Citizens Advisory Committee on Public Health Service Activities and Research at Department Of Energy Sites

Purpose

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Energy (DOE) have a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for public health research at DOE sites. The MOU transfers the responsibility for the management and conduct of energy-related analytic epidemiologic research to HHS, and HHS subsequently delegated program responsibility to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). This MOU also addresses ATSDR’s public health responsibilities around DOE sites including public health assessments, health studies, health surveillance, and exposure registries.

Implementing this MOU requires significant interaction with communities (i.e., community residents, current and former DOE site workers, and the Tribal Nations) living in proximity to DOE sites. This charter is in response to the requests by the representatives of the communities surrounding DOE sites to provide consensus advice and recommendations on community concerns to CDC’s and ATSDR’s activities related to the sites.

Authority

42 U.S. Code 217a, Section 222 of the Public Health Service Act, as amended. The Committee is governed by the provisions of Public Law 92-463, as amended (5 U.S.C. App. 2), which sets forth standards for the formation and use of advisory committees.

Function

The Citizens Advisory Committee on Public Health Service Activities and Research at DOE Sites shall provide advice and recommendations to the Director of CDC and the Administrator of ATSDR pertaining to CDC’s and ATSDR’s public health activities and research at respective DOE sites. Activities shall focus on providing a forum for community, American Indian Tribal, and labor interaction, and shall serve as a vehicle for communities, American Indian Tribes, and labor to express concerns and provide advice and recommendations to CDC and ATSDR.

Structure

There shall be a core of approximately 180 members, permitting up to 30 members for each of six DOE sites. Members shall be selected by the Secretary, or designee, from individuals (to include technical experts) knowledgeable of site-specific research concerns, and from diverse community viewpoints and interests. Members shall be representative of the concerned and affected populations. Consultants and nonvoting liaison representatives may be invited as needed.

Members shall be invited to serve for overlapping terms up to 4 years. Terms of more than 2 years are contingent upon renewal of the Committee by appropriate action prior to its termination. Members may serve after the expiration of their terms until their successors have taken office.

The Committee is authorized to include up to six site-specific subcommittees. The Department Committee Management Officer will be notified either upon establishment or termination of each subcommittee and will be provided information on name, membership, function, and estimated frequency of meetings of such subcommittee(s).

Management and support services shall be provided by either CDC or ATSDR depending on the public health activities and research at the specific site and agreement between the agencies as to which will have lead responsibilities.

Meetings

The frequency of meetings shall be determined by CDC or ATSDR based on agency needs. The Designated Federal Official shall determine and approve the agenda for the meetings, and shall be present at all meetings.

The members of the Committee representing each site may be asked to designate a member to participate in a national meeting to discuss issues involving the effects--past, current, or future--of the release of radioactive and chemical hazardous materials into the environment, and to discuss proposed actions based on the findings of health research and public health activities at DOE sites.

Meetings shall be open to the public except as determined otherwise by the Secretary or other official to whom the authority has been delegated; notice of all meetings shall be given to the public.

Meetings shall be conducted, and records of the proceedings kept, as required by applicable laws and Departmental regulations.

Compensation

Members who are not full-time Federal employees shall be paid at the rate of $250 per day, or at the rate of $31.25 per hour, as determined by the agency, not to exceed $250 per day, plus per diem and travel expenses in accordance with standard government travel regulations.

Annual Cost Estimate

Estimated annual cost for operating subcommittees at up to six DOE sites, including compensation and travel expenses for members, but excluding staff support is $602,902. Estimate of annual staff-years of staff support required is 5.7, at an estimated annual cost of $417,894.

Reports

In the event a portion of a meeting is closed to the public, a report shall be prepared which shall contain, at a minimum, a list of members and their addresses; the Committee’s functions, dates, and places of meetings; and a summary of committee activities and recommendations made during the fiscal year. A copy of the report shall be provided to the Department Committee Management Officer.

Termination Date

Unless renewed by appropriate action prior to its expiration, the Citizens Advisory Committee on Public Health Service Activities and Research at Department of Energy Sites will terminate on July 7, 2004. Individual site-specific subcommittees may be terminated prior to the expiration of this Charter at the discretion of the agencies.

APPROVED:

July 5, 2002