[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 137 (Monday, July 17, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44051-44053]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-18028]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL--6837-7]


Science Advisory Board; Notification of Public Advisory Committee 
Meetings

    Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, Public Law 92-463, 
notice is hereby given of two meetings of Committees of the US EPA 
Science Advisory Board on the dates and times noted below. All times 
noted are Eastern Daylight 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. Radiation Advisory Committee (RAC) Teleconference--August 1, 
2000

    The Science Advisory Board's (SAB) Radiation Advisory Committee 
(RAC) will conduct a public teleconference meeting on Tuesday, August 
1, 2000, between the hours of 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m (Eastern Daylight 
Time). The meeting will be coordinated through a conference call 
connection in Room 6013 in the Ariel Rios Building North, 1200 
Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20004 (adjacent to the 
escalator to the Federal Triangle Metro Station on 12th Street NW). The 
public is welcome to attend the meeting in person or through a 
telephonic link, to the extent that lines are available (phone lines 
will be very limited). Additional instructions about how to participate 
in the conference call can be obtained by calling Ms. Diana Pozun at 
(202) 564-4544, or via e-mail at: [email protected] by Thursday, July 
27, 2000.
    Purpose of the Meeting--At this meeting the RAC plans to review and 
recap the EPA's response to the Committee's Low Activity Mixed Waste 
Advisory (EPA-SAB-RAC-ADV-99-006), receive a brief overview 
presentation on a Multi-Agency Radiation Laboratory Analytical 
Protocols (MARLAP) Manual by the Office of Radiation and Indoor Air 
(SAB Project 00-22), and tentatively have a discussion on RAC FY2001 
self-initiated projects and other Agency proposed FY2001 projects.
    Availability of Review Materials: Single copies of the EPA response 
to the RAC's Low Activity Mixed Waste Advisory (EPA-SAB-RAC-ADV-99-006) 
USEPA are available from Ms. Diana Pozun, Radiation Advisory Committee, 
Science Advisory Board (1400A), U.S. EPA, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, 
Washington, DC 20460. Ms. Pozun can also be reached by telephone at 
(202) 564-4544, fax at (202) 501-0582, or e-mail: [email protected]. 
The Committee's report (EPA-SAB-RAC-ADV-99-006) is available on the SAB 
Website (www.epa.gov/sab) under the Reports heading. An electronic copy 
of the overview of MARLAP is available at the website address: http://www.epa.gov/radiation/marlap/ by clicking on the underlined hotlink 
titled ``Introduction to MARLAP''.

For Further Information:
     Members of the public desiring additional information about the 
meeting should contact Ms. Melanie Medina-Metzger, Designated Federal 
Officer, Radiation Advisory Committee, Science Advisory Board (1400A), 
Suite 6450, U.S. EPA, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 
20460; telephone/voice mail at (202) 564-5987; fax at (202) 501-0582; 
or via e-mail at [email protected]. A copy of the draft 
agenda is available from Ms. Diana Pozun at (202) 564-4544 or by FAX at 
(202) 501-0582 or via e-mail at [email protected]. Members of the 
public who wish to make a brief oral presentation to the Committee (in 
Room 6013 only) must contact Ms. Medina-Metzger in writing (by letter 
or by fax--see previously stated information) no later than 12 noon 
Eastern Standard Time, Friday, July 28, 2000 in order to be included on 
the Agenda. Public comments will be limited to five minutes per speaker 
or organization; 15 minutes total. The request should identify the name 
of the individual making the presentation, and the organization (if 
any) that they will represent. Please note: If we receive more requests 
than we can accommodate, time of receipt of the materials at the office 
will determine priority, with the first three requests granted time 
(additional requests may be granted to the extent that time is 
available, as determined by the RAC Chair at the time of the meeting). 
All others will have to provide written comments. Written comments of 
any length may be submitted to Ms. Medina-Metzger at any time until the 
date of the meeting.

2. Drinking Water Committee (DWC) Meeting--August 8-9, 2000

    The Drinking Water Committee of the US EPA Science Advisory Board 
(SAB), will meet on August 8 and 9, 2000 in Room 120/126 of the Andrew 
W. Breidenbach Environmental Research Center, 26 West Martin Luther 
King Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45268; telephone (513) 569-7772. The meeting 
will begin at 9:00 a.m. on August 8 and adjourn no later than 3:00 p.m. 
on August 9, 2000.
    Purpose of the Meeting--The Drinking Water Committee will conduct a 
review of EPA's draft research plan in support of the Safe Drinking 
Water Act's Candidate Contaminant Listing (CCL) program. The Committee 
will also complete its deliberations on the EPA proposed arsenic 
drinking water

[[Page 44052]]

regulation and discuss possible interactions it might have with the 
Agency on the pending Microbial/Disinfection Byproduct Stage 2 rule-
making proposal.
    Background--(a) Research Plan for Candidate Contaminant Listing 
(CCL)--The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), as amended in 1996, requires 
the EPA to establish a list of unregulated microbiological and chemical 
contaminants to aid in priority setting for the Agency's drinking water 
program. A new list must be published every five years. The first 
Contaminant Candidate List (CCL1) was first proposed by EPA in 1997 and 
was then finalized in 1998, following extensive consultation with 
stakeholders.
    The Agency must select five or more contaminants from the CCL1 and 
determine, by August 2001, whether they should be regulated. To support 
these decisions, the Agency will have to evaluate when and where these 
contaminants occur, the extent of exposure and risk to public health, 
and determine if cost effective control methods are available.
    EPA has sorted CCL1 contaminants into categories depending upon 
whether they need additional research (Research or Occurrence 
Priorities categories) or have sufficient data for the evaluation of 
exposure and risk to public health, and therefore enough data to 
support a drinking water standard (Regulatory Determination Priorities 
category). The contaminants considered for selection and regulatory 
determination by August 2001 will be drawn from the Regulatory 
Determination category and are not duplicated under the Research or 
Occurrence Priorities categories.
    A Research Plan has been prepared to describe the nature, timing 
and priority of research needed in order to meet the CCL research 
information needs of the Agency. The plan focuses on contaminants that 
are on CCL1. Nevertheless, it is important for some research to be 
conducted on emerging pathogens and chemicals to ensure that any future 
CCL includes contaminants that are of potential public health concern. 
The SAB has been asked to review this plan.
    (b) Proposed Arsenic Drinking Water Standard--The DWC met from June 
5-7, 2000 to discuss various elements of the proposed EPA proposal for 
an arsenic drinking water standard (for further information, see 65 FR 
30589-30590). The charge questions were discussed by panelists and a 
number of conclusions reached on responses. The report to EPA is now 
being drafted to convey the SAB's advice on the arsenic proposal. The 
discussion at the August 8-9, 2000 DWC meeting will focus on, and reach 
closure on, any remaining issues that are identified as the Committee 
reviews and comments on its draft report to the Administrator.
    Charge to the Committee--(a) CCL--EPA asks whether: (i) It 
considered the appropriate existing information about CCL contaminants 
in formulating the Plan; (ii) it identified the key science questions; 
(iii) they identified appropriate research by subject and scope to 
address the identified science questions; (iv) the relative priorities 
and timetable proposed for the planned research are appropriate; and 
(v) the process used to identify data gaps and prioritize research 
needs is sound.
    (b) Arsenic--Questions asked of the DWC for the June arsenic review 
included: (i) Concentration on inorganic arsenic as principal form 
causing health effects--Does the SAB have perspectives on this issue 
that it believes EPA should consider in developing its risk assessment?
    (ii) Implications of natural arsenic exposure through food--Does 
SAB agree with the implied NRC perspective that relative source 
contribution of food should be taken into consideration in the setting 
of the drinking water standard and how might we consider this and 
communicate it to the public?
    (iii) Accounting for Cardiovascular Health End Point--Is 
precautionary advice on use of low-arsenic water in preparation of 
infant formula appropriate given the available information?
    (iv) Decision tree for waste disposal options for arsenic treatment 
brines and spent media--Based upon a review of the submitted materials, 
does the SAB believe that the EPA produced an accurate projection of 
the likely disposal options for arsenic residuals and the distribution 
of these options by treatment type? What are the SAB's views on the 
advantages and the limitations of the various waste disposal options? 
What effect, if any, would the SAB's analysis of these advantages and 
limitations have on the probabilities assigned? What are the SAB's 
views on which options will be more likely used by small systems (less 
than 10,000 people), and which will be more likely used by larger ones?
    (v) Decision tree for ground water treatment technologies--Does the 
SAB agree with the principal ``branches'' of EPA's decision tree 
described in the submitted documents and the likelihood that these 
options will be used for systems of various sizes with various source 
water characteristics? What views does the SAB have on EPA's 
description of the advantages and limitations of these treatment 
technologies? Would the SAB's views on these advantages and limitations 
affect the probabilities assigned?
    Availability of Review Materials--Additional information on the 
materials provided to the Committee for its arsenic review can be 
obtained by contacting Ms. Irene Dooley, US EPA Office of Water by 
telephone at (202) 260-9531 or by e-mail at [email protected]. 
Additional information on the materials provided to the Committee for 
its CCL Research Plan review can be obtained by contacting Dr. Robert 
Clark, US EPA, National Risk Management Research Laboratory, 
Cincinnati, OH by telephone at (513) 569-7201 or by e-mail at 
[email protected].
    For Further Information--Any member of the public wishing further 
information concerning this meeting or wishing to submit brief oral 
comments (10 minutes or less) must contact Thomas O. Miller, Designated 
Federal Officer, Science Advisory Board (1400A), U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20460; 
telephone (202) 564-4558; FAX (202) 501-0582; or via e-mail at 
[email protected]. Requests for oral comments must be in writing (e-
mail, fax or mail) and received by Mr. Miller no later than noon 
Eastern Time on August 2, 2000.

Providing Oral or Written Comments at SAB Meetings

    It is the policy of the Science Advisory Board to accept written 
public comments of any length, and to accommodate oral public comments 
whenever possible. The Science Advisory Board expects that public 
statements presented at its meetings will not be repetitive of 
previously submitted oral or written statements. Oral Comments: In 
general, each individual or group requesting an oral presentation at a 
face-to-face meeting 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. Deadlines for getting on the public 
speaker list for a meeting are given above. Speakers should bring at 
least 35 copies of their comments and presentation slides for 
distribution to the reviewers and public at the meeting. Written 
Comments: Although the SAB accepts written comments until the date of 
the meeting (unless otherwise stated), written comments should be 
received in the SAB Staff Office at least one week prior to the meeting 
date so that the

[[Page 44053]]

comments may be made available to the committee for their 
consideration. Comments should be supplied to the appropriate DFO at 
the address/contact information noted above in the following formats: 
One hard copy with original signature, and one electronic copy via e-
mail (acceptable file format: WordPerfect, Word, or Rich Text files (in 
IBM-PC/Windows 95/98 format). Those providing written comments and who 
attend the meeting are also asked to bring 25 copies of their comments 
for public distribution.
    General Information--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 FY1999 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. 
Committee rosters, draft Agendas and meeting calendars are also located 
on our website.
    Meeting Access--Individuals requiring special accommodation at this 
meeting, including wheelchair access to the conference room, should 
contact the appropriate DFO at least five business days prior to the 
meeting so that appropriate arrangements can be made.

    Dated: July 10, 2000.
John R. Fowle, III,
Acting Staff Director, Science Advisory Board.
[FR Doc. 00-18028 Filed 7-14-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P