Switzerland;
-- Fifth Meeting of the Expert Group on Aquatic Environmental
Hazards, February 14-15, 2000, Paris, France;
-- Third Meeting of the OECD Ad Hoc Expert Group on Target
Organ/Systemic Toxicity of the Task Force on Harmonization of
Classification and Labeling, February 16-17, 2000, Paris, France;
[[Page 19037]]
-- Ninth Meeting of the OECD Task Force on Harmonization of
Classification and Labeling, February 17-18, 2000, Paris, France.
Members of the interagency working group will also provide an
overview of the U.S. preparations for upcoming international meetings:
-- The Fifth Meeting of the IOMC/ILO Working Group of Hazard
Communication, May 22-25, 2000, Geneva, Switzerland will consider
hazard communication label elements for the public and specialized
audiences, and material safety data sheets for workers;
-- The Sixteenth Consultation of the IOMC Coordinating Group
for the Harmonization of Chemical Classification Systems, May 26, 2000,
Geneva, Switzerland will consider GHS implementation issues;
-- The Sixth Meeting of the OECD Expert Group on
Classification Criteria for Chemical Mixtures, May 29-31, 2000, Paris,
France will develop approaches and options for a harmonized system of
classifying mixtures according to their health and environmental
hazards;
-- The Eighteenth Session of the UN Subcommittee on Experts
on the Transport of Dangerous Goods, July 3-13, 2000, Geneva,
Switzerland will consider classification criteria for flammable
aerosols.
Interested organizations and individuals are invited to present
their views orally and/or in writing at the public meeting. Those
organizations/individuals that cannot attend the April 27, 2000
meeting, but wish to submit a written comment or remain informed,
should provide Eunice Mourning of the Office of Environmental Policy,
U.S. Department of State (telephone 202-647-9266; fax 202-647-5947)
with their statement and/or name, organization, address, telephone and
fax numbers, and e-mail address. All written comments will be placed in
the OSHA public docket (H-022H), which is open Monday through Friday,
from 10 am until 4 pm, at the Department of Labor, Room 2625, 200
Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC; telephone 202-219-7894; fax:
202-219-5046. Interested organizations /individuals that wish to
receive future notifications of GHS-related developments by email
should contact Mary Frances Lowe of the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency at "lowe.maryfrances@epa.gov".
Dated: April 4, 2000.
Daniel T. Fantozzi,
Director, Office of Environmental Policy, Department of State.
[FR Doc. 00-8782 Filed 4-7-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-06-U
[end of document]
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