**U.S. Environmental Protection Agency**

**Committee: Advisory Council on Clean Air Compliance Analysis
(Council)**

**Health Effects Subcommittee (HES)**

**Public Teleconference**

**Summary Minutes of Public Teleconference**

**Date: October 30, 2003**

**[Subcommittee Members:]{.underline}** (See Roster - Attachment A.)

**[Date and Time:]{.underline}** 12:00-2:00 pm, October 30, 2003 (See
Federal Register Notice - Attachment B).

**[Location:]{.underline}** By teleconference only

**[Purpose:]{.underline}** The purpose of the call was to discuss a
draft report entitled \"Advisory on Plans for Health Effects Analysis in
the Analytical Plan for EPA\'s Second Prospective Analysis -Benefits and
Costs of the Clean Air Act, 1990-2020; An Advisory by the Advisory
Council for Clean Air Compliance Analysis,\" developed during the HES
public meeting on August 27-29, 2003.

**[Attendees:]{.underline}** Chair: Dr. Bart Ostro, HES Members: Dr.
Rebecca Parkin, Dr. Morton Lippmann; Dr. Patrick Kinney, Dr. Michael
Kleinman, Dr. Nino Kuenzli; Council Member, Ms. Lauraine Chestnut;
Members of the Special Council Panel for the Review of the Third 812
Analysis, Drs. Warner North and Thomas Wallsten.

SAB Staff: Dr. Angela Nugent, Designated Federal Official.

Other Persons Attending: From EPA: James DeMocker, Harvey Richmond,
Bryan Hubbell, Ron Evans, Zachary Pekar, Sharon Phillips, Monica
Alvarez,; EPA Contractors: Jim Neumann, Katie Walker, Henry Roman, IEc;
Others: Margo Schwab, Office of Management and Budget, Barbara Warren,
consultant to the Clean Air Task Force, Neil Shah, Inside Washington.

[Meeting Summary:]{.underline}

The discussion generally followed the issues and timing as presented in
the meeting Agenda (see Meeting Agenda - Attachment C). The
teleconference lasted until 2:00 pm. There were no written comments
submitted to the Subcommittee, and there was no written request to
present public comments during the discussion.

[Opening of Meeting and Roll Call and Administrative
Update]{.underline} - Dr. Angela Nugent, Designated Federal Official
(DFO) opened the session at 2:00 pm and took roll. She informed the
Subcommittee that Dr. Ostro had decided to recuse himself from
discussions of Charge Question 29 concerning EPA's plans for a pilot
project on expert elicitation on the topic of premature mortality that
may be related to exposures to particulate matter. Dr. Nino Kuenzli had
agreed to chair the Subcommittee discussions of that topic.

[Agency Comment]{.underline}

Mr. James DeMocker opened the teleconference with a brief discussion of
legal issues that had arisen that may affect the Congressionally
mandated requirement for periodic reports to Congress. He is assuming,
despite this change, that there will be no change in EPA's commitment to
produce 812 Analyses and no change in schedule. The legal issue, in his
view, presented opportunities and challenges and potential new policy
applications that will be discussed with the Council.

Dr. Bryan Hubbell commented on the HES draft report. He made comments
related to: (1) the specifications of grid size in the response to
Charge Question 11; (2) the pooling of information from different
studies related to asthma; (3) the concentration-response function that
the HES recommended using from the Pope study; and (4) factors that can
affect incident rates for narrowly defined age groups

[Discussion of the October 21, 2003 Draft]{.underline}

Dr. Ostro discussed the draft letter to the new Administrator. HES
members supported including a mention of the major categories of effects
that will be left unquantified, such as cardiovascular morbidity from
long-term exposure. HES members provided no comment on the draft
response to Charge Question 11a. Concerning Question 11b,
Source-Specific Concentration-Response (C-R) Functions, HES members
discussed the potential significance of motor vehicle exhaust for
toxicological assessment. Concerning Question 11c, extrapolation to
other age groups, the group agreed that some extrapolation was
appropriate. Concerning Question 11f, the Subcommittee agreed on some
pooling of asthma rates. Dr. Kuenzli agreed to redraft some of the
section on asthma.

The Subcommittee discussed clarifying language relating to prospective
cohort studies, alternative analysis, and cessation lag. An issue was
raised for consideration related to consistency between the approach to
cessation lag and the calculation of life year lost. The Subcommittee
also discussed further developing the text on alternatives to the base
estimate.

Dr. Ostro left the call after these discussions.

[Subcommittee Discussion of Charge Question 29 in October 21 2003
Draft]{.underline}

Dr. Kuenzli began the discussion with two major points: (1) how to
characterize the choice of experts and whether to comment on whether
experts involved in the National Academy of Sciences Report should be
involved and (2) whether additional or different experts were needed.
The Subcommittee discussed the need for more experts to reflect a
diversity of views.

The Subcommittee noted the receipt of the EPA protocol for the expert
elicitation, received immediately before the teleconference. Members
expressed preference for not commenting on this document. Dr. Thomas
Wallsten noted a number of comments. He noted that in Part 3, experts
are primarily asked what evidence supports their opinions. He advised
that experts also be asked about what evidence contradicts their
opinions and why others might disagree. Several Subcommittee members
agreed.

Dr. Wallsten also noted that in Part 4 of the protocol, the-scenario is
very precisely specified and refers to the "percent reduction in"
sources of uncertainty. He advised that the Agency use a simpler
question that "takes less mental arithmetic" and involves direct answers
"SRA Style." Dr. Wallsten noted that he provided these comments in
writing to the DFO before the teleconference.

[Action items:]{.underline}

1\. Subcommittee members to provide suggested language changes to
questions 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, and 29 to the DFO by November 14^th^.

The teleconference was adjourned at 2:00 p.m.

R espectfully Submitted:

/s/ Angela Nugent

Angela Nugent

Designated Federal Official

Certified as True:

/s/ Bart Ostro /s/ Nino Kuenzli

Bart Ostro Nino Kuenzli

Chair HES Member

NOTE AND DISCLAIMER: The minutes of this public meeting reflect diverse
ideas and suggestions offered by the Council Subcommittee to the Agency
during the course of deliberations within the meeting. Such ideas,
suggestions and deliberations do not necessarily reflect definitive
consensus advice from the Council. The reader is cautioned to not rely
on the minutes to represent final, approved, consensus advice and
recommendations offered to the Agency. Such advice and recommendations
may be found in the final advisories, commentaries, letters, or reports
prepared and transmitted to the EPA Administrator following the public
meetings.

Attachment A

**U.S. Environmental Protection Agency**

**Science Advisory Board**

**Advisory Council on Clean Air Compliance Analysis**

**Health Effects Subcommittee**

**CHAIR**

**Dr. Bart Ostro**, Chief, Air Pollution Epidemiology Unit, California
Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), Oakland, CA

**OTHER SAB MEMBERS**

**Dr. Rebecca Parkin**, Associate Research Professor, Environmental and
Occupational Health, Public Health and Health Services, The George
Washington University, Washington, DC

Member: Integrated Human Exposure Committee

Executive Committee

**CONSULTANTS**

**Mr. John Fintan Hurley**, Research Director, Institute of Occupational
Medicine (IOM), Edinburgh, , UK

**Dr. Patrick Kinney**, Associate Professor, Department of Environmental
Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health , Columbia University,
New York, NY

**Dr. Michael Kleinman**, Professor, Department of Community and
Environmental Medicine, College of Medicine, University of California,
Irvine, CA

**Dr. Nino Kuenzli**, Professor, Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck
School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA

**Dr. Morton Lippmann**, Professor, Nelson Institute of Environmental
Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, Tuxedo, NY

**SCIENCE ADVISORY BOARD STAFF**

**Dr. Angela Nugent**, Designated Federal Officer, 1200 Pennsylvania
Avenue, NW, Washington, DC, Phone: 202-564-4562, Fax: 202-501-0323,
(nugent.angela@epa.gov)

Attachment B

Federal Register Notice

Science Advisory Board Staff Office; Change to an Earlier Meeting
Notice: Advisory Council on Clean Air Compliance Analysis; Notification
of Postponement of a Public Meeting and Public Teleconference for the
Air Quality Modeling Subcommittee and Change in Date and Time for the
Health Effects Subcommittee

\[Federal Register: October 21, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 203)\]

\[Notices\]

\[Page 60100-60101\]

From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access \[wais.access.gpo.gov\]

\[DOCID:fr21oc03-62\]

\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

\[FRL-7576-9\]

Science Advisory Board Staff Office; Change to an Earlier Meeting

Notice: Advisory Council on Clean Air Compliance Analysis; Notification

of Postponement of a Public Meeting and Public Teleconference for the

Air Quality Modeling Subcommittee and Change in Date and Time for the

Health Effects Subcommittee

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice; correction.

\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--

SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency, Science Advisory Board

(SAB) Staff Office, published a document in the Federal Register

(October 7, 2003, 68 FR 57890-57891) announcing a public meeting for

the Council\'s Air Quality Modeling Subcommittee (AQMS) and several

public teleconferences, including public teleconferences for the

Council\'s Health Effects Subcommittee (HES) and the AQMS. The Staff

Office is now announcing that the AQMS meeting and teleconference are

postponed to a date and time to be identified and is also announcing a

change in the date and time of the HES teleconference.

DATES: October 30, 2003. A public teleconference for the Health Effects

Subcommittee (HES) will be held from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. (Eastern Time).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Members of the public who wish to

obtain the call-in number and access code to participate in the

teleconference meeting may contact Ms. Sandra Friedman, EPA Science

Advisory Board Staff Office, at telephone/voice mail: (202) 564-2526; or

via e-mail at: friedman.sandra@epa.gov, or Ms. Delores Darden, EPA

Science Advisory Board Staff Office at telephone/voice

\[\[Page 60101\]\]

mail: (202) 564-2282; or via e-mail at darden.delores@epa.gov. Any

member of the public wishing further information regarding the HES may

contact Dr. Angela Nugent, Designated Federal Officer (DFO), U.S. EPA

Science Advisory Board (1400A), 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW.,

Washington, DC 20460; by telephone/voice mail at (202) 564-4562; or by

e-mail at nugent.angela@epa.gov.

Dated: October 15, 2003.

Vanessa T. Vu,

Director, Science Advisory Board Staff Office.

\[FR Doc. 03-26538 Filed 10-20-03; 8:45 am\]

BILLING CODE 6560-50-P

Attachment C

Meeting Agenda

**U.S. EPA Advisory Council on Clean Air Compliance Analysis**

**Health Effects Subcommittee (HES)**

**Advisory Teleconference**

**October 30, 12:00-2:00 Eastern time**

**Purpose of Meeting:** to discuss a draft report entitled \"Advisory on
Plans for Health Effects Analysis in the Analytical Plan for EPA\'s
Second Prospective Analysis Benefits and Costs of the Clean Air Act,
1990-2020; An Advisory by the Advisory Council for Clean Air Compliance
Analysis,\" developed during the HES public meeting on August 27-29,
2003, which was announced in the FEDERAL REGISTER on July 30, 2003 (68
FR 44766-44767).

Draft Agenda

  ------------- ---------------------------------- -----------------------
  12:00-12:10   Opening of Meeting and Roll Call   Dr. Angela Nugent,
                and Administrative Update          Designated Federal
                                                   Officer, SAB Staff
                                                   Office

  12:10-12:15   Welcome, Agenda Review             Dr. Bart Ostro, Chair

  12:15-12:25   Agency Comment                     Mr. James DeMocker, EPA

  12:25-1:10    Discussion of the October 21, 2003 Subcommittee Discussion
                Draft by Charge Question           led by Dr. Bart Ostro

  1:15-1:20     Next Steps                         Dr. Bart Ostro

  1:20-1:55     Subcommittee Discussion of Charge  Subcommittee Discussion
                Question 29 in October 21 2003     led by Dr. Nino Kuenzli
                Draft                              

  1:55-2:00     Next steps                         Dr. Nino Kuenzli

  2:00          Adjournment of Meeting             Dr. Angela Nugent
  ------------- ---------------------------------- -----------------------