Science Advisory Board; Notice of Public Meeting

[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 112 (Friday, June 11, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31572-31575]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-14858]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY


Science Advisory Board; Notice of Public 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 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. Health and Ecological Effects Subcommittee (HEES)

    The Health and Ecological Effects Subcommittee (HEES) of the 
Advisory Council on Clean Air Compliance Analysis (Council) will review 
the draft Prospective Study: Report to Congress, with a focus on the 
health and ecological aspects of the Clean Air Act Amendments (CAAA) 
Section 812 Prospective Study data. The HEES will meet on Monday, June 
28, 1999 from 9:30 am to 5:00 pm and Tuesday, June 29, 1999 from 9:00 
am to 4:00 pm. The meeting will take place in the Science Advisory 
Board Conference Room M3709, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 401 
M Street SW, Washington, DC 20460. The last meeting of the HEES meeting 
was announced in the Federal Register [See 64 FR 15160, March 30, 
1999]; a history of HEES Advisories can be found in that notice.
    The draft charge to the HEES is as follows:
    The Agency has requested that the Council--and its subsidiary 
HEES--review the forthcoming materials and provide advice to the Agency 
pursuant to the following general charge questions, consistent with the 
review

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responsibilities of the Council as defined in section 812 of the 
CAAA90:
    (a) It has been suggested to the Agency that the WHO (1996) study 
provides scientific evidence of the existence of a 15 year lag between 
changes in PM exposure and changes in associated adverse health 
effects. Heretofore, however, the Agency has interpreted the WHO 
authors' summing of incidences at the end of the 15 exposure period of 
the Dockery study as a matter of mathematical convenience, not evidence 
of the WHO authors' belief in the existence or magnitude of a lag 
between changes in exposure and changes in risk of adverse health 
effect. What is the SAB HEES view regarding the proper interpretation 
and use of the WHO (1996) study? Specifically, does the HEES believe it 
is reasonable to assume that, based on the WHO (1996) study or other 
evidence, there is no reduction in risk of adverse health consequences 
until 15 years following a reduction in PM exposure?
    (b) Are the input data used for each component of the analysis 
sufficiently valid and reliable for the intended analytical purpose?
    (c) Are the models, and the methodologies they employ, used for 
each component of the analysis sufficiently valid and reliable for the 
intended analytical purpose?
    (d) If the answers to either of the two questions above is 
negative, what specific alternative assumptions, data or methodologies 
does the Council recommend the Agency consider using for the first 
prospective analysis?
    For Further Information: (a) Contacting Program Office Staff and 
Obtaining Review Materials--To obtain copies of the draft documents 
pertaining to the CAA Section 812 Prospective Study, please contact Ms. 
Catrice Jefferson, Office Manager, Office of Policy Analysis and Review 
(OPAR), (Mail Code 6103), US Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M 
Street, SW, Washington, DC 20460. Tel. (202) 260-5580; FAX (202) 260-
9766, or via e-mail at: . To discuss 
technical aspects of the draft document pertaining to the CAAA-90 
Section 812 Prospective Study: Report to Congress, please contact Mr. 
James DeMocker, Office of Policy Analysis and Review (OPAR) (Mail Code 
6103), US Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M Street, SW, 
Washington, DC 20460. Tel. (202) 260-8980; FAX (202) 260-9766, or via 
e-mail at: .
    (b) Contacting SAB Staff and Obtaining Meeting Information--To 
obtain copies of the meeting agendas or rosters of participants, please 
contact Ms. Diana L. Pozun, Management Assistant to the Council and 
HEES, Science Advisory Board (1400), U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency, Washington, DC 20460; at Tel. (202) 260-8432; FAX (202) 260-
7118; or via e-mail: . To discuss technical or 
logistical aspects of the Council and HEES subcommittee review process 
(Tel. (202) 260-4126; or via e-mail: ), 
Designated Federal Officer to the Council and HEES, Science Advisory 
Board (1400), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington DC 
20460, FAX (202) 260-7118 or Mr. Robert Flaak, Team Leader, Committee 
Operations Staff (Tel. (202) 260-5133; or via e-mail: 
 at the same address.
    (c) Obtaining Copies of SAB Reports--Copies of SAB prepared final 
reports mentioned in this Federal Register Notice may be obtained 
immediately from the SAB Home Page (www.epa.gov/sab) or by mail/fax 
from the SAB's Committee Evaluation and Support Staff at Tel. (202) 
260-4126, or FAX (202) 260-1889. Please provide the SAB report number 
when making your request. Draft reports in progress can be obtained 
from Ms. Pozun once the Committee or Subcommittee Chair has released 
the draft.

2. Integrated Risk Project Peer Review Subcommittee

    The Integrated Risk Project Peer Review Subcommittee of the Science 
Advisory Board (SAB) will meet on Thursday and Friday, July 1 and 2, 
1999 in room 3709 at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), 
Waterside Mall Headquarters Building, 401 M Street, SW, Washington, DC 
20460. The meeting will begin at 8:30 am and end no later than 5:30 pm 
each day.
    Purpose of the Meeting: In 1995 EPA and the U.S. Congress asked the 
SAB to revisit and update the assessment of environmental risks and 
risk reduction strategies contained in the 1990 SAB report, Reducing 
Risk: Setting Priorities and Strategies for Environmental Protection 
(EPA-SAB-EC-90-021). EPA also asked the SAB to: explore additional 
techniques and criteria for identifying environmental risks; identify 
risk reduction opportunities and strategies, identify uncertainties and 
data quality issues associated with risk rankings; provide an 
assessment of the costs and benefits of various risk reduction options; 
and propose a new framework for assessing ecosystem value.
    In conducting this project, the IRP Steering Committee decided to 
look beyond risk comparisons; to go beyond strictly scientific 
considerations, and to explore the entire environmental decision-making 
and management process from their perspectives as scientists. In order 
to develop a more integrated, science-based environmental protection 
approach, the IRP Subcommittees considered the various technical 
analyses that underlie the process.
    Two reports were produced. A short summary document for the general 
reader capturing the main points of the longer, technical, document 
which describe an overall framework for integrating supplemented by 
individual chapters on economic analysis, pollution, risk assessment, 
and valuation. These fall into three categories. Methodology (i.e., 
ecological and health effects, risk reduction options, the report card 
and the deliberation pieces of the valuation chapter), primer (i.e., 
economics), and philosophy (i.e., bulk of the valuation chapter).
    The purpose for this meeting is to conduct a peer review of the 
reports which will be conducted by members of the SAB Executive 
Committee who did not participate in the IRP supported by consultants 
to the SAB who also did not work on the IRP project. The main focus of 
the Peer Review is the short report and the Steering Committee 
developed chapters of the long report (introduction, framework, 
performance evaluation, and the decision making approach) since these 
provide the main messages on the integration concept that we are 
recommending to the Agency. The individual Subcommittee reports will 
also be reviewed by the Peer Review Committee.
    Proposed Charge Questions: The proposed charge questions are:
    Charge Question 1. Does the integrated framework document as a 
whole provide a useful and scientifically valid concept for the Agency 
to develop processes and procedures for integrated environmental 
decision-making?
    Charge Question 2. Do the chapters on ecology, health, risk 
reduction options, report card, and the deliberative portion of the 
valuation chapter describe adequate and useful methods for addressing/
ranking frisks?
    Charge Questions 3. Does the document provide an adequate and 
useful description for how this information might be linked in 
decision-making?
    Charge Question 4. Does the economics chapter provide an adequate 
an useful primer for economic analysis?
    Charge Question 5. Does the chapter on valuation provide and 
adequate and

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useful philosophy describing how to incorporate values into decision-
making, clearly articulating that more than science is needed in the 
decision-making process?
    Charge Question 6. Is the document clearly written, comprehensible 
and complete?
    For Further Information Concerning the Meeting: The draft IRP 
reports are accessible via the SAB website (http:/www.epa.gov/sab). For 
those without access to the web single copies of the document may be 
obtained by contacting Ms. Wanda Fields, Science Advisory Board (1400), 
US Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M Street SW., Washington DC 
20460, telephone (202) 260-5510, fax (202) 260-7118; or via e-mail at: 
. Member of the public desiring additional 
information about the meeting should contact Dr. John R. Fowle III, 
Designated Federal Officer, Integrated Risk Project Peer Review 
Subcommittee, Science Advisory Board (1400), Room 3702F, U.S. EPA, 401 
M Street, SW, Washington, DC 20460; telephone/voice mail at (202) 260-
8325; fax at (202) 260-7118; or via e-mail at . A 
copy of the draft agenda will be available approximately two weeks 
prior to the meeting on the SAB website (www.epa.gov/sab) or from Ms. 
Wanda Fields at the address and numbers noted above.
    Members of the public who wish to make a brief oral presentation to 
the Subcommittee must contact Dr. Fowle in writing (by email, by letter 
or by fax--see previously stated information) no later than 12 noon 
Eastern Time, Thursday, June 24, 1999 in order to be included on the 
Agenda. Public comments will be limited to 10 minutes per speaker or 
organization. The request should identify the name of the individual 
making the presentation, the organization (if any) they will represent, 
any requirements for audio visual equipment (e.g., overhead projector, 
35 mm projector, chalkboard, etc), and at least 35 copies of an outline 
of the issues to be addressed or of the presentation itself.

3. Environmental Health Committee (EHC)

    The Environmental Health Committee (EHC) of the Science Advisory 
Board (SAB), augmented by members of the FIFRA Scientific Advisory 
Panel and the EPA Children's Health Protection Advisory Committee, will 
meet on Tuesday and Wednesday, July 27-28, 1999 at the Sheraton Crystal 
Hotel, 1800 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington VA 22202. The hotel 
telephone number is 703-486-1111. the meeting will begin at 9 am and 
end no later than 5:30 pm.
    Purpose of the Meeting: The EHC is meeting to provide advice and 
comment to EPA on certain revised sections of the EPA's Proposed 
Guidelines for Carcinogen Risk Assessment (The proposed guidelines were 
initially published in the Federal Register, Vol. 61, No. 79, April 23, 
1996, pg. 17960, and were subsequently revised in December, 1998) and 
other issues related to childhood cancer. The Committee will examine 
the proposed cancer risk assessment approaches as they relate to 
children. Specifically, the Committee will address (a) the adequacy of 
the general guidance provided in various sections of the Guidelines; 
(b) the adequacy of the Guidelines to provide science-based assessments 
for use by risk managers in assessing the impact of their decisions on 
children; (c) the soundness of the default assumptions used in the 
absence of specific data; (d) the use of selected defaults as they 
pertain to children; (e) dose adjustment of children; (f) perinatal 
testing; (g) adjustments to slope factors for lifetime and partial 
lifetime exposure scenarios for children; and (h) exposure assessment. 
The Committee will also review EPA's responses to a set of nine 
questions concerning childhood cancer posed by the Agency's Children's 
Health Protection Advisory Committee to Administrator Browner by letter 
dated May 12, 1999. These questions range from the use of default 
values and the justification for departing from defaults, to latent 
risks and the research needed to evaluate the differential 
susceptibility of adults and children. The complete draft Charge for 
this meeting will be posted on the SAB Website (www.epa.gov/sab) 
by June 18, 1999.
    At the public meeting, Agency staff and invited experts on 
carcinogenesis and pediatric issues will brief the Committee on 
revisions to the Proposed Guidelines. In concert with these 
presentations, EPA will present written background materials for the 
Subcommittee's information and consideration.
    Availability of Review Materials: Copies of EPA primary background 
documents for the meeting may be obtained by contacting Dr. William 
Wood, Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M St., SW., Washington, DC 
20460; telephone: (202) 564-3358; e-mail to . Anyone 
desiring additional information on the substantive issues to be 
addressed should also contact Dr. Wood as noted above.

    For Further Information: Members of the public desiring additional 
information about the conduct of the public meeting itself should 
contact Mr. Samuel Rondberg, (1400), Designated Federal Officer, 
Environmental Health Committee, Science Advisory Board, U.S. EPA, 401 M 
Street, SW, Washington, DC 20460; telephone/voice mail at (301) 812-
2560; fax at (410) 286-2689; or via e-mail at . A 
copy of the draft agenda will be available on the SAB Website (
www.epa.gov/sab) or upon request from Ms. Wanda Fields at (202) 260-
5510, or by FAX at (202) 260-7118 or via e-mail at 
 no later than June 30, 1999.
    Members of the public who wish to make a brief oral presentation to 
the Committee must contact Mr. Rondberg in writing (by letter, or by e-
mail--see previously stated information) no later than 12 noon Eastern 
Time, July 20, 1999 in order to be included on the Agenda. These oral 
comments will be limited to ten minutes per speaker or organization. 
The request should identify the name of the individual making the 
presentation, the organization (if any) they will represent, any 
requirements for audio visual equipment (e.g., overhead projector, 35 
mm projector, chalkboard, etc), and include at least 35 copies of an 
outline of the issues to be addressed, or of the presentation itself.

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 
teleconference meetings, opportunities for oral comment will usually be 
limited to no more than three 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 (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 provided to the committee at its meeting, or mailed 
soon after receipt by the Agency. Written comments may be provided to 
the relevant committee or subcommittee up until the time of the 
meeting.
    Additional information concerning the Science Advisory Board, its 
structure, function, and composition,

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may be found on the SAB Website (www.epa.gov/sab) and in the 
Annual Report of the Staff Director which is available from the SAB 
Publications Staff at (202) 260-4126 or via fax at (202) 260-1889.

Meeting Access

    Individuals requiring special accommodation at this meeting, 
including wheelchair access, should contact the appropriate DFO at 
least five business days prior to the meeting so that appropriate 
arrangements can be made.

    Dated: June 7, 1999.
Donald G. Barnes,
Staff Director, Science Advisory Board.
[FR Doc. 99-14858 Filed 6-10-99; 8:45 am]
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