[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 63 (Monday, April 3, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Page 16564]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-3158]



[[Page 16564]]

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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary


Veterans' Advisory Board on Dose Reconstruction

AGENCY: Department of Defense, Defense Threat Reduction Agency.

ACTION: Notice of advisory board meeting.

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SUMMARY: The Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) and the Department 
of Veterans Affairs (VA) will hold the third public meeting of the 
Veterans' Advisory Board on Dose Reconstruction (VBDR). The VBDR was 
established at the recommendation of the National Research Council 
report, entitled ``Review of the Dose Reconstruction Program of the 
Defense Threat Reduction Agency.'' The report recommended the need to 
establish an advisory board that will provide suggestions for 
improvements in dose reconstruction and claim adjudication procedures. 
The goal of VBDR is to provide guidance and oversight of the dose 
reconstruction and claims compensation programs for veterans of U.S.-
sponsored atmospheric nuclear weapons tests from 1945-1962; veterans of 
the 1945-1946 occupation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan; and veterans 
who were prisoners of war in those regions at the conclusion of World 
War II. In addition, the advisory board will assist VA and DTRA in 
communicating with the veterans.
    Radiation dose reconstruction has been carried out by the 
Department of Defense under the Nuclear Test Personnel Review (NTPR) 
program since the 1970s. DTRA is the executive agent for the NTPR 
program which provides participation data and actual or estimated 
radiation dose information to veterans and the VA.
    Board members were selected to fulfill the statutory requirements 
mandated by Congress in section 601 of Public Law 108-183. The Board 
was appointed on June 3, 2005, and is comprised of 16 members. Board 
members were selected to provide expertise in historical dose 
reconstruction, radiation health matters, risk communications, 
radiation epidemiology, medicine, quality management, decision analysis 
and ethics in order to appropriately enable the VBDR to represent and 
address veterans' concerns.
    The Board is governed by the provisions of the Federal Advisory 
Committee Act (FACA), PL 92-463, which sets forth standards for the 
formation and conduct of government advisory committees.

DATES: Thursday, June 8, 2006, 8:30 a.m.-11:45 a.m. and 3-5 p.m., 
including a public comment session from 1 to 2:30 p.m.; and Friday, 
June 9, 2006, from 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and 2:30-3:45 p.m., including a 
public comment session from 1:30-2:30 p.m.

ADDRESSES: Omni Austin Hotel Downtown, 700 San Jacinto Street, Austin, 
TX 78701.
    Agenda: On Thursday, the meeting will open with an introduction of 
the Board. The following briefings will be presented: ``BEIR VII: 
Epidemiology and Models for Estimating Cancer Risks'' by Dr. Ethel 
Gilbert: ``Summary of Findings on Beta Dosimetry and Uncertainty From 
the Academy's Report on Dose Reconstructions for Atomic Veterans'' by 
Dr. Thomas Gesell; ``NTPR Dose Reconstruction and Veterans 
Communication Activities'' by Dr. Paul Blake; and ``VA Radiation Claims 
Compensation Program for Veterans'' by Mr. Thomas Pamperin.
    On Friday, the four subcommittees established during the inaugural 
VBDR session, will report on their activities since January 2006. The 
subcommittees are the ``Subcommittee on DTRA Dose Reconstruction 
Procedures,'' the ``Subcommittee on VA Claims Adjudication 
Procedures,'' the ``Subcommittee on Quality Management and VA Process 
Integration with DTRA Nuclear Test Personnel Review Program,'' and the 
``Subcommittee on Communication and Outreach.'' The Board will close 
with a discussion of the Subcommittee reports, future business and 
meeting dates.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The Veterans' Advisory Board on Dose 
Reconstruction hotline at 1-866-657-VBDR (8237).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: May be found at http://vbdr.org.

    Dated: March 28, 2006.
L.M. Bynum,
OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 06-3158 Filed 3-31-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5001-06-M