[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 205 (Thursday, October 23, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55249-55250]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-28145]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-5913-5]
Science Advisory Board; Notification of Public Advisory Committee
Meetings; November 18-20, 1997
Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, Public Law 92-463,
notice is hereby given that the Radiation Advisory Committee (RAC) and
its Uncertainty in Radiogenic Risk Subcommittee (URRS) of the Science
Advisory Board (SAB) will meet on the dates and times described below.
All times noted are Eastern Time. All meetings are open to the public,
however, seating is limited and available on a first come basis.
Documents that are the subject of SAB reviews are normally available
from the originating U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) office
and are not available from the SAB Office. Public drafts of SAB reports
are available to the Agency and the public from the SAB office. Details
on availability are noted below.
1. Radiation Advisory Committee (RAC)
The Science Advisory Board's (SAB's) Radiation Advisory Committee
(RAC) will conduct a public meeting on Tuesday and Wednesday, November
18 and 19, 1997. The meeting will convene both days at 9:00 a.m. in the
Ramada Hotel, 901 N. Fairfax Street, Old Town Alexandria, Virginia
22314 (tel. 703-683-6000) and adjourn no later than 5:30 pm each day.
At this meeting, the RAC will briefly discuss projects that are
planned to be reviewed in Fiscal Year (FY) 1998, as well as conduct an
advisory of the Agency's Environmental Radiation Ambient Monitoring
System (ERAMS), and a consultation on disposal of Federal low activity
radioactive wastes. In addition to the projects that are currently
under review by the RAC, the likely FY 1998 projects to be briefly
discussed for planning purposes include a proposed consultation on the
methodology for identifying high radon geographic areas, a discussion
on the Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation (BEIR) VI, an advisory
on a white paper regarding estimating cancer risks for indoor radon as
a basis for establishing cancer risks for radon, a revised radon risk
assessment (which looks at the National Academy of Sciences
recommendations for a model coming out of the final peer reviews), a
consultation on the revised diffuse Naturally-Occurring Radioactive
Material (NORM) draft scoping document being prepared by the Office of
Radiation and Indoor Air (ORIA) staff, and a courtesy briefing on the
Multi-Agency Radiation Laboratory Analytical Procedures (MARLAP)
manual, which is under development. Other topics may be discussed as
time permits.
At this meeting, the RAC will review the draft document entitled
``Reconfiguration Design of the Environmental Radiation Ambient
Monitoring System,'' October 1997. The charge questions which focus on
the technical issues pertinent to the ERAMS advisory are as follows: a)
Will the proposed reconfiguration of the current ERAMS system enable it
to meet the system's two basic objectives more effectively and
efficiently as described in the attached document?; b) Are the criteria
used for matrix selection, determination of sampling locations and
sampling frequency and other network features appropriate given the
reconfigured ERAMS stated mission and objectives? Are there other
criteria that should be considered?; and c) Will the proposed changes
to the system's current data dissemination and data evaluation
practices increase the data's usefulness to governmental agencies, the
scientific community and the public? Are there any other interpretation
issues and/or practices that should be addressed?
2. Uncertainty in Radiogenic Risk Subcommittee
The Uncertainty in Radiogenic Risk Subcommittee (URRS) of the
Science Advisory Board's (SAB) Radiation Advisory Committee (RAC) will
meet Thursday, November 20, 1997 from 9:00 a.m. to no later than 4:00
p.m. at the Ramada Hotel, 901 N. Fairfax Street, Old Town Alexandria,
Virginia 22314 (tel. 703-683-6000).
At this meeting, the RAC's URRS will review the draft document
entitled ``Uncertainty Analysis for Estimating Radiogenic Cancer
Risks,'' October, 1997. The charge questions pertaining to the review
on uncertainty analysis for estimating radiogenic cancer risks are as
follows: (a) Are the relevant major sources of uncertainties
addressed?; (b) Is the overall approach to quantifying and combining
uncertainties appropriate?, and (c) Are the mathematical functions used
to characterize the various sources of uncertainty reasonable, in view
of available scientific information?
For Further Information--Any member of the public wishing further
information concerning the meeting, such as copies of the proposed
meeting agenda, or who wish to submit comments should contact Mrs.
Diana L. Pozun at Tel. (202) 260-8432; FAX (202) 260-7118, or via the
Internet at: [email protected]. Members of the public who
wish to make a brief oral presentation to the Committee must contact
Dr. K. Jack Kooyoomjian in writing (by letter or by fax--see previously
stated information) no later than 12 noon Eastern Time, Wednesday,
November 12, 1997 in order to be included on the Agenda. Public
comments will be normally limited to five minutes per speaker or
organization. The request should identify the name of the individual
who
[[Page 55250]]
will make the presentation, the organization (if any) they will
represent, any requirements for audio visual equipment (e.g., overhead
projector, 35mm projector, chalkboard, easel, etc), and at least 35
copies of an outline of the issues to be addressed or the presentation
itself. Further information pertaining to the meeting may be obtained
directly from Dr. K. Jack Kooyoomjian, Designated Federal Official for
the Radiation Advisory Committee, Science Advisory Board (1400), U.S.
EPA, Washington, DC 20460, phone (202)-260-2560; fax (202)-260-7118; or
via E-mail at: [email protected].
For questions pertaining to the review of uncertainty analysis for
estimating radiogenic cancer risks, and to obtain copies of the draft
document being reviewed, as well as background documents provided to
the SAB's RAC, please contact Dr. Jerome S. Puskin, (6602J), ORIA/EPA
at (202) 233-9212. To discuss any other aspects of this review or any
supporting or background information, please contact Mr. Brian
Littleton, (6601J), ORIA, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M
Street, SW, Washington, D.C. 20460, tel. (202) 233-9216; fax (202) 233-
9651; or E-mail: [email protected]. After November 1,
1997 please call Mr. Littleton at (202) 564-9216.
For questions pertaining to the ERAMS advisory review, and to
obtain copies of the draft document being reviewed, as well as
background documents provided to the SAB's RAC, please contact LT.
Rhonda Cook, US Public Health Service (PHS)/EPA at (334) 270-3413. The
SAB's RAC conducted an earlier advisory on ERAMS on July 13 and 14,
1995 and produced an SAB advisory (EPA-SAB-RAC-ADV-96-003, April 5,
1996). For copies of this earlier SAB report, please contact the SAB's
Committee Evaluation Support Staff (CESS) at (202) 260-8414; FAX (202)
260-7118. For additional information or to discuss technical aspects of
any of the other ORIA agenda topics, or any supporting or background
information, please contact Mr. Brian Littleton, (6601J), Office of
Radiation and Indoor Air (ORIA), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
401 M Street, SW, Washington, D.C. 20460, tel. (202) 233-9216; fax
(202) 233-9651; or E-mail: [email protected]. After
November 1, 1997 please call Mr. Littleton at (202) 564-9216.
Providing Oral or Written Comments at SAB Meetings
The Science Advisory Board expects that public statements presented
at its meetings will not be repetitive of previously submitted oral or
written statements. In general, for meetings, opportunities for oral
comment will usually be limited to no more than five minutes per
speaker and no more than thirty minutes total. Written comments (at
least 35 copies) received in the SAB Staff Office sufficiently prior to
a meeting date (usually one week before the meeting), may be mailed to
the relevant SAB committee or subcommittee; comments received too close
to the meeting date will normally be provided to the committee at its
meeting. Written comments may be provided to the relevant committee or
subcommittee up until the time of the meeting.
Information concerning the Science Advisory Board, its structure,
function, and composition, may be found in The FY1996 Annual Report of
the Staff Director which is available from the SAB Committee Evaluation
and Support Staff (CESS) by contacting US EPA, Science Advisory Board
(1400), Attention: CESS, 401 M Street, SW, Washington, DC 20460 or via
fax (202) 260-1889. Additional information concerning the SAB can be
found on the SAB Home Page at: http://www.epa.gov/sab.
Dated: October 17, 1997.
Donald G. Barnes,
Staff Director, Science Advisory Board.
[FR Doc. 97-28145 Filed 10-22-97; 8:45 am]
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