[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 47 (Wednesday, March 11, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11894-11895]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-6277]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-5976-5]


Science Advisory Board Notification of Public Advisory Committee 
Meetings, March 1998

    Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, Public Law 92-463, 
notification is hereby given that two committees of the Science 
Advisory Board (SAB) will meet on the dates and times described below. 
All meetings are open to the public. Due to limited space, seating at 
meetings will be on a first-come, first-served basis. All time noted 
are Eastern Daylight Time. For further information concerning specific 
meetings, please contact the individuals listed below. Documents that 
are the subject of SAB reviews are normally available from the 
originating EPA office and are not available from the SAB Office.

1. Ecological Processes and Effects Committee (EPEC)

    The Ecological Processes and Effects Committee of the Science 
Advisory Board (SAB) will meet on March 24-25, 1998 in the Conference 
Facility at the New England Aquarium, Central Wharf, Boston, MA 02110, 
telephone (617) 973-5220. The meeting is open to the public, but 
seating will be limited and available on a first come, first served 
basis. The meeting will convene at 8:30 a.m. on March 24, and at 8:00 
a.m. on March 25, and end no later than 5:30 pm on both days. The 
purpose of the meeting is to: (a) Review the final report from the 
Blackstone River Initiative, Water Quality Analysis of the Blackstone 
River Under Wet and Dry Weather Conditions; and (b) conduct general 
committee business, including discussion of potential strategic 
projects to be undertaken in 1998.
    Background--Blackstone River Initiative: The Blackstone River, 
which flows through south central Massachusetts into northeastern Rhode 
Island, is an important natural, recreational, and cultural resource to 
MA and RI and a major source of freshwater to Narragansett Bay. Over 
the years, the Blackstone River watershed has been the site of 
industrial and urban/suburban development, with the resultant 
hydrologic alteration (e.g., dams and impoundments) and pollutant 
loadings to the river. EPA Region I began the Blackstone River 
Initiative in 1991, in part to address concerns about the pollutant 
loadings contributed by the river to Narragansett Bay and to foster 
river restoration efforts. The final report from the Blackstone River 
Initiative, which describes the wet and dry weather monitoring efforts, 
application of fate and transport models, and determination of annual 
pollutant loading rates, has been submitted to the Science Advisory 
Board for review with regard to the following questions.

Overall Charge Question

    (a) The Blackstone River Initiative was a multi-phased, 
interagency, interstate project established to: (1) Determine the 
current water quality of the Blackstone River under both wet and dry 
weather conditions; (2) assess the relative contribution of pollutant 
loadings from point and non-point sources in the watershed; and (3) 
forecast annual pollutant loading rates. In general, were the study 
design and implementation appropriate to fulfill these objectives?

More Specifically, the Committee Is Asked To Consider the Following

    (b) Please comment on the approach used to describe the fate of 
dissolved oxygen in the Blackstone River. Are the procedures used to 
calibrate and validate the dissolved oxygen model appropriate?
    (c) A basic, mathematical model was used to describe the fate of 
suspended solids and trace metals in the Blackstone River. Please 
comment on this approach. The dry weather trace metal data was also 
used to define aquatic life criteria violations. Please comment on this 
approach and its relevance to ambient water toxicity.
    (d) The data from the Blackstone River Initiative were used to 
determine the relative importance between dry and wet weather pollutant 
loads and point and non-point sources of pollution. The analysis led to 
the identification of river reach pollutant hot spots. Please comment 
on whether this analysis appears appropriate.
    (e) A procedure was followed to combine the dry weather modeling 
and dry and wet weather data analysis to estimate annual loading rates 
to Narragansett Bay by the Blackstone River. Is the application of this 
procedure appropriate and is the methodology transferable to other 
watersheds?
    (f) The Blackstone River Initiative has generated a substantial 
data base of information for a moderately sized watershed. What is the 
utility of this data base on CD-ROM as a resource for other 
applications?
    For Further Information--Any member of the public wishing to obtain 
copies of the Blackstone River review materials provided to the SAB for 
the meeting should contact Peter Nolan, Office of Environmental 
Measurement and Evaluation, U.S. EPA Region I, at (781) 860-4343 or E-
mail at [email protected]. (Review documents are NOT available from 
the SAB office).
    For a copy of the draft meeting agenda, please contact Ms. Wanda R. 
Fields, Secretary for EPEC, at (202) 260-8414, Fax at (202) 260-7118, 
or E-mail: [email protected]. Any member of the public wishing to 
submit brief oral comments to the Committee must contact Stephanie 
Sanzone, Designated Federal Officer for EPEC, in writing, no later than 
4:00 pm Eastern Time on March 17, 1998 at Science Advisory Board 
(1400), U.S. EPA, Washington, DC 20460, tel. (202) 260-6557; fax (202)-
260-7118; or E-mail: [email protected]. Written comments in any 
length may be

[[Page 11895]]

provided to Ms. Sanzone at the above address prior to the meeting. See 
below for details on providing comments to the SAB.

2. Executive Committee

    The Executive Committee (EC) of the Science Advisory Board's (SAB) 
will conduct a public teleconference meeting on Tuesday, March 31, 
1998, between the hours of 3:00 and 5:00 pm, Eastern Time. The meeting 
will be coordinated through a conference call connection in Room 2103 
of the Mall at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M Street 
SW, Washington, DC 20460. The public is welcome to attend the meeting 
physically or through a telephonic link. Additional instructions about 
how to participate in the conference call can be obtained by calling 
Ms. Priscilla Tillery-Gadson at (202) 260-8414 by March 18, 1998.
    In this meeting the Executive Committee plans to review drafts from 
several of its Committees. These anticipated drafts include: (a) 
Environmental Engineering Committee Review of Toxic Release Inventory 
(TRI) Environmental Indicators Project; (b) Environmental Engineering 
Committee Review of ORD Pollution Prevention Research Plan; (c) 
Integrated Human Exposure Committee's Commentary on the Importance of 
Indoor Air Environment; and (d) Research Strategies Advisory 
Committee's Review of the ORD FY99 Budget Request.
    For Further Information--Any member of the public wishing further 
information concerning the meeting or wishing to submit comments should 
contact Dr. Donald G. Barnes, Designated Federal Officer for the 
Executive Committee, Science Advisory Board (1400), U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency, Washington DC 20460; telephone (202) 260-4126; FAX 
(202) 260-9232; and via the INTERNET at: [email protected]. Copies of 
the relevant documents are available from the same source. Draft 
documents will also be available on the SAB Website (http://
www.epa.gov/sab) at least one week prior to the meeting.

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, each individual or group making an oral 
presentation will be limited to a total time of ten minutes. For 
conference call meetings, opportunities for oral comment will be 
limited to no more than five minutes per speaker and no more than 
fifteen minutes total. Written comments (at least 35 copies) received 
in the SAB Staff Office sufficiently prior to a meeting date, may be 
mailed to the relevant SAB committee or subcommittee prior to its 
meeting; 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 FY1997 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: March 2, 1998.
A. Robert Flaak,
Acting Staff Director, Science Advisory Board.
[FR Doc. 98-6277 Filed 3-10-98; 8:45 am]
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