97-28145. Science Advisory Board; Notification of Public Advisory Committee Meetings; November 18-20, 1997

[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 205 (Thursday, October 23, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55249-55250]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-28145]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-5913-5]


Science Advisory Board; Notification of Public Advisory Committee 
Meetings; November 18-20, 1997

    Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, Public Law 92-463, 
notice is hereby given that the Radiation Advisory Committee (RAC) and 
its Uncertainty in Radiogenic Risk Subcommittee (URRS) of the Science 
Advisory Board (SAB) will meet on the dates and times described below. 
All times noted are Eastern Time. All meetings are open to the public, 
however, seating is limited and available on a first come basis. 
Documents that are the subject of SAB reviews are normally available 
from the originating U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) office 
and are not available from the SAB Office. Public drafts of SAB reports 
are available to the Agency and the public from the SAB office. Details 
on availability are noted below.

1. Radiation Advisory Committee (RAC)

    The Science Advisory Board's (SAB's) Radiation Advisory Committee 
(RAC) will conduct a public meeting on Tuesday and Wednesday, November 
18 and 19, 1997. The meeting will convene both days at 9:00 a.m. in the 
Ramada Hotel, 901 N. Fairfax Street, Old Town Alexandria, Virginia 
22314 (tel. [phone]) and adjourn no later than 5:30 pm each day.
    At this meeting, the RAC will briefly discuss projects that are 
planned to be reviewed in Fiscal Year (FY) 1998, as well as conduct an 
advisory of the Agency's Environmental Radiation Ambient Monitoring 
System (ERAMS), and a consultation on disposal of Federal low activity 
radioactive wastes. In addition to the projects that are currently 
under review by the RAC, the likely FY 1998 projects to be briefly 
discussed for planning purposes include a proposed consultation on the 
methodology for identifying high radon geographic areas, a discussion 
on the Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation (BEIR) VI, an advisory 
on a white paper regarding estimating cancer risks for indoor radon as 
a basis for establishing cancer risks for radon, a revised radon risk 
assessment (which looks at the National Academy of Sciences 
recommendations for a model coming out of the final peer reviews), a 
consultation on the revised diffuse Naturally-Occurring Radioactive 
Material (NORM) draft scoping document being prepared by the Office of 
Radiation and Indoor Air (ORIA) staff, and a courtesy briefing on the 
Multi-Agency Radiation Laboratory Analytical Procedures (MARLAP) 
manual, which is under development. Other topics may be discussed as 
time permits.
    At this meeting, the RAC will review the draft document entitled 
``Reconfiguration Design of the Environmental Radiation Ambient 
Monitoring System,'' October 1997. The charge questions which focus on 
the technical issues pertinent to the ERAMS advisory are as follows: a) 
Will the proposed reconfiguration of the current ERAMS system enable it 
to meet the system's two basic objectives more effectively and 
efficiently as described in the attached document?; b) Are the criteria 
used for matrix selection, determination of sampling locations and 
sampling frequency and other network features appropriate given the 
reconfigured ERAMS stated mission and objectives? Are there other 
criteria that should be considered?; and c) Will the proposed changes 
to the system's current data dissemination and data evaluation 
practices increase the data's usefulness to governmental agencies, the 
scientific community and the public? Are there any other interpretation 
issues and/or practices that should be addressed?

2. Uncertainty in Radiogenic Risk Subcommittee

    The Uncertainty in Radiogenic Risk Subcommittee (URRS) of the 
Science Advisory Board's (SAB) Radiation Advisory Committee (RAC) will 
meet Thursday, November 20, 1997 from 9:00 a.m. to no later than 4:00 
p.m. at the Ramada Hotel, 901 N. Fairfax Street, Old Town Alexandria, 
Virginia 22314 (tel. [phone]).
    At this meeting, the RAC's URRS will review the draft document 
entitled ``Uncertainty Analysis for Estimating Radiogenic Cancer 
Risks,'' October, 1997. The charge questions pertaining to the review 
on uncertainty analysis for estimating radiogenic cancer risks are as 
follows: (a) Are the relevant major sources of uncertainties 
addressed?; (b) Is the overall approach to quantifying and combining 
uncertainties appropriate?, and (c) Are the mathematical functions used 
to characterize the various sources of uncertainty reasonable, in view 
of available scientific information?
    For Further Information--Any member of the public wishing further 
information concerning the meeting, such as copies of the proposed 
meeting agenda, or who wish to submit comments should contact Mrs. 
Diana L. Pozun at Tel. [phone]; FAX [phone], or via the 
Internet at: [e-mail]. Members of the public who 
wish to make a brief oral presentation to the Committee must contact 
Dr. K. Jack Kooyoomjian in writing (by letter or by fax--see previously 
stated information) no later than 12 noon Eastern Time, Wednesday, 
November 12, 1997 in order to be included on the Agenda. Public 
comments will be normally limited to five minutes per speaker or 
organization. The request should identify the name of the individual 
who

[[Page 55250]]

will make the presentation, the organization (if any) they will 
represent, any requirements for audio visual equipment (e.g., overhead 
projector, 35mm projector, chalkboard, easel, etc), and at least 35 
copies of an outline of the issues to be addressed or the presentation 
itself. Further information pertaining to the meeting may be obtained 
directly from Dr. K. Jack Kooyoomjian, Designated Federal Official for 
the Radiation Advisory Committee, Science Advisory Board (1400), U.S. 
EPA, Washington, DC 20460, phone [phone]; fax [phone]; or 
via E-mail at: [e-mail].
    For questions pertaining to the review of uncertainty analysis for 
estimating radiogenic cancer risks, and to obtain copies of the draft 
document being reviewed, as well as background documents provided to 
the SAB's RAC, please contact Dr. Jerome S. Puskin, (6602J), ORIA/EPA 
at [phone]. To discuss any other aspects of this review or any 
supporting or background information, please contact Mr. Brian 
Littleton, (6601J), ORIA, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M 
Street, SW, Washington, D.C. 20460, tel. [phone]; fax (202) 233-
9651; or E-mail: [e-mail]. After November 1, 
1997 please call Mr. Littleton at [phone].
    For questions pertaining to the ERAMS advisory review, and to 
obtain copies of the draft document being reviewed, as well as 
background documents provided to the SAB's RAC, please contact LT. 
Rhonda Cook, US Public Health Service (PHS)/EPA at [phone]. The 
SAB's RAC conducted an earlier advisory on ERAMS on July 13 and 14, 
1995 and produced an SAB advisory (EPA-SAB-RAC-ADV-96-003, April 5, 
1996). For copies of this earlier SAB report, please contact the SAB's 
Committee Evaluation Support Staff (CESS) at [phone]; FAX (202) 
260-7118. For additional information or to discuss technical aspects of 
any of the other ORIA agenda topics, or any supporting or background 
information, please contact Mr. Brian Littleton, (6601J), Office of 
Radiation and Indoor Air (ORIA), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 
401 M Street, SW, Washington, D.C. 20460, tel. [phone]; fax 
[phone]; or E-mail: [e-mail]. After 
November 1, 1997 please call Mr. Littleton at [phone].

Providing Oral or Written Comments at SAB Meetings

    The Science Advisory Board expects that public statements presented 
at its meetings will not be repetitive of previously submitted oral or 
written statements. In general, for meetings, opportunities for oral 
comment will usually be limited to no more than five minutes per 
speaker and no more than thirty minutes total. Written comments (at 
least 35 copies) received in the SAB Staff Office sufficiently prior to 
a meeting date (usually one week before the meeting), may be mailed to 
the relevant SAB committee or subcommittee; comments received too close 
to the meeting date will normally be provided to the committee at its 
meeting. Written comments may be provided to the relevant committee or 
subcommittee up until the time of the meeting.
    Information concerning the Science Advisory Board, its structure, 
function, and composition, may be found in The FY1996 Annual Report of 
the Staff Director which is available from the SAB Committee Evaluation 
and Support Staff (CESS) by contacting US EPA, Science Advisory Board 
(1400), Attention: CESS, 401 M Street, SW, Washington, DC 20460 or via 
fax [phone]. Additional information concerning the SAB can be 
found on the SAB Home Page at: http://www.epa.gov/sab.

    Dated: October 17, 1997.
Donald G. Barnes,
Staff Director, Science Advisory Board.
[FR Doc. 97-28145 Filed 10-22-97; 8:45 am]
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