[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 39 (Monday, February 28, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10493-10494]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-4606]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6543-9]


Science Advisory Board; Emergency Notification of Public Advisory 
Committee Meeting

    Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, Public Law 92-463, 
emergency notice is hereby given that the Drinking Water Committee of 
the Science Advisory Board (SAB) will meet on March 13 and 14, 2000 in 
room 6013 of the Ariel Rios Building at the U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency (EPA) located at 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, 
Washington, DC 20004 (the building entrance is adjacent to the Federal 
Triangle Metro Stop on 12th Street). The meeting is open to the public, 
however, seating is limited and available on a first come basis.

Purpose of the Meeting

    The Committee will conduct a review of the scientific aspects of 
the US EPA draft proposal on the groundwater rule (GWR). In addition, 
the committee will be briefed on a number of other issues under active 
consideration by EPA's drinking water program (including research 
planning for the Candidate Chemical List, Long-term 1 Surface Water 
Treatment/Filter Backwash rule, arsenic, and possibly other topics).

Background and Proposed Charge for the Groundwater Draft Proposal

    EPA is considering a rule which will specify the appropriate use of 
disinfection in ground water and address other components of ground 
water systems to assure public health protection. The GWR is scheduled 
to be finalized in November of 2000.
    The Drinking Water Committee has been asked to address the 
following issues: (1) Based upon the available data, can each of the 
four candidate indicators (E. coli, enterococci, somatic coliphage, 
male-specific coliphage) be justified as a monitoring tool for 
determining the presence of fecal contamination in ground water? and 
(2) Given the available data on incidence, fate and transport of virus 
and bacteria through the soil/aquifer matrix, is it appropriate to 
monitor for both bacterial and viral indicators to determine the 
presence of fecal contamination?

Background and Proposed Charge for the Arsenic Review

    The DWC will receive a briefing from EPA representatives on the 
status of EPA's proposed arsenic rule. The Committee will not be 
conducting its review of the Agency Arsenic proposal at the March 13-
14, 2000 meeting. The intent of the briefing is to provide sufficient 
information to the DWC to allow it to plan the review meeting that will 
occur later in Fiscal Year 2000.
    The current National Primary Drinking Water Regulation for arsenic 
of 50 micrograms per liter (ug/L) has been in effect since 1976. The 
1996 Amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act required the Agency to 
develop an arsenic research strategy by February 1997 to serve as road 
map for filling gaps in our understanding of the scientific issues 
surrounding arsenic and, at the same time, to work toward promulgating 
a new primary drinking water regulation by January 1, 2001.
    The current draft Charge to the DWC asks the Committee to explore 
the following questions and provide its advice to the Agency: (1) Based 
upon the SAB's review of the health effects portion of the preamble to 
the proposed rule, are there any important issues that were not 
adequately identified or considered by the Agency in its evaluation of 
the NRC's report and its principal conclusions? (Examples of issues 
that may be of interest in this

[[Page 10494]]

regard include the Agency's choice to concentrate on inorganic Arsenic 
as the principal form causing adverse human health effects; the 
implications of mode of action (i.e., the Agency's decision to propose 
an MCLG of zero and to qualitatively discuss the the fact that this is 
likely to overestimate risk); and the implications of the fact that 
arsenic is a natural element with exposure through food; and (2) Does 
the SAB have any particular advice on important considerations for the 
Agency in its evaluation of the multiple health endpoints of arsenic in 
drinking water, both quantified and not yet quantified (e.g., bladder, 
lung, cardiovascular, skin, other)?

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Additional information for this 
meeting, or the meeting agenda, can be obtained by contacting Mr. 
Thomas O. Miller, Designated Federal Officer (DFO) for the Drinking 
Water Committee, Science Advisory Board (1400A), U.S. EPA, 1200 
Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20460; by telephone at (202) 
564-4558; by fax at (202) 501-0582 or via the E-Mail at: 
[email protected], or by contacting Ms. Dorothy Clark at (202) 564-
4537, by fax at (202) 501-0582, and by E-Mail at: 
[email protected]. Additional background information may also be 
obtained by contacting Mr. Eric Burneson, US EPA Office of Ground Water 
and Drinking Water (4607), 401 M. Street, SW, Washington, DC 20460; by 
telephone at (202) 260-1445; or by E-Mail at [email protected].

Providing Comments

    Anyone wishing to make an oral presentation to the Committee must 
contact Mr. Miller, in writing (by letter, fax, or E-mail) no later 
than 12 noon, Thursday, March 9, 2000, 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. 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. Written 
comments (at least 35 copies) received in the SAB Staff Office 
sufficiently prior to the meeting date (usually one week prior), may be 
mailed to the committee; 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 committee up until 15 days after 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) 564-4548 or 
via fax at (202) 501-0256. Individuals requiring special accommodation 
at SAB meetings, including wheelchair access, should contact Mr. Miller 
to ensure that appropriate arrangements can be made.

    Dated: February 22, 2000.
Donald G. Barnes,
Director, Science Advisory Board.
[FR Doc. 00-4606 Filed 2-25-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P