[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 25 (Wednesday, February 6, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Page 5596]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-2836]



[[Page 5596]]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-7138-3]


Meeting on Development of a Metals Assessment Framework

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

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SUMMARY: EPA assesses the hazard and risk of metals and metal compounds 
in implementing its various legislative mandates. Public comments on 
recent Agency actions and examination of lead's bioaccumulation 
potential by an ad hoc technical panel of the Agency's Risk Assessment 
Forum have demonstrated the need for the development of comprehensive, 
cross-agency guidance for assessing the hazards and risks of metal and 
metal compounds that could be the basis for future Agency actions. The 
goal of this cross-agency guidance will be to articulate a consistent 
approach for assessing the hazards and risks of metals and metal 
compounds, based on application of all available data to a uniform and 
expanded characterization framework. This guidance will be applied to 
assessments of human health and ecological risk, ranging from site-
specific situations to national assessments carried out for the 
purposes of priority setting, information collection, and/or air and 
water quality standards setting. This could involve reviewing a broad 
range of physico-chemical properties and may suggest more of a case-by-
case (i.e., metal by metal) approach to evaluating metals and metal 
compounds.
    Under the auspices of the Agency's Science Policy Council, the 
Agency is embarking on the development of this assessment framework for 
metals. The first step in the process is formulation of an Action Plan 
that will identify key scientific issues specific to metals and metal 
compounds that need to be addressed by the framework, potential 
approaches to consider for inclusion in the framework including models 
and methods, an outline of the framework, and the necessary steps to 
complete the framework.
    EPA is announcing a public meeting to provide an opportunity for 
interested parties to provide the Agency with information relevant to 
development of the framework. Eastern Research Group, Inc., (ERG) an 
EPA contractor, is organizing and convening the meeting. EPA is 
particularly interested in the public's perspectives on the following:
    a. What organizing principles should the framework follow?
    b. What scientific issues should the framework address?
    c. What methods and models should be considered for inclusion in 
the framework?
    d. What specific steps should be taken to further involve the 
public and the scientific community in the development of the 
framework?
    The purpose of this meeting is for EPA to collect comments from the 
public. Therefore, although EPA staff will be present to accept the 
comments, EPA will not evaluate or respond to comments at the meeting. 
In addition, although EPA will review the comments submitted as it 
proceeds, it will not formally respond to each individual comment. EPA 
is not reconsidering any past Agency actions, and therefore EPA is not 
soliciting comments on past Agency actions. Because EPA is not 
soliciting comments on past Agency actions, comments regarding past 
Agency actions will not be considered.
    EPA plans to provide the Action Plan to the Science Advisory Board 
in a consultation. Following the consultation, EPA will proceed with 
development of the framework which will be subsequently reviewed by the 
Science Advisory Board.

DATES: The public meeting will be held Wednesday, February 20, 2002 
from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. EPA urges participants to register with ERG by 
February 14, 2002 to attend.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held at the Holiday Inn 
Washington Capitol Hotel, 550 C Street SW., Washington DC 20024. To 
attend, register by February 14, 2002 by calling ERG at 781-674-7374 or 
sending a facsimile to 781-674-2906. You may also register by sending 
e-mail to [email protected]. If registering by e-mail, please provide 
complete contact information and identify the meeting by name and date. 
Space is limited, and reservations will be accepted on a first-come, 
first-served basis. Please let ERG know if you wish to make comments.
    Comments may be mailed to the Technical Information Staff (8623D), 
NCEA-W, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, 
NW., Washington, DC 20460, or delivered to the Technical Information 
Staff at 808 17th Street, NW, 5th Floor, Washington, DC 20006; 
telephone: 202-564-3261; facsimile: 202-565-0050. The EPA mail room 
does not accept courier deliveries. Electronic comments may be e-mailed 
to: [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For meeting information, registration, 
and logistics, contact ERG, 110 Hartwell Avenue, Lexington, 
Massachusetts 02421; telephone: 781-674-7374; facsimile: 781-674-2906.
    For information on development of the framework, contact John 
Whalan; USEPA (Code 7601D), 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington DC 
20460, telephone: 202-564-8461; facsimile: 202-564-8452; or e-mail: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Presentations

    Members of the public who are interested in making a short 
presentation on a particular issue at the meeting are requested to 
indicate this interest at the time of registration. EPA would 
appreciate provision of a short summary of the presentation, which 
should be no more than one page. Please provide this summary in written 
and electronic format upon arrival at the meeting. Presentations should 
be no more than 15 minutes in duration. Because EPA is seeking a 
variety of opinions, the facilitator will ensure that there is a 
balance of viewpoints.

Comments

    Comments should be in writing. Please submit one unbound original 
with pages numbered consecutively, and three copies of the comments. 
For attachments, provide an index, number pages consecutively with the 
comments, and submit an unbound original and three copies.
    Please note that all comments received in response to this notice 
will be placed in a public record. For that reason, commentors should 
not submit personal information (such as medical data or home address), 
Confidential Business Information, or information protected by 
copyright. Due to limited resources, acknowledgments will not be sent.

    Dated: February 1, 2002.
William H. Farland,
Acting Assistant Administrator, Office of Research and Development.
[FR Doc. 02-2836 Filed 2-5-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P