NDWAC Consumer
Confidence Report Working Group July 8 & 9, 1997
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Embassy Suites Hotel, Alexandria, Virginia
The Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) Working Group, formed under the
National Drinking Water Advisory Council (NDWAC), met in July for its
final discussion of the draft rule. The Working Group expressed consensus
on the basic CCR format and agreed to include minority opinions on unresolved
issues in the rule which the full NDWAC will review.
The Working Group discussed findings from the Wyoming CCR town meetings
and the risk communication panel discussion held in Washington, DC, heard
a presentation on the results of American Water Works Association (AWWA)-sponsored
focus groups, and reviewed the latest draft of the CCR regulation. Susan
Seacrest and Maurice Arel, the NDWAC representatives to the Working Group,
discussed options for the Working Group's recommendations to the Council.
Members agreed to submit all recommendations, and to explain disagreements,
within the draft rule.
Fran‡oise Brasier, EPA's rule manager, outlined major changes
to the current draft of the regulation, including the potential incorporation
of revised public notice information, and the input from the risk communication
panel. The Working Group then reviewed two new sample reports.
The Working Group agreed to a CCR regulation that requires:
- full disclosure of data relevant to consumers' health.
- information on the source water.
- identification of likely sources of detected contaminants.
- links to sources of further information.
Several outstanding issues will be presented to the full NDWAC for its
consideration. These issues include: the ultimate purpose of the reports
(national data base vs. local information resource) and the flexibility
of the regulations (specific mandated format and language for all information
vs. core requirements in regulation and substantial guidance document).
At the conclusion of the meeting, EPA agreed to prepare a new draft of
the regulation, incorporating the results of voting on various issues.
NDWAC will discuss the CCR regulation in a conference call on July 25.
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