[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 191 (Thursday, October 2, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51657-51658]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-25878]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-5900-8]


Announcement of Stakeholders Meeting on the National Primary 
Drinking Water Regulation for Radon-222

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

ACTION: Notice of stakeholders meeting.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will be holding a 
one-day public meeting on Thursday, October 30, 1997, in Boston, MA. 
The purpose of this meeting is to present information on EPA's plans 
for activities to develop a proposed National Primary Drinking Water 
Regulation (NPDWR) for radon-222, and solicit public input on major 
technical and implementation issues, and on preferred approaches for 
continued public involvement. This upcoming meeting is the third of a 
series of stakeholders meetings on the NPDWR for radon. The first 
meeting was held on June 26, 1997 in Washington, DC and the second 
meeting on September 2, 1997 in San Francisco, CA. These meetings were 
initiated as part of the Drinking Water Program Redirection efforts to 
help refocus EPA's drinking water priorities and to support strong, 
flexible partnerships among EPA, States, Tribes, local governments, and 
the public. At the upcoming meeting, EPA is seeking input from State 
and Tribal drinking water and radon programs, the regulated community 
(public water systems), public health and safety organizations, 
environmental and public interest groups, and other stakeholders on a 
number of issues related to developing the NPDWR for radon. EPA 
encourages the full participation of stakeholders throughout this 
process.

DATES: The stakeholder meeting on the NPDWR for radon will be held on 
Thursday, October 30, 1997 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m EST. Check-in 
will begin at 8:30 a.m.

ADDRESSES: To register for the meeting, please contact the Safe 
Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791. Those registered for the 
meeting by October 17, 1997 will receive an agenda, logistics sheet, 
and background materials prior to the meeting. The agenda and 
background materials will be similar to the previous stakeholders 
meetings on radon held in Washington, DC and San Francisco, CA. Members 
of the public who cannot participate may submit comments in writing by 
November 14, 1997 to Sylvia Malm, at the U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency, 401 M St., SW (4607), Washington, DC, 20460. The meeting will 
be held in Boston, MA. The address of the meeting site will be included 
with the background materials or available from the Hotline.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information on meeting 
logistics, please contact the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-
4791. For information on the activities related to developing the NPDWR 
for radon and other EPA activities under the Safe Drinking Water Act, 
contact the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791. For 
information on radon in indoor air, contact the National Safety 
Council's National Radon Hotline at 1-800-SOS-RADON.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

A. Background

    On July 18, 1991 (56 FR 33050), EPA proposed a Maximum Contaminant 
Level Goal (MCLG) and National Primary Drinking Water Regulation 
(NPDWR) for radon and other radionuclides in public water supplies. EPA 
proposed to regulate radon at 300 pCi/L. Commenters on the 1991 
proposed NPDWR for radon raised several concerns, including cost of 
implementation, especially for small

[[Page 51658]]

systems, and the larger risk to public health from radon in indoor air 
from soil under buildings.
    On August 6, 1996, amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) 
were enacted, which establish a new charter for the nation's public 
water systems, States, and EPA in protecting the safety of drinking 
water. The amendments [section 1412(b)(13)] direct EPA to develop an 
MCLG and NPDWR for radon. EPA is required to (1) withdraw the 1991 
proposed MCLG and NPDWR for radon-222 (the proposed rule for radon was 
withdrawn on August 6, 1997; 62 FR 42221); (2) arrange for the National 
Academy of Sciences (NAS) to conduct an independent risk assessment for 
radon in drinking water and an independent assessment of risk reduction 
benefits from various mitigation measures to reduce radon in indoor 
air; (3) publish a radon health risk reduction and cost analysis for 
possible radon Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) for public comment by 
February 1999; (4) propose an MCLG and NPDWR for radon by August 1999; 
and (5) publish a final MCLG and NPDWR for radon by August 2000.
    If the MCL is ``more stringent than necessary to reduce the 
contribution to radon in indoor air from drinking water to a 
concentration that is equivalent to the national average concentration 
of radon in outdoor air,'' EPA is also required to promulgate an 
alternative MCL and publish guidelines for state multimedia mitigation 
programs to mitigate radon levels in indoor air. The alternative MCL 
would ``result in a contribution of radon from drinking water to radon 
levels in indoor air equivalent to the national average concentration 
of radon in outdoor air.'' States may develop and submit to EPA for 
approval a multimedia mitigation program to mitigate radon levels in 
indoor air. EPA shall approve State multimedia mitigation programs if 
they are expected to achieve equivalent or greater health risk 
reduction benefits than compliance with the MCL. If EPA approves a 
State multimedia mitigation program, public water supply systems within 
the State may comply with the alternative MCL. If EPA does not approve 
a State program, or the State does not propose a program, public water 
supply systems may propose multimedia mitigation programs to EPA, under 
the same procedures outlined for States.

B. Request for Stakeholder Involvement

    EPA intends for the proposed NPDWR for radon to incorporate the 
best available science, treatment technologies, occurrence data, cost/
benefit analyses, and stakeholder input on technical and implementation 
issues. EPA has evaluated comments on the 1991 proposed NPDWR for radon 
and will be considering those comments in developing the regulation.
    The meeting will cover a broad range of issues including: (1) radon 
in drinking water MCL development (treatment technologies, occurrence, 
analytical methods); (2) multimedia mitigation program; and (3) 
stakeholder involvement processes. Background materials on radon in 
drinking water issues will be sent to all registered participants in 
advance of the meeting. Issues for discussion and stakeholder input 
will be based on the materials provided and include (but may not be 
limited to) the following:
    (1) Any new information or data;
    (2) Issues and concerns related to rule development;
    (3) Issues and concerns related to implementing a multimedia 
mitigation program from the perspective of your state, water systems, 
public health and safety organizations, environmental and public 
interest groups, and the public; and
    (4) Recommendations on the most beneficial points in the process 
for stakeholder input and preferred approaches for stakeholder input.
    EPA has announced this public meeting to hear the views of 
stakeholders on EPA's plans for activities to develop a NPDWR for 
radon. The public is invited to provide comments on the issues listed 
above and other issues related to the radon in drinking water 
regulation during the October 30, 1997 meeting or in writing by 
November 14, 1997.

    Dated: September 23, 1997.
Elizabeth Fellows,
Acting Director, Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water.
[FR Doc. 97-25878 Filed 10-1-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P