[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 48 (Wednesday, March 12, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Page 11836]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-5910]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-7465-6]


Meetings of the Drinking Water Contaminant Candidate List 
Classification Process Work Group of The National Drinking Water 
Advisory Council

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

ACTION: Notice of public meetings.

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SUMMARY: Under section 10(a)(2) of Public Law 92-423, ``The Federal 
Advisory Committee Act,'' notice is hereby given of the forthcoming 
meetings of the Drinking Water Contaminant Candidate List (CCL) 
Classification Process Work Group of the National Drinking Water 
Advisory Council (NDWAC), established under the Safe Drinking Water 
Act, as amended (42 U.S.C. S300f et seq.).

DATES: The dates for the NDWAC CCL Work Group meetings for the 
remaining year of 2003 will be as follows: March 27-28, 2003; May 12-
13, 2003; July 16-17, 2003; September 17-18, 2003; and November 13-14, 
2003. All meetings will be held from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Eastern Time on the 
first day, and 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Eastern Time on the second day. Notice 
will be given if any dates change as the work group proceeds through 
the year.

ADDRESSES: All meetings of the CCL Work Group will be held at RESOLVE 
Inc., 1255 23rd Street, NW., Suite 275, Washington, DC.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For more information on the location 
and times of these meetings, or general background information, please 
contact the Safe Drinking Water Hotline [phone: (800) 426-4791 or (703) 
412-3330; e-mail: [email protected]]. Please contact RESOLVE if you 
plan to attend any of the meetings listed at (202) 944-2300. Any person 
needing special accommodations at any of these meetings, including 
wheelchair access, should also contact RESOLVE (contact information 
previously noted) at least five business days before the meeting so 
that appropriate arrangements can be made. For technical information, 
please contact Dr. Jitendra Saxena, Designated Federal Officer, CCL 
Classification Process Work Group, U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency, Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water (4607M), 1200 
Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460 [ e-mail: 
[email protected]; Tel. (202) 564-5243].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The CCL serves as the primary source of 
priority contaminants for research and regulatory evaluations for the 
Agency's drinking water program. The list is comprised of both chemical 
and microbial contaminants that are known or anticipated to occur in 
public water systems, that may have adverse health effects, and which, 
at the time of publication, are not subject to any proposed or 
promulgated National Primary Drinking Water Regulations. EPA has formed 
a CCL Classification Process Work Group of the National Drinking Water 
Advisory Council (NDWAC) to help the Agency in developing a new risk 
based priority setting process based upon the recommendations made by 
the National Research Council (NRC) in its 2001 report.
    The work group is comprised of 21 recognized technical experts 
representing an array of backgrounds and perspectives who are as 
impartial and objective as possible. The work group is charged with 
discussing, evaluating, and providing advice on methodologies, 
activities, and analysis needed to implement the NRC recommendations on 
an expanded approach for the CCL listing process. This may include 
advice on developing and identifying: (1) Overall implementation 
strategy; (2) prototype classification methodology, classification 
attributes and criteria that should to be used; (3) pilot projects to 
validate new classification approaches; (4) demonstration studies that 
explore the feasibility of the VFAR (Virulance-Factor Activity 
Relationships) approach; (5) risk communication issues; and (6) 
additional issues not addressed in the NRC report.
    The work group has held three meetings thus far: September 18-19, 
2002, December 16-17, 2002, and February 5-6, 2003. The September 
meeting was devoted to gaining understanding of the NRC recommendations 
from the invited members of the NRC panel, identifying questions, 
issues and technical expertise needed to fulfill its charge, and 
planning next steps. During subsequent meetings, the work group formed 
three activity groups for small group discussions each containing 4-8 
members. The three activity groups are: Data Activity Group, Methods 
Activity Group, and VFAR Activity Group. Each group holds several 
conference calls for group discussions in between the plenary meetings. 
The work group has discussed the methods and data to be used for 
selecting contaminants for the CCL, and the VFAR concept and how the 
concept can be included in the CCL classification process. In addition, 
the work group has developed the groups's guiding principles and work 
plan and identified additional technical needs.
    The meetings are open to the public for observation purposes only. 
Statements from the public will be allowed at the close of each meeting 
day. EPA is not soliciting written comments and is not planning to 
formally respond to comments.

    Dated: March 6, 2003.
Peter Shanaghan,
Acting Director, Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water.
[FR Doc. 03-5910 Filed 3-11-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P