[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 99 (Thursday, May 22, 1997)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 27991-27992]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-13323]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
40 CFR Chapter I
[FRL-5828-2]
Announcement of Stakeholders Meeting on National Primary Drinking
Water Regulation for Radon-222
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.
ACTION: Notice of stakeholders meeting.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will be holding a
one-day public meeting on June 26, 1997. The purpose of this meeting is
to present information on EPA plans for activities to develop a
proposed National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) for radon-
222, and solicit public input on major technical and implementation
issues, and on preferred approaches for continued public involvement.
This meeting is a continuation of stakeholder meetings that started in
1995 to obtain input on the Agency's Drinking Water Program. These
meetings were initiated as part of the Drinking Water Program
Redirection efforts to help refocus EPA's drinking water priorities and
to support strong, flexible partnerships among EPA, States, local
governments, and the public. At the upcoming meeting, EPA is seeking
input from state drinking water and radon programs, the regulated
community (public water systems), public health and safety
organizations, environmental and public interest groups, and other
stakeholders on a number of issues related to developing the NPDWR for
radon. EPA encourages the full participation of stakeholders throughout
this process.
DATES: The stakeholder meeting on the NPDWR for radon will be held on
June 26, 1997 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
ADDRESSES: To register for the meeting, please contact the Safe
Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791 by June 12,
[[Page 27992]]
1997. Those registered for the meeting will receive background
materials prior to the meeting. Members of the public who cannot attend
the meeting in person may participate via conference call and should
register with the Safe Drinking Water Hotline as well. Members of the
public who cannot participate via conference call or in person may
submit comments in writing by July 10, 1997 to Sylvia Malm, at the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M St., SW (4607), Washington, DC,
20460. The meeting will be held in Washington, DC. The address of the
meeting site will be included with the background materials.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information on meeting
logistics, please contact the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-
4791. For information on the activities related to developing the NPDWR
for radon and other EPA activities under the Safe Drinking Water Act,
contact the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791. For
information on radon in indoor air, contact the National Safety
Council's National Radon Hotline at 1-800-SOS-RADON.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
A. Background
On July 18, 1991 (56 FR 33050), EPA proposed a Maximum Contaminant
Level Goal (MCLG) and National Primary Drinking Water Regulation
(NPDWR) for radon and other radionuclides in public water supplies. EPA
proposed to regulate radon at 300 pCi/L. Commenters on the 1991
proposed NPDWR for radon raised several concerns, including cost of
implementation, especially for small systems, and the larger risk to
public health from radon in indoor air from soil under buildings.
On August 6, 1996, Congress passed amendments to the Safe Drinking
Water Act (SDWA), which establishes a new charter for the nation's
public water systems, States, and EPA in protecting the safety of
drinking water. The amendments [Sec. 1412(b)(13)] direct EPA to develop
an MCLG and NPDWR for radon. EPA is required to (1) Withdraw the 1991
proposed MCLG and NPDWR for radon-222; (2) arrange for the National
Academy of Sciences (NAS) to conduct an independent risk assessment for
radon in drinking water and an independent assessment of risk reduction
benefits from various mitigation measures to reduce radon in indoor
air; (3) publish a radon health risk reduction and cost analysis for
possible radon Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) for public comment by
February, 1999; (4) propose an MCLG and NPDWR for radon by August,
1999; (5) publish a final MCLG and NPDWR for radon by August, 2000.
If the MCL is ``more stringent than necessary to reduce the
contribution to radon in indoor air from drinking water to a
concentration that is equivalent to the national average concentration
of radon in outdoor air,'' EPA is also required to promulgate an
alternative MCL and publish guidelines for state multimedia mitigation
programs to mitigate radon levels in air. The alternative MCL would
``reduce the contribution from radon in water to radon in indoor air to
a concentration that is equivalent to the national average
concentration of radon in air.'' States may develop and submit to EPA
for approval a multimedia mitigation program to mitigate radon levels
in indoor air. EPA shall approve State multimedia mitigation programs
if they are expected to achieve equivalent or greater health risk
reduction benefits than compliance with the MCL. If EPA approves a
State multimedia mitigation program, public water supply systems within
the State may comply with the alternative MCL. If EPA does not approve
a State program, or the State does not propose a program, public water
supply systems may propose multimedia mitigation programs to EPA, under
the same procedures outlined for States.
B. Request for Stakeholder Involvement
EPA is committed to proposing a timely NPDWR for radon that
incorporates the best available science, treatment technologies,
occurrence data, cost/benefit analyses, and stakeholder input on
technical and implementation issues. EPA has evaluated comments on the
1991 proposed NPDWR for radon and will be considering those comments in
developing the regulation.
The meeting will cover a broad range of issues including: (1) Radon
in drinking water MCL development (treatment technologies, occurrence,
analytical methods); (2) multimedia mitigation program; and (3)
stakeholder involvement processes. Background materials on radon in
drinking water issues will be sent to all registered participants in
advance of the meeting. Issues for discussion and stakeholder input
will be based on the materials provided and include (but may not be
limited to) the following:
(1) Any new information or data;
(2) Issues and concerns related to rule development;
(3) Issues and concerns related to implementing a multimedia
mitigation program from the perspective of your state, water systems,
public health and safety organizations, environmental and public
interest groups, and the public; and
(4) Recommendations on the most beneficial points in the process
for stakeholder input and preferred approaches for stakeholder input.
EPA has announced this public meeting to hear the views of
stakeholders on EPA's plans for activities to develop a NPDWR for
radon. The public is invited to provide comments on the issues listed
above and other issues related to the radon in drinking water
regulation during the June 26, 1997 meeting or in writing by July 10,
1997.
Dated: May 15, 1997.
Richard Kuhlman,
Acting Director, Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water,
Environmental Protection Agency.
[FR Doc. 97-13323 Filed 5-21-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
