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
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