[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 194 (Tuesday, October 7, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57891-57892]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-25403]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-7569-6]


Science Advisory Board Staff Office; Notification of a 
Consultative Meeting of the Radiation Advisory Committee of the Science 
Advisory Board

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The EPA Science Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office announces a 
public meeting of the Science Advisory Board's Radiation Advisory 
Committee (RAC). The SAB RAC will conduct a second consultation 
regarding the Multi Multi-Agency Radiation Survey and Site 
Investigation Manual (MARSSIM) supplement dealing with the Multi Agency 
Radiation Survey and Assessment of Materials and Equipment (MARSAME).

DATES: October 21, 2003: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. eastern standard time.
    October 22, 2003: 8:30 a.m. to no later than 3:30 p.m. eastern 
standard time.

[[Page 57892]]


ADDRESSES: The meeting location for this face-to-face meeting of the 
RAC will be in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area and will be 
announced on the SAB Web site, http://www.epa.gov/sab) in advance prior 
to the meeting. Any member of the public wishing to provide comment 
should contact the Designated Federal Officer as indicated below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Any member of the public wishing 
further information regarding the SAB or the RAC may contact Dr. K. 
Jack Kooyoomjian, Designated Federal Officer (DFO), U.S. EPA Science 
Advisory Board Staff Office (1400A), 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., 
Washington, DC 20460; by telephone/voice mail at (202) 564-4557; or via 
e-mail at [email protected]. General information about the SAB 
can be found in the SAB Web site at http://www.epa.gov/sab.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Summary: The EPA SAB Staff Office is announcing that the Radiation 
Advisory Committee (RAC), a standing committee of the SAB will conduct 
a second consultation regarding the Multi-Agency Radiation Survey and 
Site Investigation Manual (MARSSIM) supplement dealing with the Multi-
Agency Radiation Survey and Assessment of Materials and Equipment 
(MARSAME). The first consultation took place on February 25 through 27, 
2003 (see 68 FR, 6914-6915, February 11, 2003). The RAC will also 
receive an update on EPA's Office of Radiation and Indoor Air (ORIA) 
and the federal MARSSIM Work Group activities, receive program updates 
from ORIA, as well as plan other committee business for the balance of 
the fiscal year.
    The Committee is to provide advice to the Agency as part of the SAB 
mission established by 42 U.S.C. 4365 to provide independent scientific 
and technical advice, consultation, and recommendations to the EPA 
Administrator on the technical basis for Agency positions and 
regulations. This committee will comply with the provisions of the 
Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) and all appropriate SAB 
procedural policies.
    Background: The RAC had previously given advice to the federal 
MARSSIM Work Group pertaining to the MARSAME supplement on a variety of 
issues, including advice on better definition of the problems and 
issues, better specification on monitoring and measurement technologies 
and a discussion on a variety of topics and approaches. This 
consultative advice included development of scenarios and modeling 
technology that could be used as a tool to guide sampling approaches to 
be considered by the federal MARSSIM Work Group as they develop the 
MARSAME supplement.
    Charge to the Panel: The SAB's RAC was asked to provide a second 
round of consultative advice on the technical approach and to provide 
suggestions for additional approaches to the problem, and to comment on 
any technical issues that the federal MARSSIM Work Group might 
encounter in development of the MARSSIM Supplement dealing with 
Materials and Equipment (MARSAME).
    Further Information: The SAB Staff Office will re-post the names 
and biosketches for members of the RAC on the SAB Web site for 
examination by the interested public and will provide copies of the 
biosketches at the public meeting. Additional information regarding 
this advisory meeting, such as the agenda and this FR notice for the 
meeting can be found at the SAB Web site at http://www.epa.gov/sab. 
Since this is a consultation, there are no review or background 
documents posted on the SAB website.
    Procedures for Providing Public Comment. It is the policy of the 
EPA SAB Staff Office to accept written public comments of any length, 
and to accommodate oral public comments whenever possible. The EPA SAB 
Staff Office expects that public statements presented at the SAB RAC 
meeting 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 (unless otherwise indicated). 
For conference call meetings, opportunities for oral comment will 
usually be limited to no more than three minutes per speaker and no 
more than fifteen minutes total. Interested parties should contact the 
Designated Federal Officer (DFO) in writing (email, fax or mail) at 
least one week prior to the meeting in order to be placed on the public 
speaker list for the meeting. Speakers should bring at least 35 copies 
of their comments and presentation slides for distribution to the 
participants and public at the meeting. Written Comments: Although 
written comments are accepted 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 comments 
may be made available to the committee for their consideration. 
Comments should be supplied to the 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: Adobe Acrobat, 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 35 copies of their comments 
for public distribution.
    Definition: A SAB balanced review panel: For the EPA SAB, A 
balanced review panel (i.e., committee, subcommittee, or panel) is 
characterized by inclusion of candidates who possess the necessary 
domains of knowledge, the relevant scientific perspective (which, among 
other factors, can be influence by work history and affiliation), and 
the collective breadth of expertise to adequately address the charge. 
Information considered in the selection of the panel, include 
information provided by the public, along with information provided by 
candidates and information gathered by EPA SAB Staff independently on 
the background of each candidate (e.g., financial disclosure 
information and computer searches to evaluate a nominee's prior 
involvement with the topic under review). Specific criteria to be used 
in evaluating an individual subcommittee member include: (a) Scientific 
and/or technical expertise, knowledge, and experience (primary 
factors); (b) availability and willingness to serve; (c) absence of 
financial conflicts of interest; (d) scientific credibility and 
impartiality; and (e) ability to work constructively and effectively in 
committees.
    Meeting Accommodations: Individuals requiring special accommodation 
to access these meetings, should contact Dr. K. Jack Kooyoomjian at 
least five business days prior to the meeting so that appropriate 
arrangements can be made.

    Dated: September 30, 2003.
Vanessa T. Vu,
Director, EPA Science Advisory Board Staff Office.
[FR Doc. 03-25403 Filed 10-6-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P