[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 51 (Wednesday, March 17, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13189-13191]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-6502]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-6311-1]
Science Advisory Board; Notification of Public Advisory Committee
Meetings
Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, Public Law 92-463,
notice is hereby given that two 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. Ecological Processes and Effects Committee
The Ecological Processes and Effects Committee (EPEC) of the
Science Advisory Board (SAB) will hold a public meeting on April 6-7,
1999 in Washington, DC. The meeting will be held in Room 1103 West
Tower of the EPA Waterside Mall Complex, 401 M Street, SW, Washington,
DC 20460, beginning at 8:30 am and ending no later than 5:30 pm on each
day. The purpose of the meeting is to offer advice to the Agency on the
following topics: (a) review of a proposed methodology for establishing
sediment guidelines for metals mixtures; (b) review of a Biotic Ligand
Model (BLM) for establishing aquatic life criteria for metals; and (c)
review of a proposed approach for setting Ecological Soil Screening
Levels (Eco-SSLs) for use at Superfund sites.
Background (a) Bioavailability and Toxicity of Metals in Surface Waters
and Sediments: The Office of Water and the Office of Research and
Development have been working over the past several years to refine
Agency approaches to developing criteria and guidance for metals levels
that are protective of benthic organisms, aquatic life in the water
column, and wildlife that consume aquatic organisms. A focus of this
recent work has been on improving the understanding of factors that
influence metals bioavailability, and thus toxicity, in the
environment. The Office of Water is asking the SAB to review its
integrated approach to assessing bioavailability and toxicity of metals
in surface waters and sediments by evaluating proposed modifications to
the approaches used to develop sediment metals guidelines and aquatic
life criteria for metals. The Charge to the Committee is as follows:
Overall Charge
Does the integrated metals methodology improve our ability to make
both protective and predictive assessments of toxicity due to copper,
silver and other selected metals in the water column and sediment?
Biotic Ligand Model Questions:
(1) Does the BLM improve our ability to predict toxicity to water
column organisms due to metals (copper and silver) in comparison to the
currently applied dissolved metal concentration criterion?
(2) Is the scientific and theoretical foundation of the model
sound?
(3) In comparison to the current Water Effects Ration (WER)
adjustment for aquatic life criteria, will the application of the BLM
as a site-specific adjustment reduce uncertainty associated with metals
bioavailability and toxicity?
(4) Are the data presented for the validation of the BLM sufficient
to support the incorporation of the BLM directly into copper and silver
criteria documents?
Equilibrium Sediment Guidelines for Metals Mixtures Questions
(1) By incorporating the fraction organic carbon into the
bioavailability
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equation, have we retained the protective features of the guidelines
and improved its predictiveness of toxic effects?
(2) If the BLM is used to derive or adjust a water quality
criterion, is the revised criterion appropriate for use in the
interstitial water component of the Metals Mixtures ESG?
(3) Are the data presented from lab and field experiments with
chromium and silver sufficient to support their addition to the Metals
Mixtures ESG?
(b) Ecological Soil Screening Levels (Eco-SSLs):
The Office of Emergency and Remedial Response (i.e., the Superfund
Program) has asked the SAB to provide an advisory on ongoing work to
develop Ecological Soil Screening Levels (Eco-SSLs) that will be
protective of the terrestrial environment. The Agency has formed a
multi-stakeholder workgroup to develop Eco-SSLs. Members include
scientists and risk assessors from EPA, Environment Canada, Department
of Energy, Army, Navy, Air Force, states, industry, academia, and
consulting firms. This collaborative project is expected to result in a
Superfund guidance document that includes a look-up table of generic
Eco-SSLs for up to 24 chemicals or groups of chemicals that are
frequently of ecological concern at Superfund sites. The charge to the
Committee includes the following questions:
(1) Will the proposed procedures for evaluating mammalian and avian
toxicity data result in the selection and use of the most appropriate
data for generating wildlife Eco-SSL?
(2) Will the proposed procedures for evaluating soil biota toxicity
data result in the selection and use of the most appropriate available
data for generating plant, invertebrate, and microbial Eco-SSLs?
(3) Do the models and exposure factors used in the wildlife food
chain model reflect the state of the practice?
(4) Do the proposed approaches for selecting single Eco-SSL values
for the five receptor groups reflect a reasoned balance between
conservativeness and reasonableness?
(5) Do the proposed efforts for modifying the Eco-SSLs in Tier 2
consider the factors of greatest concern (e.g., soil chemistry and
bioavailability issues, unit area of exposure, probablilistic
approaches)?
For Further Information:
The briefing and review materials prepared by the Agency for this
meeting are NOT available from the Science Advisory Board. Single
copies of the background information for the sediment metals and Biotic
Ligand Model reviews can be obtained by contacting Jennifer Mitchell,
Office of Water's Health and Ecological Criteria Division, Mail Code
4304, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M Street, SW,
Washington, DC 20460; by e-mail at: <[email protected]>; or by
telephone at (202) 260-6101. Single copies of the background material
for the Eco-SSL advisory can be obtained by contacting Steve Ells,
Office of Emergency and Remedial Response, Mail Code 5204G, U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M Street, SW, Washington, DC
20460; by e-mail at: <[email protected]>; or by telephone at (703)
603-8822.
Additional information about the meeting, or the meeting agenda,
can be obtained by contacting Ms. Mary Winston, Committee Operations
Staff, Science Advisory Board (1400), U.S. EPA, 401 M Street, SW,
Washington, DC 20460; by telephone at (202) 260-2554; by fax at (202)
260-7118 or via e-mail at: <[email protected]>. Anyone wishing to
make an oral presentation to the Committee must contact Ms. Stephanie
Sanzone, Designated Federal Official for EPEC, in writing to the
address or fax above, or via e-mail at: <[email protected]> no
later than 4:00 pm on March 31, 1999, in order to be included on the
Agenda. 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.
2. Executive Committee
The Science Advisory Board's (SAB) Executive Committee, will
conduct a public teleconference meeting on Thursday, April 8, 1999,
between the hours of 12:00 noon and 2:00 pm, Eastern Time. The meeting
will be coordinated through a conference call connection in Room M3709
of the Mall at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M Street
SW, Washington, DC 20460. The public is welcome to attend the meeting
physically or through a telephonic link. Additional instructions about
how to participate in the conference call can be obtained by calling
Ms. Priscilla Tillery-Gadson at (202) 260-4126.
During this meeting the Executive Committee plans to review draft
reports from its Committees. Anticipated drafts include: (a) Executive
Committee (EC) Subcommittee: Data from Testing of Human Subjects; (b)
Ecological Processes and Effects Committee (EPEC): Review of the
Agency's Index of Watershed Indicators (IWI); and (c) Environmental
Engineering Committee: Commentary on the Need to Address Source
Reduction and Control Technology in PM2.5 Research Plan. It is possible
that other draft reports may be available for review at this meeting as
well. Please check with Ms. Tillery-Gadson prior to the meeting to
confirm any changes in the planned review schedule.
For Further Information:
Any member of the public wishing further information concerning the
meeting or wishing to submit comments should contact Dr. Donald G.
Barnes, Designated Federal Officer for the Executive Committee, Science
Advisory Board (1400), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington
DC 20460; telephone (202) 260-4126; FAX (202) 260-9232; and via e-mail
at: <[email protected]>. Copies of the draft reports are available
from the same source, or from the SAB Website (http://www.epa.gov/sab)
at least one week prior to the meeting.
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 be 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, may be found on the SAB Website
(http://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.
[[Page 13191]]
Individuals requiring special accommodation at SAB meetings,
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: March 10, 1999.
Donald G. Barnes,
Staff Director, Science Advisory Board.
[FR Doc. 99-6502 Filed 3-16-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P