[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 219 (Tuesday, November 15, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69340-69341]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-22613]



[[Page 69340]]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-7996-6]


Science Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office; Notification of 
Multiple Upcoming Teleconferences of the Science Advisory Board 
Ecological Processes and Effects Committee, Arsenic Review Panel, and 
the Second Generation Model Advisory Panel

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The EPA Science Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office announces 
three upcoming public teleconferences of the:
    (1) SAB Ecological Processes and Effects Committee to prepare for a 
review of the EPA Region 6 Geographic Information System Screening 
Tool;
    (2) The SAB Arsenic Review Panel to discuss and reach consensus its 
draft report Advisory on EPA's Assessments of Carcinogenic Effects of 
Organic and Inorganic Arsenic; and
    (3) The SAB Second Generation Model Advisory Panel to discuss 
potential revisions to its interim draft comments on the model.

DATES: The dates for the three teleconferences are:
    (1) Ecological Processes and Effects Committee on November 30, 
2005, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. eastern time;
    (2) SAB Arsenic Review Panel on December 5, 2005 from 2 to 4:30 p.m 
Eastern time; and
    (3) The SAB Second Generation Model Advisory Panel on December 9, 
2005 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. eastern time.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Members of the public who wish to 
obtain the teleconference call-in numbers and access codes to 
participate in the teleconferences may contact the following 
individuals.
    (1) For the SAB Ecological Processes and Effects teleconference, 
contact Dr. Thomas Armitage, Designated Federal Officer (DFO) by 
telephone at (202) 343-9995; fax at (202) 233-0643; or e-mail at 
[email protected].
    (2) For the SAB Arsenic Review Panel teleconference, contact Mr. 
Thomas O. Miller, DFO by telephone at (202) 343-9982 or e-mail at 
[email protected].
    (3) For the SAB Second Generation Model Advisory Panel 
teleconference contact Dr. Holly Stallworth, DFO, by telephone at (202) 
343-9867 or e-mail at [email protected]. General information 
about the SAB, as well as any updates concerning the teleconferences 
announced in this notice, may be found on the SAB Web site at: http://www.epa.gov/sab.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    Backround information for each teleconference is provided 
separately below:
    (1) The SAB Ecological Processes and Effects Committee--EPA Region 
6 has requested that the SAB conduct a review of the Geographic 
Information System Screening Tool (GISST). The GISST is an 
environmental assessment tool developed for considering single media 
and cumulative impacts for complex decisions, such as those under the 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The GISST uses geographic 
information system coverages and environmental and socioeconomic data 
to provide screening level assessments of the potential environmental 
vulnerabilities of project locations or the impacts of specified 
activities. Decision criteria used in GISST score available data on a 
scale of one to five, with higher scores representing higher potential 
environmental vulnerability or concern. GISST may be used by decision-
makers to help prioritize project locations and alternatives actions. 
EPA Region 6 is seeking comment from the SAB on the validity of the 
GISST methodology, the defensibility of the GISST results, and the 
usefulness of the GISST, particularly within the NEPA process. EPA 
Region 6 is also interested in making the GISST more user-friendly, and 
is seeking comments on further enhancements to the GISST. In a Federal 
Register Notice published on September 22, 2005 (70 FR 55620-55621), 
the SAB Staff Office announced that it was augmenting the expertise on 
the SAB Ecological Processes and Effects Committee to form the 
Geographic Information System Screening Tool Review Panel. The SAB 
Staff Office also announced that a meeting of the Panel would be held 
on December 7-8, 2005 to review the GISST. The GISST Review Panel will 
meet with EPA Region 6 representatives by teleconference on November 
30, 2005 to discuss the charge and agenda for the upcoming review 
meeting.
    (2) The SAB Arsenic Review Panel--The purpose of this 
teleconference is to discuss and reach consensus on the draft Advisory 
on EPA's Assessments of Carcinogenic Effects of Organic and Inorganic 
Arsenic: An Advisory Report of the U.S. EPA Science Advisory Board. 
Background on this issue was provided in two Federal Register Notices 
published on February 23, 2005 (70 FR 8803-8804) and July 26, 2005 (70 
FR 43144-43145). Human exposure to arsenic compounds can occur through 
various environmental media by their use as pesticides (e.g., 
dessicants/defoliants, wood preservatives) or from industrial wastes. 
EPA regulates environmental exposures to arsenic compounds pursuant to 
requirements of several laws (e.g., the Safe Drinking Water Act; the 
Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act; and the Food 
Quality Protection Act). EPA asked the SAB to provide advice on 
scientific issues underlying the Agency's assessments of the 
carcinogenic potential of arsenic compounds. In response to EPA's 
request, the SAB Staff Office formed an Ad Hoc Panel to review relevant 
background data and to consider the underlying scientific questions. As 
a result the Panel drafted an advisory report to the EPA Administrator 
to respond to the EPA charge. That draft report will be the focus of 
the December 5, 2005 telephone conference meeting of the Panel.
    (3) The SAB Second Generation Model Advisory Panel was discussed in 
an earlier Notice published on July 9, 2004 (69 FR 41474-41475). 
Subsequent Notices published on November 18, 2004 (69 FR 67579-67580), 
January 6, 2005 (70 FR 1245-1246) and March 2, 2005 (70 FR 10089-10090) 
provided notices of a December 2, 2004 teleconference, a February 4, 
2005 face-to-face meeting, and April 1 and May 6, 2005 teleconferences 
respectively. Additional background material on the Second Generation 
Model may be found at: http://www.epa.gov/air/sgm-sab.html. The 
upcoming teleconference to be held on December 9 will provide panelists 
an opportunity to discuss potential revisions to their Interim Draft 
Comments posted at http://www.epa.gov/sab/pdf/sgm_07-21-05_interim_draft.pdf. For technical information on the Second Generation Model 
contact Michael Shelby, EPA Office of Atmospheric Programs, by 
telephone at (202) 343-9440 or e-mail [email protected].

Availability of Meeting Materials

    Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, Public Law 92-463, 
notice is hereby given that the SAB will hold the three public 
teleconferences on the dates and times provided above. Rosters of the 
Subcommittee and Panel members, their biosketches, the teleconference 
agendas, and the charges to the Subcommittee and Panels will be posted 
on the SAB Web site http://www.epa.gov/sab prior to the teleconference. 
Additional materials for each teleconference are described below.

[[Page 69341]]

    (1) The EPA Region 6 GIS Screening Tool (GISST) User's Manual is 
available at the following URL address: http://www.epa.gov/earth1r6/6en/xp/enxp2a3.htm.
    (2) The draft report that is the subject of the SAB Arsenic Review 
panel meeting is available on the SAB Web site at: http://www.epa.gov/sab. EPA's Toxicological Review of Inorganic Arsenic and related 
background information on inorganic arsenic may be found at: http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/sab/. The technical contact for the above 
information on inorganic arsenic is Dr. Elizabeth Doyle, (202) 566-
0056, of the Office of Water. EPA's assessment for organic arsenic, 
entitled Science Issue Paper: Cancer Mode of Action of Cacodylic Acid 
(Dimethylarsinic Acid, DMA\V\ and Recommendations for Dose Response 
Extrapolation and other related background information on organic 
arsenic may be found at: http://www.epa.gov/oppsrrd1/reregistration/cacodylic_acid/. The technical contact for the above information on 
organic arsenic is Dr. Anna Lowit, (703) 308-4135, of the Office of 
Pesticide Programs.
    (3) Additional background material on the Second Generation Model 
may be found at: http://www.epa.gov/air/sgm-sab.html. The upcoming 
teleconference to be held on December 9 will provide panelists an 
opportunity to discuss potential revisions to their Interim Draft 
Comments posted at http://www.epa.gov/sab/pdf/sgm_07-21-05_interim_draft.pdf.

Procedures for Providing Public Comment

    The SAB Staff Office accepts written public comments of any length, 
and accommodates oral public comments whenever possible. The SAB Staff 
Office expects that public statements presented at SAB meetings will 
not repeat previously submitted oral or written statements. Oral 
Comments: In general, individuals or groups requesting an oral 
presentation at a teleconference meeting will usually be limited to 
three minutes per speaker with no more than a total of fifteen minutes 
for all speakers. Interested parties should contact the appropriate DFO 
at the contact information provided above in writing via e-mail at 
least 10 days prior to the scheduled teleconference to be placed on the 
public speaker list for the teleconference. Speakers should provide an 
electronic copy of their comments to the DFO for distribution to 
interested parties and participants in the meeting. Written Comments: 
Written comments should be received in the SAB Staff Office at least 
seven days before scheduled teleconference so that the comments may be 
made available to the Panel for their consideration. Comments should be 
supplied to the appropriate DFO at the address and contact information 
provided 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 
98/2000/XP format).

Meeting Accommodations

    Individuals requiring special accommodation to access the 
teleconference should contact the appropriate DFO at the phone number 
or e-mail address noted above at least five business days prior to the 
meeting so that appropriate arrangements can be made.

    Dated: November 8, 2005.
Anthony F. Maciorowski,
Associate Director for Science, EPA Science Advisory Board Staff 
Office.
[FR Doc. 05-22613 Filed 11-14-05; 8:45 am]
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