96-16127. Science Advisory Board; Notification of Public Advisory Committee Meeting; Open Meeting

[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 123 (Tuesday, June 25, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32796-32798]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-16127]



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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-5526-5]


Science Advisory Board; Notification of Public Advisory Committee 
Meeting; Open Meeting

    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 Daylight Time. All meetings are open to the public. 
Due to limited space, seating at meetings will be on a first-come 
basis. For further information concerning specific meetings, please 
contact the individuals listed below. Documents that are the subject of 
SAB reviews are normally available from the originating EPA office and 
are not available from the SAB Office.

1. Integrated Risk Project Steering Committee

    The Integrated Risk Project (IRP) Steering Committee, an ad hoc 
committee established by the Executive Committee of the Science 
Advisory Board, will meet on July 16-17, 1996, at the Morrison House, 
116 South Alfred Street, Alexandria, VA 22314, telephone (703) 838-
8000. The meeting will begin at 8:30 a.m. on July 16, and at 8:00 a.m. 
on July 17, and end no later than 5:30 p.m. on both days. Seating will 
be limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. The 
purpose of the meeting is to receive reports from the Subcommittees of 
the IRP and to begin discussion of an integrated model for decision-
making that incorporates information on risks to ecosystems and humans, 
risk reduction options, and their economic implications.

Background on the Integrated Risk Project

    In a letter dated October 25, 1995, to Dr. Matanoski, Chair of the 
SAB Executive Committee, Deputy Administrator Fred Hansen charged the 
SAB to: (a) develop an updated ranking of the relative risk of 
different environmental problems based upon explicit scientific 
criteria; (b) provide an assessment of techniques and criteria that 
could be used to discriminate among emerging environmental risks and 
identify those that merit serious, near-term Agency attention; (c) 
assess the potential for risk reduction and propose alternative 
technical risk reduction strategies for the environmental problems 
identified; and (d) identify the uncertainties and data quality issues 
associated with the relative rankings. The project will be conducted by 
several SAB panels, working at the direction of an ad hoc Steering 
Committee established by the Executive Committee.
    Single copies of Reducing Risk, the report of the previous relative 
risk ranking effort of the SAB, can be obtained by contacting the SAB's 
Committee Evaluation and Support Staff (1400), 401 M Street, SW, 
Washington, DC 20460, telephone [phone], or fax [phone]. 
Members of the public desiring additional information about the 
meeting, including an agenda, should contact Ms. Constance Valentine, 
Staff Secretary, Committee Operations Staff, Science Advisory Board 
(1400), US EPA, 401 M Street, SW, Washington DC 20460, by telephone at 
[phone], fax at [phone], or via the Internet at: 
[e-mail].
    Anyone wishing to make a brief oral presentation at the IRP meeting 
must contact Ms. Stephanie Sanzone, Designated Federal Official for the 
IRP, in writing no later than 4:00 pm, July 8, 1996, at the above 
address, via fax [phone] or via the Internet at 
[e-mail]. The request should identify the name 
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 Ms. Sanzone no later than the time of 
the presentation for distribution to the Committee and the interested 
public. Ms. Sanzone may be contacted by phone at [phone]. See 
below for additional information on providing comments to the SAB.

2. Ecological Processes and Effects Committee

    The Ecological Processes and Effects Committee (EPEC) of the 
Science Advisory Board (SAB) will meet on July 18-19, 1996, at the 
Environmental Protection Agency's Washington Information Center (WIC), 
Conference Room 17, 401 M Street, SW, Washington, DC 20460. The meeting 
will begin at 8:30 a.m. on July 18 and at 8:00 a.m. on July 19, and end 
no later than 5:00 p.m. on each day.
    The main purpose of the meeting is to: a) review the planning and 
problem formulation for several watershed-level ecological risk 
assessment case studies; b) discuss a process for identifying and 
ranking ecological risks as part of the SAB's Integrated Risk Project; 
and c) discuss EPEC Subcommittee reports, possibly including reports 
from the Marsh Management Subcommittee and the Lakes Biocriteria 
Subcommittee.

Background on the Watershed-Level Ecological Risk Assessment Case 
Studies

    The Office of Water and the Office of Research and Development have 
asked the Committee to conduct a two-stage review of the five case 
studies being prepared to illustrate ecological risk assessment for 
watersheds experiencing multiple stressors. In 1993, watershed teams 
began the development of risk assessments for five watersheds: Big 
Darby Creek, OH; Clinch River, VA; Middle Platt River Wetlands, NE; 
Snake River, ID; and Waquoit Bay Estuary, MA. The initial review 
(termed an SAB Advisory) will focus on the approach to planning and 
problem formulation, illustrated primarily by the draft case study for 
Waquoit Bay, with additional examples being drawn from the other case 
studies where appropriate. The Charge to the Committee is to evaluate 
the process for: framing the risk assessment to respond to management 
goals; selecting relevant assessment endpoints and measures; developing 
conceptual models that represent the interactions among multiple 
stressors, exposure pathways, ecological effects, and ecosystem 
processes; and developing an analysis plan.
    Single copies of the materials supplied to the Committee, including 
the draft case studies, can be obtained by contacting Ms. Crystal 
Robinson, EPA Risk Assessment Forum (W635), 401 M Street, SW, 
Washington, DC 20460, telephone [phone].

[[Page 32797]]

Background on the Integrated Risk Project

    For background on this project, please see information listed above 
in the meeting announcement for the IRP.
    Anyone wishing to make a brief oral presentation at the EPEC 
meeting must contact Ms. Stephanie Sanzone, Designated Federal Official 
for the EPEC, in writing no later than 4:00 pm, July 8, 1996, at the 
above address, via fax [phone] or via the Internet at 
[e-mail]. The request should identify the name 
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 Ms. Sanzone no later than the time of 
the presentation for distribution to the Committee and the interested 
public. Ms. Sanzone may be contacted by phone at [phone]. See 
below for additional information on providing comments to the SAB.

3. Environmental Health Committee

    The Environmental Health Committee (EHC) of the Science Advisory 
Board (SAB) will meet on July 18-19, 1996 at the Holiday Inn 
Georgetown, 2101 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington D.C. 20007, telephone 
[phone]. The meeting will start at 9:00 a.m. and end no later 
that 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Daylight Time) each day. Due to limited space, 
seating at the meeting will be on a first-come basis. The main purpose 
of the meeting is to discuss and review two documents: the EPA's 
Proposed Guidelines for Neurotoxicity Risk Assessment and the revised 
Thyroid Cancer Risk Assessment Policy Document.

Background on the Reviews

    The Committee's review of the Neurotoxicity Risk Assessment 
Guidelines will include the following issues: (a) combining hazard 
identification and dose-response evaluation to reflect more accurately 
the process used for noncancer health; (b) compensation and recovery of 
function in neurotoxicological studies and how to account for 
compensation in neurotoxicology risk assessment; (c) the use of blood 
and/or brain acetylcholinesterase activity as an indication of 
neurotoxicity for risk assessment; (d) endpoints indicative of 
neurotoxicity that may not be covered by these proposed Guidelines, 
e.g., endocrine disruption or neuroendocrine-mediated neurotoxicity; 
(e) the completeness of the description of the endpoints used in human 
and animal neurotoxicological assessments; (f). the possibility of no 
threshold for some neurotoxic agents; (g) the treatment of susceptible 
populations and individuals by the proposed Guidelines; and (h) the use 
of the Benchmark Dose in Neurotoxicity Risk Assessment.
    The review of the Thyroid Cancer Risk Assessment Policy Document 
will include the following issues: (a) the relevant science and its 
support of the proposed science policy position; (b) the summary of the 
state of knowledge regarding potential susceptibility for thyroid 
cancer development and the proposed science policy position; (c) the 
reasonableness of the science policy position that disruption in 
thyroid-pituitary status may be associated with increases in thyroid 
cancer risk; (d) the seven factors for assessing whether or not a 
chemical has antithyroid activity and the minimal criteria for making 
such a determination; (e) the proposed default assumption that the 
significance of human exposure to antithyroid carcinogens should be 
evaluated by margin-of-exposure considerations unless biologically 
based models and data are available; and (f) the nature, adequacy and 
completeness of the provided case studies and of the guidance for using 
the information.
    For Further Information--Single copies of the review materials for 
the Proposed Guidelines for Neurotoxicity Risk Assessment (which was 
published in full in the Federal Register, Vol 60, No. 192, pages 
52032-52056, October 4, 1995) can be obtained from Dr. William Wood 
(8103), US EPA, 401 M Street, SW, Washington, DC 20460, telephone (202) 
260-1095, fax [phone], or by sending a request via Internet to 
[e-mail]. PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS DOCUMENTATION IS NOT 
AVAILABLE FROM THE SAB. Members of the public desiring additional 
technical information about the Guidelines should contact Dr. Hugh 
Tilson, Neurotoxicology Division (MD-74B), National Health and 
Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Research Triangle Park, NC 
27711, telephone [phone] or fax [phone], or by sending a 
request via Internet to [e-mail].
    Single copies of the review materials for the Thyroid Cancer Risk 
Assessment Policy Document, as well as additional technical 
information, can be obtained from Dr. Richard Hill, Office of 
Prevention (7101), US EPA, 401 M Street, SW, Washington, DC 20460, 
telephone [phone], fax [phone], or by sending a request 
via Internet to [e-mail]. PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS 
DOCUMENTATION IS NOT AVAILABLE FROM THE SAB.
    Members of the public desiring additional information about the 
meeting, including a draft agenda, should contact Ms. Mary Winston, 
Staff Secretary, Committee Operations Staff, Science Advisory Board 
(1400), US EPA, 401 M Street, SW, Washington DC 20460, telephone (202) 
260-6552, fax [phone], or Internet at: 
[e-mail]. Anyone wishing to make an oral 
presentation at the EHC meeting must contact Mr. Samuel Rondberg, 
Designated Federal Official for the EHC, in writing at the above 
address no later than 4:00 p.m., July 11, 1996 via fax [phone] 
or via Internet at: [e-mail]. The request should 
identify the name 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. Rondberg no 
later than the time of the presentation for distribution to the 
Committee and the interested public. Mr. Rondberg may be contacted by 
telephone at [phone].

4. Drinking Water Committee

    The Drinking Water Committee (DWC) will meet on July 16-18, 1996, 
at the Holiday Inn Georgetown, 2101 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, 
D.C. 20007, telephone [phone]. The meeting will begin at 9:00 
a.m. on July 16 and at 8:30 a.m. on July 17 and 18, and end no later 
than 5:00 p.m. each day.
    The main purpose of the meeting is to: (a) evaluate the statistical 
approach to enumerate pathogens in drinking water supplies; (b) discuss 
the proposals submitted for DWC review in Fiscal Year 1997; (c) 
identify testing procedures, and advice needed from the DWC regarding 
endocrine disruptors; (d) consider the impacts revisions to the Cancer 
Guidelines may have on the assessment of waterborne cancer hazards; 
and, e) finish drafting the DWC's report on the Agency's Five Year 
Research Plan for Microbes and Disinfectant By-Products.

Background on the Statistical Evaluation of Pathogenic Parasites

    The Agency has conducted an Information Collection Rule (ICR) which 
among other things provided data about the occurrence of the pathogenic 
parasites Cryptosporidium and Giardia in several hundred water 
supplies. Information about pathogen occurrence and the treatment 
options is needed for a Regulatory Impact Analysis of the

[[Page 32798]]

Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule (ESWTR). While the Office of 
Water (OW) does not believe that current statistical methods are 
appropriate for evaluating occurrence and treatment efficacy at 
individual sites, it does think it has developed an appropriate 
approach for conducting a National Impact Analysis. The charge to the 
Committee is to evaluate: (a) the factual and conceptual soundness of 
the approach and methods used, and the soundness of the results and 
conclusions of the report; (b) the suitability of the assumptions and 
conditions tested in the report; (c) the suitability of the report as a 
basis for making a decision on the use of protozoan monitoring data for 
a national impact assessment; and, (d) whether the degree of accuracy 
and precision of the protozoan method is acceptable for an impact 
analysis.
    For Further Information--Single copies of the Statistical Methods 
can be obtained by contacting Mr. John Fox, Office of Water (4304), US 
EPA, 401 M Street, SW, Washington, DC 20460, telephone [phone] 
or fax [phone], or by sending a request via Internet to 
[e-mail].
    Members of the public desiring additional information about the 
meeting, including a draft agenda, should contact Ms. Mary Winston, 
Staff Secretary, Committee Operations Staff, Science Advisory Board 
(1400), U.S. EPA, 401 M Street SW., Washington DC 20460, telephone 
[phone], fax [phone], or by Internet at: 
[e-mail]. Anyone wishing to make an oral 
presentation at the meeting must contact Dr. Jack Kooyoomjian, 
Designated Federal Official for the Drinking Water Committee, in 
writing no later than 4:00 p.m., July 9, 1996 (at the above address), 
via fax [phone] or by Internet at: 
[e-mail]. The request should identify the name 
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 Dr. Kooyoomjian no later than the time 
of the presentation for distribution to the Committee and the 
interested public. To discuss technical aspects of the meeting, please 
contact Dr. Kooyoomjian on telephone [phone].

5. Radiation Advisory Committee (RAC)

    The Radiation Advisory Committee (RAC) of the Science Advisory 
Board (SAB) , will meet on Wednesday, July 31 and Thursday, August 1, 
1996 at the Environmental Protection Agency, Washington Information 
Center, Room 17, 401 M Street, S.W., Washington, DC 20460. On July 31, 
the meeting will begin at 9:00 am and adjourn no later than 5:30 pm. On 
August 1, the meeting will begin at 8:30 am and will adjourn no later 
than 4:00 pm. At this meeting, the RAC will conduct planning for Fiscal 
Year 1997, planning for an upcoming review on the Multi-Agency 
Radiation Survey and Site Investigation Manual (MARSSIM), and receive 
briefings from the staff of the Office of Radiation and Indoor Air 
(ORIA) on the following topics: uncertainty in radiation risk 
estimates, models, and environmental goals for ORIA, and a consultation 
on environmental indicators.

Background

    The draft documents that are the subject of this review are 
available from the originating EPA office and are not available from 
the SAB Office. At the present time, no draft documents have been 
provided to the RAC, but it is anticipated that draft chapters one and 
two of the MARSSIM will be available for informational reading. These 
draft documents will be available from the ORIA staff. To obtain 
copies, please contact the Office of Radiation and Indoor Air (ORIA/
RPD/MARSSIM) (6603J), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M 
Street, S.W., Washington, DC 20460, fax [phone].
    Anyone wishing to make a brief oral presentation at the RAC meeting 
must contact Dr. Kooyoomjian in writing no later than 4:00 pm, July 24, 
1996 at the address below, via fax [phone], or via the Internet 
at [e-mail]. The request should identify the 
name 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 Dr. Kooyoomjian no later than the 
time of the presentation for distribution to the Committee and the 
interested public. Dr. Kooyoomjian may be contacted by phone at (202) 
260-2560. In order to obtain a copy of the draft agenda, please contact 
Ms. Diana L. Pozun, Staff Secretary, Committee Operations Staff, 
Science Advisory Board (1400), 401 M Street, SW, Washington, DC 20460, 
tel. [phone], fax [phone], or via the INTERNET at: 
[e-mail]. See below for additional information on 
providing comments to the SAB.

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, each individual or group making an oral 
presentation will be limited to a total time of ten minutes. For 
conference call meetings, opportunities for oral comment will be 
limited to no more than five minutes per speaker and no more than 
fifteen minutes total. Written comments (at least 35 copies) received 
in the SAB Staff Office sufficiently prior to a meeting date, may be 
mailed to the relevant SAB committee or subcommittee prior to its 
meeting; 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.

    Dated: June 19, 1996.
John R. Fowle, III,
Acting Staff Director, Science Advisory Board.
[FR Doc. 96-16127 Filed 6-24-96; 8:45 am]
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