[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 22 (Wednesday, February 2, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4966-4967]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-2179]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6531-5]


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 USEPA Science 
Advisory Board (SAB) will meet on the dates and times noted 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. 
Important Notice: Documents that are the subject of SAB reviews are 
normally available from the originating EPA office and are not 
available from the SAB Office--information concerning availability of 
documents from the relevant Program Office is included below.

1. Executive Committee of the SAB

    The Executive Committee of the SAB will conduct a brief meeting on 
February 16, 2000 between the hours of 2:00 and 4:00 EST. The meeting 
will be held in Room 6013 in the Ariel Rios Building (adjacent to the 
Federal Triangle Metro exit on 12th Street), 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, 
NW, Washington, DC. At this meeting the Executive Committee plans to 
review reports from some of its Committees/Subcommittee, most likely 
including the following:
    (a) Executive Committee Subcommittee: ``Review of the Agency's 
Position on the Data from the Testing of Human Subjects.''
    (b) Executive Committee Subcommittee: ``Review of the Agency's 
Application of the Cancer Risk Assessment Guidelines to Children.''
    (c) Executive Committee Subcommittee: ``Review of the Application 
of the Draft Cancer Risk Assessment Guidelines to the Case of 
Chloroform.''
    (d) Research Strategies Advisory Committee joint report view with 
the Board of Scientific Counselors of ORD: ``Review of the Agency's 
Science to Achieve Results (STAR) Program.''
    Drafts of the reports that will be reviewed at the meeting should 
available to the public at the SAB website (http://www.epa.gov/sab) by 
close-of-business on February 9, 2000.
    Public Comments--Any member of the public wishing further 
information concerning the meeting or wishing to submit brief oral 
comments should contact Dr. Donald G. Barnes, Designated Federal 
Officer (DFO) for the Executive Committee, in writing, no later than 
close of business Friday, February 11th at USEPA Science Advisory Board 
(1400A), 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20460; phone 
(202) 564-4533, fax (202) 501-0323; or via e-mail at 
[email protected]>. The oral comment period will be limited to 15 
minutes total, with no more than three minutes per speaker or 
organization.
    Pre-Registration for Attendance--Any member of the public who 
desires to attend the meeting must pre-register with Ms. Priscilla 
Tillery-Gadson no later than close of business on Friday, February 11th 
at (202) 564-4543 or via e-mail at [email protected]>. The site 
of the meeting (1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW) is a secure building and 
prior arrangements must be made for access by non-Federal employees.

[[Page 4967]]

2. Residual Risk Applications Subcommittee

    The Residual Risk Applications Subcommittee (Subcommittee) of the 
Science Advisory Board (SAB) will meet on Wednesday and Thursday, March 
1-2, 2000 in the Main Auditorium of the US EPA, Office of Research and 
Development, Environmental Research Center, 86 T.W. Alexander Drive, 
Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711. The meeting will begin at 
8:30 am and adjourn no later than 5:00 pm on each day.
    Purpose of the Meeting--The purpose of meeting is to conduct a 
review of the methodology the Agency will use to conduct Residual Risk 
assessments. The Agency will present a case study risk assessment for 
the secondary lead smelters source category for review by the SAB.
    In 1998, the SAB reviewed an Agency Report to Congress that 
described the approach that the Agency would use in assessing the 
``residual risk'' in the context of the Clean Air Act. That document 
presented the Agency's response to the mandate found in Section 
112(f)(1) of the Act and described a strategy for addressing the risks 
remaining from the emission of Hazardous Air Pollutants once Maximum 
Achievable Control Technology (MACT) standards have been implemented. 
Additional information and insight can be found on the SAB Website in 
the SAB's review of that Report to Congress: http://www.epa.gov/sab/ec9813.pdf.
    Proposed Charge--The Proposed Charge to the SAB is as follows:
    (a) Is the methodology that the Agency applied in this risk 
assessment consistent with the risk assessment approach and methodology 
presented in the Report to Congress (EPA-453/R-99-001)? Are the 
assumptions used in this risk assessment consistent with current 
methods and practices?
    (b) Model Inputs--Are the methods used to estimate emission rates, 
and the method used to estimate species at the stack appropriate and 
clearly described?
    (c) Models--Does the risk assessment use appropriate currently 
available dispersion models both at the screening level and at the more 
refined level of analysis? Are the models applied correctly? Given the 
state of the science, does the risk assessment use an appropriate 
multipathway model? The assessment uses the IEM-2M model, with some 
modifications. Is the IEM-2M model appropriate for use in this 
regulatory context? With regard to the modification and application of 
the model, did the EPA appropriately modify the model for use in this 
risk assessment, and did the Agency apply the model correctly? Is there 
another model or another approach, that is available at this time that 
EPA should consider?
    (d) Choice of Receptors--The Agency identifies the home gardener as 
the appropriate receptor to estimate risks to the residential 
population and the farmer to embody high end risks. Are these receptors 
appropriate for this task?
    (e) Ecological Risk Assessment--Given currently available methods, 
are the models used for the ecological assessment appropriate? Are they 
applied correctly? Are the ecological benchmarks appropriate?
    (f) Uncertainty and variability assessment--Did the assessment use 
appropriate currently available methods to identify the variables and 
pathways to address in the uncertainty and variability assessment? Are 
the methods used to quantify variability and uncertainty acceptable? 
Are there other, more appropriate methods available for consideration?
    (g) Results Presentation--Does the Agency's document clearly 
present and interpret the risk results? Does it provide the appropriate 
level of information? Do the figures and tables adequately present the 
data? Do the formats provide for a clear understanding of the material?
    Availability of Review Materials--Copies of the draft document may 
be obtained from Ms. Kelly Rimer, Emissions Standards Division (ESD), 
Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards (OAQPS), MD-13, RTP, NC 
27711, phone (919) 541-2962; or via e-mail at [email protected]>.
    A limited number of telephone lines will be available to the public 
for listening to the proceedings. For details on participating in the 
meeting in this fashion, call Kelly Rimer one week prior before the 
meeting.
    Public Comments--Any member of the public wishing to provide brief 
oral comments at the meeting must contact Dr. Donald Barnes, Designated 
Federal Officer (DFO), in writing no later than noon Eastern Time on 
Monday, February 21 at: USEPA Science Advisory Board (1400A), 1200 
Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington DC 20460; fax (202) 501-0323; or 
via e-mail at: [email protected]>. The request should identify the 
name of the individual who will make the presentation, the organization 
represented, and an outline of the issue(s) to be addressed.

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 (unless 
otherwise noted). 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 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) 564-4533 or 
via fax at (202) 501-0256.

Meeting Access

    Individuals requiring special accommodation at either meeting, 
including wheelchair access, should contact Dr. Barnes at least five 
business days prior to the respective meeting so that appropriate 
arrangements can be made.

    Dated: January 27, 2000.
Donald G. Barnes,
Staff Director, Science Advisory Board.
[FR Doc. 00-2179 Filed 2-1-00; 8:45 am]
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