
[Federal Register: June 24, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 122)]
[Notices]               
[Page 35687]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr24jn08-68]                         

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-RCRA-2006-0796; FRL-8684-3]

 
Notice of Scientific Peer Review Teleconference on the Draft 
``Human and Ecological Risk Assessment of Coal Combustion Wastes''

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or the Agency) is 
announcing that a telephone conference will be held with the peer 
reviewers (who are reviewing the draft Human and Ecological Risk 
Assessment of Coal Combustion Wastes or draft risk assessment) and 
interested members of the public. During this teleconference, the 
Agency will accept oral comments from the public on technical aspects 
of the draft risk assessment.

DATES: The teleconference will be held on Tuesday, July 8, 2008, 
beginning at 12 Noon Eastern Time. Requests from members of the public 
who wish to make oral presentations during the teleconference will be 
accepted through Thursday, July 3, 2008.

ADDRESSES: Telephone conference call only. See the following 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for information on how to submit an 
oral statement during the teleconference.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: For general information on this 
teleconference, contact Ms. Thea Johnson at (703) 308-0050, or 
johnson.thea@epa.gov, Office of Solid Waste (Mailcode: 5307P), U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., 
Washington, DC 20460. Any member of the public who wishes to make an 
oral statement during the teleconference (10 minutes or less) must pre-
register according to the instructions outlined in the following 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Background: On August 29, 2007, EPA published a Notice of Data 
Availability (NODA) in the Federal Register that announced the 
availability of new information and data contained in three documents 
regarding the management of coal combustion wastes (CCW) in landfills 
and surface impoundments. (72 FR 49714.) The Agency sought public 
comments on how, if at all, this additional information should affect 
EPA's decisions as it continues to follow-up on its Regulatory 
Determination for CCW disposed of in landfills and surface 
impoundments. The three documents that the Agency requested comment on 
included: The joint U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and EPA report 
entitled, Coal Combustion Waste Management at Landfills and Surface 
Impoundments, 1994-2004; the draft risk assessment conducted by EPA on 
the management of CCW in landfills and surface impoundments entitled, 
Human and Ecological Risk Assessment of Coal Combustion Wastes; and the 
EPA's damage case assessment. (The Agency also included in the Docket 
to the NODA a rulemaking petition submitted by a number of citizens' 
groups and several approaches, one prepared by the electric utility 
industry and the other prepared by a number of citizens' groups 
regarding the management of CCW). The Agency solicited information 
regarding the damage cases, the results of the risk assessment, and the 
new liner and groundwater monitoring information from the DOE/EPA 
report. EPA also requested comment on the draft risk assessment 
document to help inform a planned peer review, with which this notice 
is associated. In addition to the draft risk assessment, EPA will also 
make available to the peer reviewers the public comments regarding the 
draft risk assessment that were submitted during the comment period, 
which closed on February 11, 2008.
    Availability of Teleconference Materials: A draft agenda and other 
supporting materials, including the teleconference number and 
instructions on how to access the teleconference telephone line will be 
posted on the Science Inventory Web site no later than Thursday, July 
3, 2008. The Science Inventory Web site can be accessed at http://
www.epa.gov/si. Additional information related to the Regulatory 
Determination for CCW disposed of in landfills and surface impoundments 
can be found in docket EPA-HQ-RCRA-2006-0796, available online at 
http://www.regulations.gov.
    Procedures for Providing Public Input: Interested members of the 
public may make an oral statement to the independent peer reviewers 
during the teleconference. Oral Statements: Individuals or groups 
requesting to make oral presentations to the independent peer reviewers 
on this public telephone conference will be limited to 10 minutes per 
speaker. Comments will be accepted from only one speaker per 
organization.
    Procedures for Pre-Registration: Industrial Economics, Incorporated 
(IEc), an EPA contractor for external scientific review, will convene 
the independent experts, organize, and conduct the peer review 
teleconference. To participate in this teleconference, register by 
Thursday, July 3, 2008 by visiting http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/other/
fossil/tele-form.htm or by sending an e-mail to register@indecon.com. 
Please reference ``CCW Peer Review Telephone Conference'' and include 
your name, title, affiliation, full address and contact information. 
Due to the limited number of telephone lines, pre-registration is 
strongly recommended. You may also register by calling the registration 
telephone line at (703) 308-0436. The deadline for pre-registration is 
Thursday, July 3, 2008. If telephone lines are available after the pre-
registration deadline, then, registrations will continue to be accepted 
after this date.
    Accessibility: For information on services for individuals with 
disabilities, please leave a detailed message, as well as contact 
information at (703) 308-0436 or e-mail your request to 
register@indecon.com.

    Dated: June 18, 2008.
Matt Hale,
Director, Office of Solid Waste.
[FR Doc. E8-14234 Filed 6-23-08; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
