[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 57 (Wednesday, March 24, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13829-13831]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-6568]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-7639-6]


Science Advisory Board Staff Office; Notification of Upcoming 
Science Advisory Board Meetings

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The EPA Science Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office announces 
two public teleconference call meetings and one public face-to-face 
meeting of the SAB's Drinking Water Committee (DWC). The DWC will 
review the Agency's Drinking Water Research Program Multi-Year Plan.
    The SAB Staff Office also announces a public workshop of the SAB 
Committee on Valuing the Protection of Ecological Systems and Services. 
The workshop will focus on different approaches and methods for valuing 
the protection of ecological systems and services.

DATES: April 5, 2004. A public teleconference call meeting of the 
Drinking Water Committee (DWC) will be held from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. 
(eastern time). The purpose of this call is to provide the DWC with an 
overview of the EPA Drinking Water Research Program Multi-Year Plan and 
its regulatory context (focus is on EPA Long-Term Goal 1--
Research on Regulated Contaminants)

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    April 8, 2004. A public teleconference call meeting of the Drinking 
Water Committee (DWC) will be held from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. (eastern 
time). The purpose of this call is to continue the overview of the EPA 
Drinking Water Research Program Multi-Year Plan and its regulatory 
context (focus is on Long-Term Goal 2--Research on Unregulated 
Contaminants and Innovative Approaches; and Long-Term Goal 3--
Research on Distribution Systems and Source Water Protection).
    April 13-14, 2004. A public workshop of the SAB Committee on 
Valuing the Protection of Ecological Systems and Services will be held 
from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m (eastern time) on April 13, 2004, and from 8:30 
a.m. to 4 p.m. (eastern time) on April 14, 2004.
    May 24-25, 2004. A public meeting of the Drinking Water Committee 
(DWC) to Review the EPA Drinking Water Research Program Multi-Year 
Plan. The meeting will begin at 8:30 a.m. and end no later than 5 p.m. 
(eastern time) each day.

ADDRESSES: Participation in the DWC teleconference meetings will be by 
teleconference only--a meeting room will not be used. The May 24-25, 
2004 meeting of the DWC will be held in the Auditorium (Room C111C), 
U.S. EPA, Main Campus, 109 T.W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle 
Park, NC 27709. The April 13-14, 2004 workshop of the Committee on 
Valuing the Protection of Ecological Systems and Services will be held 
at the Four Points Sheraton, 1201 K Street NW., Washington, DC 20005.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Members of the public who wish to 
obtain the call-in number and access code to participate in the DWC 
teleconference meetings may contact the EPA Science Advisory Board 
Staff at (202) 343-9999 by Friday, April 2, 2004, before the conference 
calls. Any member of the public wishing further information regarding 
the SAB or the DWC may contact Mr. A. Robert Flaak, Designated Federal 
Officer (DFO), U.S. EPA Science Advisory Board via phone (202-343-9988) 
or e-mail at [email protected], or Dr. Anthony Maciorowski, 
Associate Director for Science, U.S. EPA Science Advisory Board via 
phone (202-343-9983) or e-mail at [email protected].
    For information regarding the SAB Committee on Valuing the 
Protection of Ecological Systems and Services please contact Dr. Angela 
Nugent, DFO for the Committee. Dr. Nugent can be contacted via phone 
(202-343-9981) or e-mail: [email protected].
    The SAB Mailing address is: U.S. EPA, Science Advisory Board 
(1400F), 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460. General 
information about the SAB, as well as any updates concerning the 
meetings announced in this notice, may be found in the SAB Web site at 
http://www.epa.gov/sab.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background on the Drinking Water Committee 
Review: The Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1996 direct EPA to 
conduct research to strengthen the scientific foundation for standards 
that limit public exposure to drinking water contaminants. The 
amendments contain specific requirements for research on waterborne 
pathogens, such as Cryptosporidium and Norwalk virus; disinfection 
byproducts; arsenic; and other harmful substances in drinking water. 
EPA is also directed to conduct studies to identify and characterize 
population groups, such as children, that may be at greater risk from 
exposure to contaminants in drinking water than is the general 
population.
    EPA's multi-year plan for drinking water research establishes three 
long-term goals. Within the scope of this MYP, EPA will: (a) By 2010, 
develop scientifically sound data and approaches to assess and manage 
risks to human health posed by exposure to specific regulated 
waterborne pathogens and chemicals, including those addressed by the 
Arsenic Microbial/Disinfectant By-Product (M/DBP) Rules and Six-Year 
Review Rules. (b) By 2010, develop new data, innovative tools and 
improved technologies to support decision-making by the Office of Water 
on the Contaminant Candidate List and other regulatory issues, and 
implementation of rules by States, local authorities and water 
utilities. (c) By 2009, provide data, tools and technologies to support 
management decisions by EPA's Office of Water, State, local authorities 
and utilities to protect source water and the quality of water in the 
distribution system.
    The DWC received an initial briefing on the DW-MYP at a meeting on 
December 10, 2003 which was announced in 68 FR 66095, published on 
November 25, 2003. The meeting agendas and charge to the DWC for this 
review will be posted on the SAB Web site (http://www.epa.gov/sab) 
prior to the meetings.
    Availability of Review Material for the DWC Meetings: There is only 
one document that is the subject of the SAB review: EPA's Office of 
Research and Development's (ORD) Drinking Water Research Program Multi-
Year Plan. This document is available electronically at the following 
URL address: http://www.epa.gov/osp/myp.htm#dw. For information and any 
questions pertaining to the review document, please contact Dr. Fred 
Hauchman, EPA-ORD, via telephone: (919) 541-3893; fax: 919-685-3247; or 
e-mail: [email protected]
    Background on the SAB Committee on Valuing the Protection of 
Ecological Systems and Services: Background on the Committee and its 
charge was provided in 68 FR 11082, published on March 7, 2003. The 
purpose of the April 13-14, 2004 Workshop is for the Committee to 
discuss the desired characteristics and desired outcomes of knowledge, 
methodologies, practice, and research for valuing the protection of 
ecological systems and services. The Committee will hear presentations 
from several of its members and from scientists within and outside of 
the Agency on examples that illustrate the use of different major 
science-based approaches. The Committee will also discuss suggestions 
for its next steps in addressing its overall charge to assess Agency 
needs and the state of the art and science of valuing protection of 
ecological systems and services, and then to identify key areas for 
improving knowledge, methodologies, practice, and research. An agenda 
for the workshop will be posted on the SAB Web site (http://www.epa.gov/sab) prior to the meeting.
    Procedures for Providing Public Comment: It is the policy of the 
EPA Science Advisory Board (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 DWC 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 
(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 Official (DFO) 
in writing via e-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

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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 
appropriate DFO at the address/contact information 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.
    Meeting Accommodations: Individuals requiring special accommodation 
to access these meetings, should contact the relevant DFO at least five 
business days prior to the meeting so that appropriate arrangements can 
be made.

    Dated: March 18, 2004.
Vanessa T. Vu,
Director, EPA Science Advisory Board Staff Office.
[FR Doc. 04-6568 Filed 3-23-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P