96-21179. Environmental Laboratory Advisory Board; Meeting Date and Agenda

[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 162 (Tuesday, August 20, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Page 43055]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-21179]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-5556-6]


Environmental Laboratory Advisory Board; Meeting Date and Agenda

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

ACTION: Notice of Open Meeting.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Laboratory Advisory Board (ELAB) will 
convene an open meeting via teleconference on September 5, 1996, from 
2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST). Anyone wishing to attend 
may join Chair Ramona Trovato at USEPA Judiciary Square, 501 3rd 
Street, Washington DC 20024. The meeting location is the first floor 
conference room.
    The agenda will focus on the options for proficiency testing (PT) 
samples, otherwise known as performance evaluation (PE) samples, cited 
in the Federal Register, Vol. 61, No. 139, Thursday, July 18, 1996. The 
following four categories with specific questions have been posed to 
ELAB by the Office of Water.

Program Costs

    (1) What will be the initial (start-up) and continuing costs of the 
program to vendors and what are the principal cost elements (by study, 
i.e. WS, WP, DMRQA)?
    (2) What costs will be incurred by vendors to establish and 
maintain accreditation?
    (3) What is a reasonable price range for each of the studies?
    (4) What will the impact of externalization be on ``small'' 
laboratories? What will the impact be on government (i.e. state and 
municipal) laboratories?

Time Line Considerations

    (1) How much time will be required to implement an accreditation 
program for vendors; what are the principal implementation milestones; 
and what is the time requirement for each?
    (2) One accreditation is granted, how much time will be needed for 
an individual vendor to issue its first study (by study, i.e. WS, WP, 
DMRQA)?
    (3) How many studies per year can the average vendor conduct?

Technical Considerations

    (1) What factors will affect study comparability and what steps can 
reasonably be taken to maximize study comparability nationwide?
    (2) Will the industry be able to fund research and development of 
new studies/products? What role can/should EPA play in the process of 
developing new studies/study designs?
    (3) Are there vendors who can do microbiology, radiation, and 
aquatic toxicology tests?
    (4) If the Agency goes to the private sector will there be any 
``orphan'' compounds and, if so, how should the Agency handle that 
situation?

Policy Consideration

    (1) Who should bear the costs of ``bad'' studies? Are special 
provisions needed to protect laboratories from the consequences of 
participating in a study that is later found to be faulty? Will there 
be sufficient market-induced financial incentives created to address 
the problem (if so, what are those incentives)?
    (2) What are the potential conflict of interest/confidentiality 
considerations and what steps can reasonably be taken to protect 
against them?
    The public is welcome to attend. Time will be allotted for public 
comment. Written comments are encouraged and should be directed to Ms. 
Jeanne Mourrain; Designated Federal Official; USEPA; NERL (MD-75); 
Research Triangle Park, NC 27711. For more information on the specific 
questions posed by the Office of Water, please contact Ms. Wendy Blake-
Coleman at 202/260-5680, fax [phone]. If questions arise, please 
contact Ms. Mourrain at 919/541-1120, fax [phone], or E-mail: 
``[email protected] EPAMAIL.EPA.GOV''.

    Dated: August 12, 1996.
Mary Clark,
Acting Director, Office of Radiation and Indoor Air.
[FR Doc. 96-21179 Filed 8-19-96; 8:45 am]
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