Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 118 / Friday, June 19, 1998 / Notices 33653

Office location: Rm. 119, CM2, 1921

Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, VA;

telephone: (703) 305–5805.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Any

member of the public wishing to submit

written comments should contact Larry

C. Dorsey at the address or the phone

number given above to confirm that the

meeting is still scheduled and that the

agenda has not been modified or

changed. Interested persons are

permitted to file written statements

before the meeting. To the extent that

time permits and upon advanced

written request to the Designated

Federal Official, interested persons may

be permitted by the Chair of the

Scientific Advisory Panel to present oral

statements at the meeting. There is no

limit on the length of written comments

for consideration by the Panel, but oral

statements before the Panel are limited

to approximately five minutes. As oral

statements only will be permitted as

time permits, the Agency urges the

public to submit written comments in

lieu of oral presentations. Persons

wishing to make oral and/or written

statements should notify the Designated

Federal Official and submit twenty

copies of the summary information.

Please note that comments should be

received by July 20, 1998, to ensure that

the Panel Members will have the time

necessary to consider and review the

comments.

Information submitted as a comment

in response to this notice may be

claimed confidential by marking any

part or all of that information as CBI.

Information marked CBI will not be

disclosed except in accordance with

procedures set forth in 40 CFR part 2.

An edited copy of the comment that

does not contain the CBI material must

be submitted for inclusion in the public

docket. Information not marked

confidential will be included in the

public docket. All comments and

materials received will be made part of

the public record and will be considered

by the Panel.

A public record has been established

for this notice under docket number

‘‘OPP–00540’’ (including comments and

data submitted electronically). A public

version of this record, including printed

versions of electronic comments, which

does not include information claimed as

CBI, is available for inspection from

8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through

Friday, excluding legal holidays.

The public record is located in Rm.

119 of the Public Information and

Records Integrity Branch, Information

Resources and Services Division

(7502C), Office of Pesticide Programs,

Environmental Protection Agency,

Crystal Mall 2, 1921 Jefferson Davis

Highway, Arlington, Virginia 22202.

Electronic comments can be sent

directly to EPA at:

opp-docket@epamail.epa.gov.

Electronic comments must be

submitted as an ASCII file avoiding the

use of special characters and any form

of encryption.

The official record for this notice, as

well as the public version, as described

above will be kept in paper form.

Accordingly, EPA will transfer all

comments received electronically into

printed, paper form as they are received

and will place the paper copies in the

official record which will also include

all comments submitted directly in

writing. The official record is the paper

record maintained at the address in

‘‘ADDRESSES’’ at the beginning of this

document.

Copies of the Panel’s report of their

recommendations will be available

approximately 30 working days after the

meeting and may be obtained by

contacting the Public Information and

Records Integrity Branch, at the address

or telephone number given above.

List of Subjects

Environmental protection.

Dated: June 11, 1998.

Stephen L. Johnson,

Acting Director, Office of Pesticide Programs

[FR Doc. 98–16248 Filed 6–18–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560–50–F

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

AGENCY

[FRL–6113–7]

Science Advisory Board; Notification

of Public Meetings

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, 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. Executive Committee

The Science Advisory Board’s (SAB)

Executive Committee (EC) will conduct

a public meeting on Wednesday, July 8,

1998, and Thursday, July 9, 1998. The

meeting will convene each day at 8:30

a.m., in the Administrator’s Conference

Room 1103 West Tower of the U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency

Headquarters Building at 401 M Street,

SW, Washington, DC 20460, and

adjourn no later than 5:30 p.m. on each

day (Eastern Time). The meeting is open

to the public, however, seating is

limited and available on a first-come

basis.

At this meeting, the Executive

Committee will receive updates from its

committees and subcommittees

concerning their recent and planned

activities. As part of these updates,

some committees will present draft

reports for Executive Committee review

and approval. Anticipated drafts

include the following:

(a) Ecological Processes and Effects

Committee Review of the Blackstone

River Initiative in Region I;

(b) Environmental Economics

Advisory Committee Advisory on

Economic Research Topics;

(c) Radiation Advisory Committee

(1) Commentary on the Radiation

Quality Assurance Program

(2) Report on the Environmental

Radiation Ambient Monitoring System

(ERAMS).

Other items on the agenda tentatively

include, but are not limited to, the

following:

(a) Discussion of the Agency’s new

Urban Environment program and the

role of science in the program;

(b) Discussion of the Agency’s

American Indian Program and the

associated scientific issues;

(c) Discussion of Agency requests for

SAB reviews in FY99.

For Further Information—Any

member of the public wishing further

information concerning the meeting or

who wishes to submit comments should

contact Dr. Donald G. Barnes,

Designated Federal Officer for the

Executive Committee, Science Advisory

Board (1400), U.S. EPA, Washington, DC

20460, phone (202)–260–4126; fax

(202)–260–9232; or via Email at:

barnes.don@epa.gov. Copies of the draft

meeting agenda and the draft reports

will be available on the SAB Website (/

/http:www.epa.gov/sab) by July.

Alternatively, these materials can be

obtained from Ms. Priscilla TilleryGadson at the above phone and fax

numbers or via Email:

tillery.priscilla@epa.gov.

2. Ecological Processes and Effects

Committee

The Ecological Processes and Effects

Committee (EPEC) of the Science
33654 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 118 / Friday, June 19, 1998 / Notices

Advisory Board will meet on July 9–10,

1998 in Room 3709 Mall, U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency, 401

M Street, SW, Washington, DC 20460.

The meeting will convene at 8:30 am

and end no later than 5:30 pm on both

days. The meeting is open to the public,

with seating available on a first-come

basis. The purpose of the meeting is to:

(a) engage in a consultation with Agency

staff on a framework for the application

of Toxicity Equivalency Factors in

ecological risk assessments; (b) engage

in a consultation with Agency staff on

the development of further guidance on

four ecological risk assessment topics;

and (c) develop a Committee strategic

project on ecological report cards.

An SAB Consultation in an

interaction between SAB members and

Agency staff where the advice of

individual members is offered, rather

than a consensus Committee opinion,

and no formal report results from the

discussions. The purpose of a

Consultation is for SAB members to

assist the Agency during the early

phases of project scoping and planning.

This is in contrast to a formal written

review of an Agency work product.

Background

(a) Ecological Toxicity Equivalency

Factors

In January 1998, EPA’s Risk

Assessment Forum and the Department

of the Interior sponsored a workshop on

the application of recently developed

World Health Organization toxicity

equivalency factors (TEFs) for assessing

risks to mammals, fish, and birds from

chemicals that elicit toxicity through an

aryl-hydrocarbon mediated mechanism.

The participants at the workshop

concluded that the TEF methodology is

technically appropriate for ecological

risk assessments, and proposed to

develop a framework for the application

of TEFs in Agency ecological risk

assessments. The advice of individul

Committee members is sought on the

scope and content of such a framework

document.

(b) Ecological Risk Assessment Topics

EPA’s first Agency-wide guidelines

for ecological risk assessment were

published in the Federal Register on

May 14, 1998. As part of the review

process for the draft guidelines, EPA

solicited recommendations for specific

ecological risk-related topics requiring

further development, considering the

state of the science and Agency needs

and priorities. The Committee’s

suggestions for future guidance topics

are contained in its report on the draft

guidelines (EPA–SAB–EPEC–97–002).

The Risk Assessment Forum, after

considering all of the recommendations

received, is initiating follow-on projects

in FY98 on four topics. Three of these

are risk assessment process topics: (a)

assessment endpoints and measures of

effect; (b) effects at higher levels of

biological organization, including

landscape-level effects; and (c) risk

characterization techniques. The fourth

topic, objectives for ecological risk

assessment, follows from both the

Guidelines and a January 1997 EPA

document, Priorities for Ecological

Protection: An Initial List and

Discussion Document (‘‘Priorities’’). In a

September 1997 Advisory (EPA–SAB–

EPEC–ADV–97–002), EPEC urged the

Agency to develop additional guidance

on ecological risk assessment for risk

managers. This Forum project will

revisit the list proposed in Priorities of

ecological entities to consider during

the Planning and Formulation steps of

ecological risk assessments.

For the consultation on the four risk

assessment topics, Committee members

have been asked to provide individual

feedback in the following areas: (a) How

should the content of these broad issues

be targeted most effectively to improve

ecological risk assessments at the

Agency? (b) What aspects of these topics

are best suited for guidance in the shortterm, and which require long-term

emphasis? and (c) What types of

products should be considered for shortterm and long-term efforts to assist

Agency risk assessors with each issue

(for example, workshops and reports,

white papers, guidance documents,

other)?

(c) Ecological Report Cards

The Committee is interested in

developing a strategic project to offer

advice to the Agency on the content and

design of an ecological report card,

including the definition of baseline

ecological data and benchmarks that can

be measured to demonstrate

improvements in ecological integrity as

a result of management or restoration

programs. The Committee will hear

briefings from various Agency staff

involved in efforts to develop indicators

and progress measures, and will

develop a proposal for conducting the

strategic project.

For Further Information—Copies of

the background materials for the

consultations on TEFs and Ecological

Risk Assessment Topics can be obtained

from Ms. Christine Boivin, Risk

Assessment Forum, U.S. Environmental

Protection Agency, 401 M Street, SW

(8601–D), Washington, DC, telephone

(202) 564–3362. Copies of the agenda

are available from Ms. Wanda Fields,

Committee Operations Staff, Science

Advisory Board (1400), U.S. EPA, 401 M

Street, SW, Washington DC 20460,

telephone (202) 260–5510, fax (202)

260–7118, or via Email at

fields.wanda@epa.gov.

Any member of the public wishing to

submit comments must contact Ms.

Stephanie Sanzone, Designated Federal

Officer (DFO) for the Committee, in

writing no later than noon on July 2nd

at: Science Advisory Board (1400),

Room 3702, U.S. Environmental

Protection Agency, Washington DC

20460; FAX (202) 260–7118; or Email at

sanzone.stephanie@epa.gov. 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 the DFO no later than

the time of the presentation; these will

be distributed to the Committee and the

interested public.

Providing Oral or Written Comments at

SAB Meetings

The Science Advisory Board expects

that public statements presented at its

meetings will not repeat 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.

This time may be reduced at the

discretion of the SAB, depending on

meeting circumstances. Oral

presentations at teleconferences will

normally be limited to three minutes per

speaker or organization. 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, which may of any length,

may be provided to the relevant

committee or subcommittee up until the

time of the meeting.

Copies of SAB prepared reports

mentioned in this FR Notice may be

obtained from the SAB’s Committee

Evaluation and Support Staff at (202)

260–4126, or via fax at (202) 260–1889.

Please provide the SAB report number

when making a request.

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.
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 118 / Friday, June 19, 1998 / Notices 33655

Dated: June 15, 1998.

Donald G. Barnes,

Staff Director, Science Advisory Board.

[FR Doc. 98–16407 Filed 6–18–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560–50–P

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

AGENCY

[OPP–00544; FRL–5798–9]

State FIFRA Issues Research and

Evaluation Group (SFIREG); Open

Meeting

AGENCY: Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: The State FIFRA Issues

Research and Evaluation Group

(SFIREG) will hold a 2–day meeting,

June 29 and 30, 1998. This notice

announces the location and times for

the meeting and sets forth the tentative

agenda topics. The meetings are open to

the public.

DATES: The SFIREG will meet on

Monday, June 29, 1998, from 8:30 a.m.

to 5 p.m. and Tuesday, June 30, 1998,

from 8:30 a.m. to 12 noon.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at:

The Ronald Reagan National Airport

Doubletree Hotel, 300 Army Navy Drive,

Arlington-Crystal City, VA.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: By

mail: Elaine Y. Lyon, Field and External

Affairs Division, Office of Pesticide

Programs (7506C), Environmental

Protection Agency, 401 M St., SW.,

Washington, DC 20460. Office location

and telephone number: 1921 Jefferson

Davis Highway, Arlington-Crystal City,

VA, CM–II, (703) 305–5306, (703) 308–

1850 (fax); e-mail:

lyon.elaine@epamail.epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

tentative agenda of the State FIFRA

Issues Research and Evaluation Group

includes the following:

1. Outcome of the Second Annual

Antimicrobial National Workshop.

2. Consumer Information Sheets for

Treated Wood.

3. Pesticide Use/Usage Data.

4. Pesticide Residue Data.

5. Update on Biotechnology.

6. OPP Updates on the following:

Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP)

Food Quality Protection Act

(i) Section 18 Rule

(ii) Tolerance Reassessment Advisory

Committee

(iii) Impact on 24c

Worker Protection Standard

Certification and Training Advisory

Group

International Activities - (NAFTA)

Bee Labeling

Chlorine Gas RED

PR Notice for Pesticide Products Used in

Greenhouses

Label Language - mandatory vs. advisory

7. Update on the Office of

Enforcement and Compliance Assurance

activities.

8. Regional and Committee Reports -

Presentation of Issue Papers.

9. Other topics as appropriate.

List of Subjects

Environmental protection.

Dated: June 15, 1998.

Jay Ellenberger,

Director, Field and External Affairs Division,

Office of Pesticide Programs.

[FR Doc. 98–16573 Filed 6–18–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560–50–F

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

AGENCY

[FRL–6108–9]

Settlement Under Section 122(h) of the

Comprehensive Environmental

Response, Compensation and Liability

Act (CERCLA); In the Matter of

Spiegelberg Superfund Site, Green

Oak Township, MI

AGENCY: Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Settlement of CERCLA section

107 Cost Recovery Matter.

SUMMARY: EPA is proposing to settle a

cost recovery claim with a potentially

responsible party (PRP) with regard to

past costs at the Spiegelberg site (the

Site) in Green Oak Township, Michigan.

EPA is authorized under section 122(h)

of the CERCLA to enter into this

administrative settlement.

Response costs totaling $200,873.35

were incurred by EPA, between

December 30, 1993 and September 30,

1997, in connection with the remedial

action at the Site. On September 25,

1997 and October 22, 1997, EPA sent

the PRP demands for reimbursement of

the EPA’s past costs. The Settling Party

has agreed to pay $194,000 to settle

EPA’s claim for reimbursement of

response costs related to the Site. The

U.S. Department of Justice has approved

this settlement, consistent with section

122(h)(1) of CERCLA.

The EPA is proposing to approve this

administrative settlement because it

reimburses EPA, in part, for costs

incurred during its response activities at

this Site.

DATES: Comments on this administrative

settlement must be received by no later

than July 20, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Written comments relating

to this settlement, Docket Number V–

W–98–C–461, should be sent to Cynthia

N. Kawakami, Associate Regional

Counsel, U.S. Environmental Protection

Agency, Region 5, Mail Code: C–14J, 77

West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago,

Illinois 60604–3590.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Copies of the Agreement and the

Administrative Record for this Site are

available at U.S. Environmental

Protection Agency, Region 5, Superfund

Division, Emergency Response Branch,

77 West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago,

Illinois 60604–3590. It is strongly

recommended that you telephone Ms.

Denise Williams at (312) 886–9481

before visiting the Region 5 Office.

Authority: The Comprehensive

Environmental Response, Compensation, and

Liability Act of 1980, as amended, 42 U.S.C.

9601 et seq.

Dated: May 22, 1998.

William E. Muno,

Director, Superfund Division.

[FR Doc. 98–16405 Filed 6–18–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560–50–P

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

AGENCY

[FRL–6111–6]

State Program Requirements;

Application To Administer the National

Pollutant Discharge Elimination

System (NPDES) Program; Texas

AGENCY: Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Application for approval of

Texas Pollutant Discharge Elimination

System.

SUMMARY: The State of Texas has

submitted a request for approval of the

Texas Pollutant Discharge Elimination

System (TPDES) program pursuant to

section 402(b) of the Clean Water Act

(CWA or ‘‘the Act’’). With this request,

the Texas Natural Resource

Conservation Commission (TNRCC)

seeks approval to administer a major

category partial permit program for all

discharges of pollutants into waters of

the United States under its jurisdiction.

Today, EPA Region 6 is providing

public notice of Texas’ request for

TPDES program approval and of both a

public hearing and public comment

period on the State’s program approval

submission. EPA will either approve or

disapprove the State’s request after

considering all comments it receives.

ADDRESSES FOR VIEWING/OBTAINING

COPIES OF DOCUMENTS: Copies of Texas’

TPDES program approval submission