[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 162 (Monday, August 21, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 50694]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-21197]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6855-2]


Peer Review for Superfund Probabilistic Risk Guidance

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of peer review; request for nominations for peer 
reviewers.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing 
that Eastern Research Group (ERG), an EPA contractor for external 
scientific peer review, will organize, convene, and conduct an external 
peer review panel workshop to review the draft document titled, Risk 
Assessment Guidance for Superfund Volume 3 Part A: Process for 
Conducting Probabilistic Risk Assessment (RAGS 3A). RAGS 3A provides 
guidance on conducting site-specific human health and ecological 
probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) under the Comprehensive 
Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (Superfund).
    ERG is seeking nominations of highly qualified scientists with 
expertise in one or more of the following disciplines: Biostatistics, 
ecological toxicology, site-specific risk assessment of hazardous waste 
sites, general practice of PRA, and exposure assessment (data 
evaluation or application to risk assessment). Please submit a detailed 
resume for each nominated scientist. ERG will follow up each submission 
with an informational memo and forms to be filled out regarding 
specific areas of expertise and experience required for the review, 
including a conflict of interest form.
    Members of the public may attend as observers, and there will be a 
limited time for comments from the public.

DATES: The peer review workshop will be held on Wednesday and Thursday, 
November 8-9, 2000, from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. each day. Nominations 
for peer reviewers must be submitted within 30 days of this notice or 
no later than September 15, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Peer reviewer nominations should be sent to Ms. Meg Vrablik 
at Eastern Research Group, 110 Hartwell Avenue, Lexington, MA 02421. 
Peer reviewer nominations may also be submitted by facsimile at 781-
674-2906, or by e-mail at [email protected]. The external peer-review 
panel workshop will be held at the Hilton Crystal City Hotel, 2399 
Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, Virginia, 22202, 703-418-6800. 
Eastern Research Group (ERG), an EPA contractor for external scientific 
peer review, is organizing, convening, and conducting the workshop. To 
attend the workshop, please register by October 20, 2000, by calling 
Eastern Research Group's registration line at 781-674-7374, or mailing 
a registration request that includes your name, organization, mailing 
address, phone, fax, and e-mail address to ERG, Attn: RAGs 3a, 110 
Hartwell Avenue, Lexington, MA 02421, or send a facsimile, Attn: RAGs 
3a, to 781-674-2906. You may also register online at http://www.erg.com/conferences/index.htm. Space is limited, and registrations 
will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. There will be a 
limited time for comments from the public during the workshop. When 
registering, please let ERG know if you wish to make oral comments at 
the workshop.
    The draft guidance document is available on the Internet at http://www.epa.gov/superfund/pubs.htm#r. A limited number of paper copies will 
be available on site for reference.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For logistical inquiries, contact Ms. 
Vrablik or Ms. Kate Schalk at Eastern Research Group, by telephone, at 
781-674-7272; by facsimile, at 781-674-2906; or by e-mail, at 
[email protected]. For technical inquiries, contact Mr. S. Steven Chang 
at EPA, 703-603-9017.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    OERR is updating the existing Risk Assessment Guidance for 
Superfund (RAGS) to add probabilistic risk analysis as a tool for 
conducting risk assessment at Superfund sites. The draft Risk 
Assessment Guidance for Superfund Volume 3 Part A: Process for 
Conducting Probabilistic Risk Assessment (RAGS 3A) provides guidance on 
conducting site-specific human health and ecological probabilistic risk 
assessments (PRA), and is part of the EPA Superfund Reforms announced 
in October 1995 by EPA Administrator Browner. The draft was announced 
for public comment on February 15, 2000 (65 FR 7550). EPA will consider 
both the public comments and the peer-review comments in revising the 
document.
    Probabilistic risk analysis, as exemplified by Monte Carlo Analysis 
(MCA), is a tool for characterizing the uncertainty and variability of 
risk estimates and provides a range of estimates of risk in addition to 
the traditional point estimate approach. RAGS 3A provides guidance for 
conducting PRA using MCA, with emphasis on analyzing the exposure 
factors such as intake rate and exposure duration for chronic exposure. 
PRA is not a requirement for conducting risk assessment at Superfund 
sites.
    OERR announced RAGS 3A in the Federal Register on February 15, 
2000, (65 FR 7550) and made it available on the Internet for a 60-day 
public comment period. OERR is evaluating comments received and will 
consider them in revising the draft document.

Peer Review

    The peer review in general will focus on the RAGS 3A scientific 
approaches and clarity regarding implementation. Following the external 
peer-review panel workshop, ERG will prepare a report summarizing the 
workshop, which will be available from EPA. OERR will consider the 
peer-review comments prior to finalizing the RAGS 3A. OERR will then 
publish the document as Risk Assessment Guidance for Superfund Volume 3 
Part A: Process for Conducting Probabilistic Risk Assessment in late 
2000 or early 2001 and make it available on the Internet at http://www.epa.gov/superfund/pubs.htm#r.
    ERG will select independent peer reviewers based upon demonstrated 
expertise of the scientists and the need for balance in scientific 
expertise among the peer reviewers. All nominees will receive a memo 
and availability/expertise form to fill out, including a conflicts of 
interest screening form. Nominees must also provide ERG with their full 
resume/C.V. All nominations will be carefully considered, but the 
source of peer reviewer nominations will not be a factor in the 
selection of peer reviewers, and nominators are not guaranteed that any 
of their nominees will be selected.

    Dated: August 15, 2000.
Larry G. Reed,
Acting Office Director, Office of Emergency and Remedial Response.
[FR Doc. 00-21197 Filed 8-18-00; 8:45 am]
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