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Minutes Of Meeting Held July 21, 1997
Executive Summary
BY CONFERENCE CALL IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
Background
A meeting of the National Drinking Water Advisory Council (NDWAC) was
held at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Headquarters in
Room 1209 of the East Tower. The meeting began at approximately 2:05p.m.
without a Court Stenographer present to take verbatim transcription. Therefore,
the following information is a result of the notes taken by the Designated
Federal Officer and EPA staff present in the room. The Conference Call
was held to receive recommendations from the Council's Occurrence and
Contaminant Selection Working Group (Attachment
2).
Council Members Present on Call
L.D. McMullen, Chair
Maurice Arel
Walter Bishop
Diane Kiesling
Nina McClelland
Paul Nannis (Participating, but not voting)
Diana Neidle
John Scheltens
James Tripp
William VanDeValk
Thomas Yohe
NDWAC Members not Participating
Patrick Banegas
James Cleland
Susan Seacrest
EPA Staff Present
Charlene Shaw, Designated Federal Officer (DFO), NDWAC
Cynthia Dougherty, Director, Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water
(OGWDW)
Evelyn Washington, DFO, Occurrence and Contaminant Selection Working Group
Bill Diamond, Director, Standards and Risk Management Division, OGWDW
Jim Taft, Chief, Targeting & Analysis Branch, OGWDW
Dave Huber, OGWDW
Others Present
Pat Ware, BNA (in Room)
Diane VanDeHei, Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (on Phone)
Tom Schaeffer, Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (on Phone)
The Council was sent several documents (attached to
July 18 meeting notes) to review prior to the meeting. The purpose
of the meeting was to review the Working Group's papers and pass on to
the EPA those items that were agreed to as formal recommendations of the
Council. There was some discussion by the Council on the process used
by the Working Group to select the contaminants on the list. Wally Bishop
lead the discussion of these issues:
- A.
- The Working Group felt they were not prepared to begin tiering or
dividing the list of contaminants into those with sufficient vs those
with insufficient information for regulatory determination, but expect
input by February to ultimately separate the contaminants into these
two "categories."
- B.
- An expert panel of microbiologists provided input on microorganisms
via the EPA Microbiology and Public Health Workshop held May 20-12,
1997. The input has been reviewed and accepted.
- C.
- Contaminants that were called into the Safe Drinking Water Hotline
were only considered if they showed up on the other databases being
considered by the Working Group.
- D.
- Contaminants identified as endocrine disruptors deferred for future
consideration pending ongoing efforts by the National Academy of Sciences,
National Research Council, and EPA's Office of Research and Development.
- E.
- A question posed by John Scheltens was asked under Occurrence (B.1.c).
As stated, the use of small systems in the criteria for inclusion may
bring about a false positive and therefore the process should be looked
at prior to adoption as part of the any permanent criteria.
- F.
- Did the reference to endocrine disruptors relate to a survey that
was being done, hence a database of sorts? It was stated by EPA that
there was no survey, but the health effects of endocrine disruptors
was being considered. Once again it was reiterated, that contaminants
were not being eliminated, but deferred.
- G.
- The question was asked, "Do we feel that in following this selection
process, did we let something slip?" EPA responded that when the Federal
Register notice is published, we will request comment on "is
this the right set? Is there something we missed that should be included?
Is there something we included that should not have been?
Following the discussion of process, the Chair entertained questions
on the list itself.
- A.
- The question was posed by Nina McClelland on inclusion of Organo Tins
(Tributyl tin),
"Why was this included on the list?" EPA responded it was due to the
concern on PVC Pipes used to deliver potable water. Nina was concerned
that EPA was limited their consideration to tributyl tin in parentheses
on the list and felt it should be removed and remain solely as organo
tin. EPA agreed to show only Organo Tins as the contaminant.
- B.
- In considering a statement for sensitive subpopulations and sodium,
it was suggested that we include the water softening industry as a stakeholder
in any discussions.
- C.
- As opposed to considering cyanazine and other triazine pesticide as
individual compounds, address them by addressing the group of triazine
pesticides using a total triazine standard.
- D.
- Defer 31 pesticides identified based solely on a calculated Risk value
of 2.0 or greater developed by the EPA Office of Pesticides Programs.
The risk value does not include a component which relates to concentrations
of concern to human health. A more comprehensive body of work is underway
and will provide a risk calculation which includes physical-chemical
properties, pesticide use as well as a human health related component.
This body of work will be available for future use.
Following the above discussion, the Council considered and passed unanimously
the following three recommendations:
RECOMMENDATION 1
The Council recommends that the List be the draft Contaminant Candidate
List, noting that any contaminants not included but reviewed have been
deferred pending further review and information, not eliminated from future
consideration.
RECOMMENDATION 2
The Council recommends that the List be published as draft in the Federal
Register to seek public comment.
RECOMMENDATION 3
The Council recommends that in the Federal Register notice
the information needs be specially stated, and comment sought for subsequent
division of contaminants into "categories" dividing contaminants based
on whether there is sufficient or insufficient information for regulatory
determination. It is recommended that additional information and comment
be sought on the inclusion of perchlorate on the final Candidate List.
The Council meeting was adjourned by its Chair, L.D. McMullen.
Attachments:
1. Executive Summary, NDWAC Working Group on Occurrence
& Contaminant Selection, Conference Call of July 17, 1997, dated
July 18, 1997
2. Proposed Recommendations, NDWAC Working Group
on Occurrence & Contaminant Selection, DRAFT, dated July 18, 1997
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I certify that, to the best of my knowledge, the foregoing minutes
of complete and accurate.
____________________________________
L.D. McMullen, Chair, National Drinking
Water Advisory Council
____________________________________
Date
____________________________________
Charlene E. Shaw, Designated Federal Officer
National Drinking Water Advisory Council
____________________________________
Date
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