97-13652. Science Advisory Board, Notification of Public Advisory Committee Meetings; June 1997

[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 100 (Friday, May 23, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28476-28478]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-13652]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-5829-3]


Science Advisory Board, Notification of Public Advisory Committee 
Meetings; June 1997

    Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, Public Law 92-463, 
notice is hereby given that several committees 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 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. Drinking Water Committee

    The Drinking Water Committee (DWC) of the Science Advisory Board 
(SAB) will hold a public meeting on Monday, June 9, 1997 and Tuesday, 
June 10, 1997 beginning at 8:30 a.m. on June 9 and ending not later 
than 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time) on June 10, 1997. The meeting 
will be held at the Latham Hotel, 3000 M Street NW, (Georgetown) 
Washington, DC 20007, telephone [phone].
    The purpose of the meeting will be to: (a) Complete the Committee's 
evaluation of EPA's basis for concluding that protozoan monitoring, 
required under the Information Collection Rule (ICR), will provide data 
adequate for supporting a national impact analysis for the Enhanced 
Surface Water Treatment Rule (ESWTR); (b) hear the Agency's response to 
the Committee's ``Review of the Research Plan for Microbial Pathogens 
and Disinfection Byproducts in Drinking Water;'' and to (c) receive 
briefings from the Agency on the Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 
1996, their implications to the DWC, and future issues that the Agency 
expects to bring to the DWC. The DWC will also discuss the schedule 
that it will implement in order to respond to the Agency's future 
review needs.

Background

    The Agency has promulgated an information Collection Rule (ICR) 
which among other things will provide data about the occurrence of the 
pathogenic parasites Cryptosporidium and Giardia in the source waters 
of several hundred water supplies. Information about pathogen 
occurrence is needed for a Regulatory Impact Analysis of the Enhanced 
Surface Water Treatment Rule. The Office of Water (OW) does not believe 
that current statistical methods are appropriate for evaluating 
occurrence at individual sites for the purpose of complying with a 
regulation. However, OW does think that the method is adequate for 
obtaining data to support a National Impact Analysis.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Single copies of the background report 
for this review, or the meeting agenda, can be obtained by contacting 
Mr. Thomas O. Miller, Designated Federal Officer for the Drinking Water 
Committee, Science Advisory Board (1400), U.S. EPA, 401 M Street, SW, 
Washington, DC 20460; by telephone at [phone]; by fax at (202) 
260-7118 or via the INTERNET at: [e-mail], or by 
contacting Ms. Mary Winston at [phone], by fax at (202) 260-
7118, or by INTERNET at: [e-mail].
    Anyone wishing to make an oral presentation to the Committee must 
contact Mr. Miller, in writing (by letter, fax, or INTERNET--see 
previously stated information) no later than 12 noon (Eastern Standard 
Time) Monday, June 2, 1997, in order to be included on the Agenda. The 
request should identify the name and affiliation of the individual who 
will make the presentation and an outline of the issues to be 
addressed. At least 35 copies of any written comments to the Committee 
are to be given to Mr. Miller no later than the time of the 
presentation for distribution to the Committee and the interested 
public.

2. Multi-Agency Radiation Survey and Site Investigation Manual 
(MARSSIM) Review Subcommittee (MARSSIMRS) of the Radiation Advisory 
Committee (RAC)

    The Multi-Agency Radiation Survey and Site Investigation Manual 
(MARSSIM) Review Subcommittee (MARSSIMRS) of the Science Advisory 
Board's (SAB's) Radiation Advisory Committee (RAC), will continue its 
review of the technical basis of the draft Multi-Agency Radiation 
Survey and Site Investigation Manual (MARSSIM), dated December 1996 in 
a public meeting on Tuesday, June 17 and Wednesday, June 18, 1997. The 
meeting will begin at 9:00 am on Tuesday, June 17, 1997 and end no 
later than 12:00 noon Wednesday, June 18, 1997. The MARSSIMRS will meet 
at The Latham Hotel, 3000 M Street, NW, Washington, DC 20007-3701 (Tel. 
202-726-5000). During a portion of the meeting, the MARSSIMRS 
Workgroups may meet in ``break-out'' sessions for each of three 
MARSSIMRS workgroups, depending on how much work will be required in 
each workgroup. It is intended that most or all of the meeting will be 
held by the Subcommittee without the need for extensive break-out 
discussions. Workgroup No. 1 deals with Integration Issues, Workgroup 
No. 2 deals with Monitoring, and Workgroup No. 3 deals

[[Page 28477]]

with Statistics. The Subcommittee previously met on July 31 and August 
1, 1996 (See Federal Register Vol. 61, No. 123, Tuesday, June 25, 1996, 
pages 32796-32798) to plan for the MARSSIM review, and January 22 and 
23, 1997 to begin the review (See Federal Register Vol. 61, No. 251, 
Monday, December 30, 1996, pages 68743-68745).
    The charge to the Subcommittee is as follows: (a) Is the overall 
approach to the planning, data acquisition, data assessment, and data 
interpretation as described in the MARSSIM technically acceptable? (b) 
Are the methods and assumptions for demonstrating compliance with a 
dose- or risk-based regulation technically acceptable? Are the 
hypothesis and statistical tests and their method of application 
appropriate?
    The draft document being reviewed by the MARSSIMRS at this meeting 
is the draft MARSSIM Manual, dated December 1996. Copies of this draft 
document are not available from the SAB Office. A limited supply of 
single copies of this document will be available at no cost at the 
meeting on June 17 and 18, 1997. A free single copy of the draft 
MARSSIM may be requested by writing to the: Distribution and Mail 
Services Section, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), Washington, 
DC 20555-0001, or by fax to [phone]. The NRC document number is 
NUREG 1575. This document is also available via the INTERNET at http://
www.epa.gov/ radiation/cleanup. This EPA document is also available 
from the National Technical Information Service (NTIS) for a fee. The 
NTIS document number is NTIS-PB97-117659. The NTIS sales desk is open 
between 8:30 am and 5:00 pm Eastern Time, Monday through Friday at 
[phone]. For the hearing impaired, call [phone]. For RUSH 
service (which entails an additional fee) call 1-800-NTIS. Fax orders 
can be sent to [phone]. To order by mail, send orders to: NTIS, 
5285 Port Royal Road, Springfield, VA 22161. The background documents 
that support this review, as well as the draft MARSSIM, dated December 
1996 (EPA draft document number EPA 402-R-96-018; also referred to as 
NUREG-1575) are available in the Agency's Air and Radiation Docket. 
Please address written inquiries as follows: US EPA, Attn: Air and 
Radiation Docket, Mail Stop 6102, Air Docket No. A-96-44, Room M1500, 
First Floor, Waterside Mall, 401 M Street, SW, Washington, DC 20460. 
The docket may be inspected from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, Monday through 
Friday, excluding Federal holidays, in Room M1500. A reasonable fee may 
be charged for copies of docket materials. Inquiries regarding access 
to the public information docket should be directed to Mr. Mark 
Doehnert, ORIA Staff at [phone]. To discuss technical aspects of 
the draft document or any supporting or background information, please 
contact Mr. Doehnert, Radiation Protection Division (6603J), Office of 
Radiation and Indoor Air (ORIA), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 
401 M Street, SW, Washington, DC 20460, tel. [phone]; FAX (202) 
233-9650; Email at [email protected] EPA.GOV.
    The draft SAB report entitled ``An SAB Report: Review of the Multi-
Agency Radiation Survey and Site Investigation Manual (MARSSIM) by the 
Radiation Advisory Committee,'' review draft dated May, 1997, which 
critiques the December draft MARSSIM, may be obtained from the SAB from 
Mrs. Diana L. Pozun at [phone].
    Members of the public who wish to make a brief oral presentation at 
this meeting must contact Mrs. Diana L. Pozun, Staff Secretary, in 
writing via fax [phone] or Email [email protected]) no 
later than noon, Eastern Time on Tuesday, June 10, 1997, in order to 
have time reserved on the agenda. For a copy of the proposed agenda or 
of the draft SAB report, please contact Ms. Pozun by phone (202-260-
8414) or at the numbers given above. For questions regarding technical 
issues to be discussed, please contact Dr. K. Jack Kooyoomjian, 
Designated Federal Official, Science Advisory Board (1400), US EPA, 401 
M Street, SW, Washington DC 20460, by telephone at [phone], fax 
at [phone], or via the Email at: [email protected] 
EPA.GOV.

3. Radiation Advisory Committee (RAC)

    The Radiation Advisory Committee (RAC) of the Science Advisory 
Board (SAB) will conduct a planning, coordination and review meeting 
the afternoon of Wednesday, June 18, 1997 from 1:00 pm and ending no 
later than 4:00 pm. The RAC last met on January 24, 1997 (See Federal 
Register Vol. 61, No. 251, Monday, December 30, 1996, pages 68743-
68745). The meeting will take place at The Latham Hotel, 3000 M Street, 
NW, Washington, DC 20007-3701 (Tel. [phone]). The major focus of 
the planning discussions are intended to include planning for upcoming 
Fiscal Year 1998 reviews from the Office of Radiation and Indoor Air 
(ORIA). Expected topics to be discussed include continuing efforts to 
revise the NORM (Naturally-Occurring Radioactive Material) Draft 
Scoping Document and the upcoming study of NORM by the National Academy 
of Sciences (NAS); a proposed review of the Agency's Environmental 
Radiation Ambient Monitoring System (ERAMS II--SAB Project #96-015); 
Review of Radon Proficiency Programs (SAB Project # 96-018); National 
Survey of Radon in Workplaces (SAB Project #96-020), Methodology for 
Identifying High Radon Geographic Areas (SAB Project #96-021), and 
continued discussion on ORIA's radon activities. Other topics will be 
reviewed as time permits.
    To discuss technical aspects of the ORIA projects, 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 Email: 
[email protected] EPA.GOV.
    Members of the public who wish to make a brief oral presentation at 
this meeting must contact Mrs. Diana L. Pozun, Staff Secretary, in 
writing via fax [phone] or Email [email protected]) no 
later than noon eastern time Wednesday, June 10, 1997, in order to have 
time reserved on the agenda. For a copy of the proposed agenda, please 
contact Ms. Pozun at the numbers given above, or call [phone]. 
For questions regarding technical issues to be discussed, please 
contact Dr. K. Jack Kooyoomjian, Designated Federal Official, Science 
Advisory Board (1400), US EPA, 401 M Street, SW, Washington DC 20460, 
tel. [phone], fax [phone], or via Email at: 
[email protected] EPA.GOV.

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

[[Page 28478]]

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/SCIENCE1/.

    Dated: May 5, 1997.
Donald G. Barnes,
Staff Director, Science Advisory Board.
[FR Doc. 97-13652 Filed 5-22-97; 8:45 am]
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