[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 80 (Wednesday, April 24, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Page 18138]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-10103]



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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-5463-2]


Technical Workshop on Monte Carlo Analysis in Exposure Assessment

AGENCY: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

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SUMMARY: Responding to broad Agency interest in Monte Carlo analysis, 
the EPA's Risk Assessment Forum is organizing a workshop on the use of 
this methodology in exposure assessments for human health risk 
assessment. A panel consisting of experts from industry and academia as 
well as practitioners from state and federal agencies will discuss 
general principles related to this application of Monte Carlo analysis. 
The workshop will be open to members of the public as observers. The 
plans for this workshop will be finalized only after the EPA's FY96 
funding situation is clarified either through another continuing 
resolution or receipt of an appropriation.

DATES: The meeting will begin on Tuesday, May 14, 1996, at 8:00 a.m. 
and end on Thursday, May 16, at 1:00 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the EPA Region II Headquarters 
offices, 290 Broadway, New York, NY 10007. Eastern Research Group, 
Inc., an EPA contractor, is providing logistical support for the 
workshop. To attend the workshop as an observer, contact Eastern 
Research Group, Inc., Tel: (617) 674-7374 by May 7, 1996. Space is 
limited so please register early.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
For further information concerning the Monte Carlo analysis workshop, 
please contact Marina Olsen, U.S. EPA Region II, 290 Broadway, New 
York, NY 10007, Telephone (212) 637-4313 or Steven Knott, U.S. EPA 
Office of Research and Development (8103), 401 M St. SW., Washington, 
D.C. 20460, Telephone (202) 260-2231.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Monte Carlo analysis can be applied to 
improve risk characterization through analysis of variability and 
uncertainty as recommended by the National Academy of Science and other 
advisory bodies. Increasingly, EPA program and regional risk assessors 
must make decisions concerning the use of probabilistic techniques in 
exposure assessment. However, guidance for agency risk assessors on the 
use of techniques such as Monte Carlo analysis has been lacking. The 
May workshop is being organized in response to this need.
    Many of the technical issues that arise during the application or 
review of Monte Carlo analyses occur during the following steps in the 
exposure assessment process: Selecting input data/distributions for 
model parameters; evaluating variability and uncertainty; presenting 
results. These issues will be the focal points for the discussion 
during the May workshop. A panel consisting of experts from industry 
and academia as well as experts and practitioners from EPA, state 
agencies, and other federal agencies will lead discussions on the 
application of Monte Carlo techniques. Case studies will be used to 
illustrate the issues and to provide possible solutions for technical 
problems. The goal of the Workshop is to develop recommendations to 
assist assessors in the preparation and/or evaluation of Monte Carlo 
analyses. The workshop will also serve as the foundation for later 
Agency guidance on the use of Monte Carlo analysis in exposure 
assessment.

    Dated: April 17, 1996.
Joseph K. Alexander,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Science, Office of Research and 
Development.
[FR Doc. 96-10103 Filed 4-23-96; 8:45 am]
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