[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 51 (Wednesday, March 17, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13189-13191]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-6502]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6311-1]


Science Advisory Board; Notification of Public Advisory Committee 
Meetings

    Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, Public Law 92-463, 
notice is hereby given that two Committees 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. Ecological Processes and Effects Committee
    The Ecological Processes and Effects Committee (EPEC) of the 
Science Advisory Board (SAB) will hold a public meeting on April 6-7, 
1999 in Washington, DC. The meeting will be held in Room 1103 West 
Tower of the EPA Waterside Mall Complex, 401 M Street, SW, Washington, 
DC 20460, beginning at 8:30 am and ending no later than 5:30 pm on each 
day. The purpose of the meeting is to offer advice to the Agency on the 
following topics: (a) review of a proposed methodology for establishing 
sediment guidelines for metals mixtures; (b) review of a Biotic Ligand 
Model (BLM) for establishing aquatic life criteria for metals; and (c) 
review of a proposed approach for setting Ecological Soil Screening 
Levels (Eco-SSLs) for use at Superfund sites.

Background (a) Bioavailability and Toxicity of Metals in Surface Waters 
and Sediments: The Office of Water and the Office of Research and 
Development have been working over the past several years to refine 
Agency approaches to developing criteria and guidance for metals levels 
that are protective of benthic organisms, aquatic life in the water 
column, and wildlife that consume aquatic organisms. A focus of this 
recent work has been on improving the understanding of factors that 
influence metals bioavailability, and thus toxicity, in the 
environment. The Office of Water is asking the SAB to review its 
integrated approach to assessing bioavailability and toxicity of metals 
in surface waters and sediments by evaluating proposed modifications to 
the approaches used to develop sediment metals guidelines and aquatic 
life criteria for metals. The Charge to the Committee is as follows:

Overall Charge

    Does the integrated metals methodology improve our ability to make 
both protective and predictive assessments of toxicity due to copper, 
silver and other selected metals in the water column and sediment?

Biotic Ligand Model Questions:

    (1) Does the BLM improve our ability to predict toxicity to water 
column organisms due to metals (copper and silver) in comparison to the 
currently applied dissolved metal concentration criterion?
    (2) Is the scientific and theoretical foundation of the model 
sound?
    (3) In comparison to the current Water Effects Ration (WER) 
adjustment for aquatic life criteria, will the application of the BLM 
as a site-specific adjustment reduce uncertainty associated with metals 
bioavailability and toxicity?
    (4) Are the data presented for the validation of the BLM sufficient 
to support the incorporation of the BLM directly into copper and silver 
criteria documents?

Equilibrium Sediment Guidelines for Metals Mixtures Questions

    (1) By incorporating the fraction organic carbon into the 
bioavailability

[[Page 13190]]

equation, have we retained the protective features of the guidelines 
and improved its predictiveness of toxic effects?
    (2) If the BLM is used to derive or adjust a water quality 
criterion, is the revised criterion appropriate for use in the 
interstitial water component of the Metals Mixtures ESG?
    (3) Are the data presented from lab and field experiments with 
chromium and silver sufficient to support their addition to the Metals 
Mixtures ESG?

(b) Ecological Soil Screening Levels (Eco-SSLs):

    The Office of Emergency and Remedial Response (i.e., the Superfund 
Program) has asked the SAB to provide an advisory on ongoing work to 
develop Ecological Soil Screening Levels (Eco-SSLs) that will be 
protective of the terrestrial environment. The Agency has formed a 
multi-stakeholder workgroup to develop Eco-SSLs. Members include 
scientists and risk assessors from EPA, Environment Canada, Department 
of Energy, Army, Navy, Air Force, states, industry, academia, and 
consulting firms. This collaborative project is expected to result in a 
Superfund guidance document that includes a look-up table of generic 
Eco-SSLs for up to 24 chemicals or groups of chemicals that are 
frequently of ecological concern at Superfund sites. The charge to the 
Committee includes the following questions:
    (1) Will the proposed procedures for evaluating mammalian and avian 
toxicity data result in the selection and use of the most appropriate 
data for generating wildlife Eco-SSL?
    (2) Will the proposed procedures for evaluating soil biota toxicity 
data result in the selection and use of the most appropriate available 
data for generating plant, invertebrate, and microbial Eco-SSLs?
    (3) Do the models and exposure factors used in the wildlife food 
chain model reflect the state of the practice?
    (4) Do the proposed approaches for selecting single Eco-SSL values 
for the five receptor groups reflect a reasoned balance between 
conservativeness and reasonableness?
    (5) Do the proposed efforts for modifying the Eco-SSLs in Tier 2 
consider the factors of greatest concern (e.g., soil chemistry and 
bioavailability issues, unit area of exposure, probablilistic 
approaches)?

For Further Information:

    The briefing and review materials prepared by the Agency for this 
meeting are NOT available from the Science Advisory Board. Single 
copies of the background information for the sediment metals and Biotic 
Ligand Model reviews can be obtained by contacting Jennifer Mitchell, 
Office of Water's Health and Ecological Criteria Division, Mail Code 
4304, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M Street, SW, 
Washington, DC 20460; by e-mail at: <[email protected]>; or by 
telephone at (202) 260-6101. Single copies of the background material 
for the Eco-SSL advisory can be obtained by contacting Steve Ells, 
Office of Emergency and Remedial Response, Mail Code 5204G, U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M Street, SW, Washington, DC 
20460; by e-mail at: <[email protected]>; or by telephone at (703) 
603-8822.
    Additional information about the meeting, or the meeting agenda, 
can be obtained by contacting Ms. Mary Winston, Committee Operations 
Staff, Science Advisory Board (1400), U.S. EPA, 401 M Street, SW, 
Washington, DC 20460; by telephone at (202) 260-2554; by fax at (202) 
260-7118 or via e-mail at: <[email protected]>. Anyone wishing to 
make an oral presentation to the Committee must contact Ms. Stephanie 
Sanzone, Designated Federal Official for EPEC, in writing to the 
address or fax above, or via e-mail at: <[email protected]> no 
later than 4:00 pm on March 31, 1999, in order to be included on the 
Agenda. The request should identify the name of the individual who will 
make the presentation and an outline of the issues to be addressed. At 
least 35 copies of any written comments to the Committee are to be 
given to Ms. Sanzone no later than the time of the presentation for 
distribution to the Committee and the interested public.

2. Executive Committee

    The Science Advisory Board's (SAB) Executive Committee, will 
conduct a public teleconference meeting on Thursday, April 8, 1999, 
between the hours of 12:00 noon and 2:00 pm, Eastern Time. The meeting 
will be coordinated through a conference call connection in Room M3709 
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) 260-4126.
    During this meeting the Executive Committee plans to review draft 
reports from its Committees. Anticipated drafts include: (a) Executive 
Committee (EC) Subcommittee: Data from Testing of Human Subjects; (b) 
Ecological Processes and Effects Committee (EPEC): Review of the 
Agency's Index of Watershed Indicators (IWI); and (c) Environmental 
Engineering Committee: Commentary on the Need to Address Source 
Reduction and Control Technology in PM2.5 Research Plan. It is possible 
that other draft reports may be available for review at this meeting as 
well. Please check with Ms. Tillery-Gadson prior to the meeting to 
confirm any changes in the planned review schedule.

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 e-mail 
at: <[email protected]>. Copies of the draft reports are available 
from the same source, or from 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 
teleconference meetings, opportunities for oral comment will usually be 
limited to no more than three 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 (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, or 
mailed soon after receipt by the Agency. Written comments may be 
provided to the relevant committee or subcommittee up until the time of 
the meeting.
    Additional information concerning the Science Advisory Board, its 
structure, function, and composition, may be found on the SAB Website 
(http://www.epa.gov/sab) and in The Annual Report of the Staff Director 
which is available from the SAB Publications Staff at (202) 260-4126 or 
via fax at (202) 260-1889.

[[Page 13191]]

    Individuals requiring special accommodation at SAB meetings, 
including wheelchair access, should contact the appropriate DFO at 
least five business days prior to the meeting so that appropriate 
arrangements can be made.

    Dated: March 10, 1999.
Donald G. Barnes,
Staff Director, Science Advisory Board.
[FR Doc. 99-6502 Filed 3-16-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P