Document ID: EPA-HQ-OEI-2003-0032-0001
Agency: epa
Document Type: Notice
Title: A Summary of General Assessment Factors for Evaluating the Quality of Scientific and Technical Information
Posted Date: 2003-07-01T04:00Z

39086
Federal
Register
/
Vol.
68,
No.
126
/
Tuesday,
July
1,
2003
/
Notices
ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTION
AGENCY
[
FRL
 
7520
 
4]

Meeting
of
the
National
Drinking
Water
Advisory
Council
(
NDWAC)

AGENCY:
Environmental
Protection
Agency.
ACTION:
Notice
of
public
meeting.

SUMMARY:
In
accordance
with
section
10(
a)(
2)
of
Public
Law
92
 
423,
``
The
Federal
Advisory
Committee
Act,''
notice
is
hereby
given
of
the
forthcoming
conference
call
meeting
of
the
National
Drinking
Water
Advisory
Council
(
Council),
established
under
the
Safe
Drinking
Water
Act,
as
amended
(
42
U.
S.
C.
300f
et
seq.).
The
Council
will
discuss
follow­
up
actions
relating
to
a
report
presented
at
the
May
2003
meeting
by
NDWAC's
work
group
on
Affordability.
The
Council
will
determine
whether
it
will
make
specific
recommendations
to
EPA
relating
to
the
Affordability
report.
This
is
a
follow­
up
conference
call
to
the
conference
call
held
on
June
20,
2003.
DATES:
The
Council
meeting
will
be
held
on
July
10,
2003,
from
10
a.
m.
to
12
p.
m.,
Eastern
Standard
Time.
ADDRESSES:
Council
members
teleconference
into
Room
2123
of
the
EPA
East
Building,
which
is
physically
located
at
1201
Constitution
Avenue,
NW.,
Washington,
DC.
FOR
FURTHER
INFORMATION
CONTACT:
Members
of
the
public
that
would
like
to
attend
the
meeting,
present
an
oral
statement,
submit
a
written
statement
in
advance,
or
make
arrangements
to
teleconference
call
into
the
meeting
should
contact
Brenda
Johnson,
Designated
Federal
Officer,
National
Drinking
Water
Advisory
Council,
by
July
3,
2003.
Ms.
Johnson
can
be
reached
at
(
202)
564
 
3791,
by
e­
mail
at
johnson.
brendap@
epa.
gov,
or
by
regular
mail
at
U.
S.
Environmental
Protection
Agency,
Office
of
Ground
Water
and
Drinking
Water
(
M/
C
4601M),
1200
Pennsylvania
Avenue,
NW.,
Washington,
DC
20460.
SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION:
The
Council
encourages
the
public's
input
and
will
allocate
30
minutes
for
this
purpose.
A
limited
number
of
additional
phone
lines
may
be
available
for
members
of
the
public
that
are
outside
of
the
Washington,
DC,
metropolitan
commuting
area
and
are
unable
to
attend
in
person.
Any
additional
teleconferencing
lines
that
are
available
will
be
reserved
on
a
first­
come,
firstserve
basis
by
the
Designated
Federal
Officer.
To
ensure
adequate
time
for
public
involvement,
oral
statements
will
be
limited
to
five
minutes,
and
it
is
preferred
that
only
one
person
present
the
statement
on
behalf
of
a
group
or
organization.
Any
person
who
wishes
to
file
a
written
statement
can
do
so
before
or
after
a
Council
meeting.
Written
statements
received
prior
to
the
meeting
will
be
distributed
to
all
members
of
the
Council
before
any
final
discussion
or
vote
is
completed.
Any
statements
received
after
the
meeting
will
become
part
of
the
permanent
meeting
file
and
will
be
forwarded
to
the
Council
members
for
their
information.
Any
person
needing
special
accommodations
at
this
meeting,
including
wheelchair
access,
should
contact
the
Designated
Federal
Officer,
at
the
number
or
e­
mail
listed
under
the
FOR
FURTHER
INFORMATION
CONTACT
section,
at
least
five
business
days
before
the
meeting
so
that
the
appropriate
arrangements
can
be
made.

Nanci
Gelb,
Acting
Director,
Office
of
Ground
Water
and
Drinking
Water.
[
FR
Doc.
03
 
16588
Filed
6
 
30
 
03;
8:
45
am]

BILLING
CODE
6560
 
50
 
P
ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTION
AGENCY
[
OEI
 
2003
 
0032;
FRL
 
7520
 
2]

A
Summary
of
General
Assessment
Factors
for
Evaluating
the
Quality
of
Scientific
and
Technical
Information
AGENCY:
Environmental
Protection
Agency.
ACTION:
Notice
of
availability.

SUMMARY:
The
U.
S.
Environmental
Protection
Agency
(
EPA)
is
announcing
the
availability
of
the
final
A
Summary
of
General
Assessment
Factors
for
Evaluating
the
Quality
of
Scientific
and
Technical
Information
(
EPA
100/
B
 
03/
001;
herein
after
referred
to
as
the
``
Assessment
Factors
Document'').
DATES:
EPA
is
making
the
document
available
July
1,
2003.
ADDRESSES:
The
``
Assessment
Factors
Document''
is
available
at
the
EPA
web
site
at
the
following
web
pages:
http://
www.
epa.
gov/
oei/
qualityguidelines/
af_
home.
htm,
http://
www.
epa.
gov/
osp/
spc/
2polprog.
htm.
FOR
FURTHER
INFORMATION
CONTACT:
Greg
Schweer,
Office
of
Pollution
Prevention
and
Toxics
(
7405M),
telephone
number:
(
202)
564
 
8469;
fax
number:
(
202)
564
 
4765
or
Halu
 
k
O
¨
zkaynak,
Office
of
Research
and
Development
(
8601
 
D),
telephone
number
(
202)
564
 
1531,
fax
number
(
202)
564
 
0061,
Environmental
Protection
Agency,
1200
Pennsylvania
Ave.,
NW.,
Washington,
DC
20460;
email
address:
assessment.
factors@
epa.
gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION:

What
is
the
EPA
``
Assessment
Factors
Document'?

The
``
Assessment
Factors
Document''
was
prepared
under
the
auspices
of
the
EPA
Science
Policy
Council
(
SPC)
to
describe
the
assessment
factors
and
considerations
generally
used
by
the
Agency
to
evaluate
the
quality
and
relevance
of
scientific
and
technical
information.
These
general
assessment
factors
are
founded
in
the
Agency
guidelines,
practices
and
procedures
that
make
up
the
EPA
information
and
quality
systems,
including
existing
program­
specific
quality
assurance
policies.
As
such,
the
general
assessment
factors
do
not
constitute
new
quality­
related
considerations,
nor
does
this
document
describe
a
new
process
for
evaluating
information.
The
``
Assessment
Factors
Document''
is
intended
to
raise
the
awareness
of
the
information­
generating
public
about
EPA's
ongoing
interest
in
ensuring
and
enhancing
the
quality
of
information
available
for
Agency
use.
Further,
the
``
Assessment
Factors
Document''
complements
the
Guidelines
for
Ensuring
and
Maximizing
the
Quality,
Objectivity,
Utility,
and
Integrity
of
Information
Disseminated
by
the
Environmental
Protection
Agency
(
EPA/
260/
R
 
02
 
008).
The
Information
Quality
Guidelines
are
also
available
via
internet
at:
http://
www.
epa.
gov/
oei/
qualityguidelines.
Consistent
with
the
Agency's
approach
to
the
development
of
the
EPA
Information
Quality
Guidelines,
this
document
is
the
product
of
an
open,
collaborative
process
between
EPA
and
the
public.
During
the
development
of
this
document,
EPA
requested
public
input
in
a
variety
of
ways.
EPA
distributed
a
draft
document
for
public
comment
in
September
2002
and
hosted
a
public
meeting
in
Washington,
DC.
In
January
2003,
EPA
commissioned
the
National
Academy
of
Sciences
to
host
a
workshop
to
discuss
key
aspects
of
this
document
from
a
scientific
and
technical
perspective.
EPA
revised
this
document
based
on
the
input
received
through
these
public
outreach
opportunities.

How
Can
I
Get
Copies
of
the
``
Assessment
Factors
Document''?

You
may
access
the
EPA
``
Assessment
Factors
Document''
and
other
information
related
to
this
notice
electronically
at
the
following
web
pages:
http://
www.
epa.
gov/
oei/
qualityguidelines/
af_
home.
htm
and
VerDate
Jan<
31>
2003
16:
39
Jun
30,
2003
Jkt
200001
PO
00000
Frm
00035
Fmt
4703
Sfmt
4703
E:\
FR\
FM\
01JYN1.
SGM
01JYN1
39087
Federal
Register
/
Vol.
68,
No.
126
/
Tuesday,
July
1,
2003
/
Notices
http://
www.
epa.
gov/
osp/
spc/
2polprog.
htm.
To
obtain
a
written
copy
of
the
``
Assessment
Factors
Document'',
you
may
contact
either
of
the
individuals
listed
under
FOR
FURTHER
INFORMATION
CONTACT.

Elaine
Stanley,
Director,
Office
of
Information
Analysis
and
Access,
Office
of
Environmental
Information.
[
FR
Doc.
03
 
16328
Filed
6
 
30
 
03;
8:
45
am]

BILLING
CODE
6560
 
50
 
P
ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTION
AGENCY
[
FRL
 
7520
 
7]

Final
National
Pollutant
Discharge
Elimination
System
(
NPDES)
General
Permit
for
Storm
Water
Discharges
From
Construction
Activities
AGENCY:
Environmental
Protection
Agency
(
EPA).
ACTION:
Notice
of
final
issuance.

SUMMARY:
EPA
Regions
1,
2,
3,
5,
6,
7,
8,
9,
and
10
today
are
issuing
EPA's
final
NPDES
general
permit
for
discharges
from
large
and
small
construction
activities.
Hereinafter,
the
terms
``
permit''
or
``
construction
general
permit''
or
``
CGP''
will
replace
``
permits.''
Today's
permit
will
replace
the
existing
permit
covering
large
construction
sites
in
EPA
Regions
1,
2,
3,
7,
8,
9
and
10
that
expired
on
February
17,
2003
and
the
permit
covering
large
construction
sites
in
EPA
Region
6
that
expires
July
6,
2003.
Today's
permit
covers
large
construction
sites
in
EPA
Region
5.
In
addition,
today's
permit
incorporates
coverage
of
small
construction
activity
in
EPA
Regions
1,
2,
3,
5,
6,
7,
8,
9,
and
10.
State
Coastal
Zone
Management
Act
(
CZMA)
certification
was
not
received
from
Massachusetts
in
time
for
that
state
to
be
included
in
this
permit.
As
such,
large
construction
activities
in
Massachusetts
covered
under
the
1998
permit
will
continue
to
be
covered
under
that
permit.
Today's
permit
is
similar
to
the
1998
permits
and
will
authorize
the
discharge
of
pollutants
in
storm
water
runoff
associated
with
construction
activities
in
accordance
with
the
terms
and
conditions
described
therein.
DATES:
The
effective
date
of
this
permit
is
July
1,
2003.
The
permit
will
expire
five
years
from
the
effective
date.
ADDRESSES:
The
administrative
record
is
available
for
inspection
and
copying
at
the
Water
Docket,
located
at
the
EPA
Docket
Center
in
the
basement
of
the
EPA
West
Building,
Room
B
 
102,
at
1301
Constitution
Ave.,
NW.,
Washington,
DC.

FOR
FURTHER
INFORMATION
CONTACT:
For
further
information
on
the
final
permit,
the
permit's
Notice
of
Intent
(
NOI)
or
Notice
of
Termination
(
NOT)
requirements,
visit
EPA's
website
at
http://
www.
epa.
gov/
npdes/
stormwater/
cgp,
contact
the
appropriate
EPA
Regional
Office
listed
in
I.
B.,
or
contact
Jack
Faulk,
Office
of
Wastewater
Management,
Office
of
Water,
EPA
Headquarters
at
tel.:
(
202)
564
 
0768
or
email
at
faulk.
jack@
epa.
gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION:

I.
General
Information
A.
How
Can
I
Get
Copies
of
This
Document
and
Other
Related
Information?

1.
Permit.
Copies
of
the
permit,
permit
fact
sheet,
and
the
Response
to
Comments
document
may
be
downloaded
from
EPA's
website
at
http://
www.
epa.
gov/
npdes/
stormwater/
cgp.
2.
Docket.
EPA
has
established
an
official
public
docket
for
this
action
under
Docket
ID
No.
OW
 
2002
 
0055.
The
official
public
docket
consists
of
the
documents
specifically
referenced
in
this
action,
any
public
comments
received,
and
other
information
related
to
this
action.
The
official
public
docket
is
the
collection
of
materials
that
is
available
for
public
viewing
at
the
Water
Docket
in
the
EPA
Docket
Center,
(
EPA/
DC)
EPA
West,
Room
B102,
1301
Constitution
Ave.,
NW.,
Washington,
DC.
The
EPA
Docket
Center
Public
Reading
Room
is
open
from
8:
30
a.
m.
to
4:
30
p.
m.,
Monday
through
Friday,
excluding
legal
holidays.
The
telephone
number
for
the
Public
Reading
Room
is
(
202)
566
 
1744,
and
the
telephone
number
for
the
Water
Docket
is
(
202)
566
 
2426.
3.
Electronic
Access.
You
may
access
this
Federal
Register
document
electronically
through
the
EPA
Internet
under
the
Federal
Register
listings
at
http://
www.
epa.
gov/
fedrgstr/.
An
electronic
version
of
the
public
docket
is
available
through
EPA's
electronic
public
docket
and
comment
system,
EPA
Dockets.
You
may
use
EPA
Dockets
at
http://
www.
epa.
gov/
edocket
to
view
public
comments,
access
the
index
listing
of
the
contents
of
the
official
public
docket,
and
to
access
those
documents
in
the
public
docket
that
are
available
electronically.
Once
in
the
system,
select
``
search,''
then
key
in
the
appropriate
docket
identification
number.
B.
Who
Are
the
EPA
Regional
Contacts
for
This
Permit?

For
EPA
Region
1,
contact
Thelma
Murphy
at
tel.:
(
617)
918
 
1615
or
e­
mail
at
murphy.
thelma@
epa.
gov.
For
EPA
Region
2,
contact
Karen
O'Brien
at
tel.:
(
212)
637
 
3717
or
e­
mail
at
obrien.
karen@
epa.
gov
or
for
Puerto
Rico,
Sergio
Bosques
at
tel.:
(
787)
977
 
5838
or
e­
mail
at
bosques.
sergio@
epa.
gov.
For
EPA
Region
3,
contact
William
Toffel
at
tel.:
(
215)
814
 
5706
or
toffel.
william@
epa.
gov.
For
EPA
Region
5,
contact
Brian
Bell
at
tel.:
(
312)
886
 
0981
or
e­
mail
at
bell.
brianc@
epa.
gov.
For
EPA
Region
6,
contact
Brent
Larsen
at
tel.:
(
214)
665
 
7523
or
e­
mail
at
larsen.
brent@
epa.
gov.
For
EPA
Region
7,
contact
Mark
Matthews
at
tel.:
(
913)
551
 
7635
or
email
at
matthews.
mark@
epa.
gov.
For
EPA
Region
8,
contact
Greg
Davis
at
tel.:
(
303)
312
 
6082
or
e­
mail
at
davis.
gregory@
epa.
gov.
For
EPA
Region
9,
contact
Eugene
Bromley
at
tel.:
(
415)
972
 
3510
or
email
at
bromley.
eugene@
epa.
gov.
For
EPA
Region
10,
contact
Misha
Vakoc
at
tel.:
(
206)
553
 
6650
or
e­
mail
at
vakoc.
misha@
epa.
gov.

II.
Background
A.
Statutory
and
Regulatory
History
Section
405
of
the
Water
Quality
Act
of
1987
(
WQA)
added
section
402(
p)
of
the
Clean
Water
Act
(
CWA),
which
directed
EPA
to
develop
a
phased
approach
to
regulate
storm
water
discharges
under
the
NPDES
program.
EPA
published
a
final
regulation
on
the
first
phase
of
this
program
on
November
16,
1990,
establishing
permit
application
requirements
for
``
storm
water
discharges
associated
with
industrial
activity.''
EPA
defined
the
term
``
storm
water
discharge
associated
with
industrial
activity''
in
a
comprehensive
manner
to
cover
a
wide
variety
of
facilities.
Construction
activities
that
disturb
at
least
five
acres
of
land
and
have
point
source
discharges
to
waters
of
the
U.
S.
were
included
in
the
definition
of
``
industrial
activity''
pursuant
to
40
CFR
122.26(
b)(
14)(
x).
Phase
II
of
the
storm
water
program
was
published
in
the
Federal
Register
on
December
8,
1999.
Phase
II
includes
sites
disturbing
equal
to
or
greater
than
one
acre
and
less
than
five
acres
as
well
as
sites
less
than
one
acre
of
total
land
area
that
are
part
of
a
larger
common
plan
of
development
or
sale
if
the
larger
common
plan
will
ultimately
disturb
equal
to
or
greater
than
one
and
less
than
five
acres.
Small
VerDate
Jan<
31>
2003
16:
39
Jun
30,
2003
Jkt
200001
PO
00000
Frm
00036
Fmt
4703
Sfmt
4703
E:\
FR\
FM\
01JYN1.
SGM
01JYN1