[Federal Register: November 17, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 221)]
[Notices]               
[Page 64902]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr17no03-102]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

 
Advisory Board on Radiation and Worker Health

    In accordance with section 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory 
Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463), the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention (CDC) announces the following committee meeting:
    Name: Advisory Board on Radiation and Worker Health (ABRWH), 
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).
    Times and Dates: 8 a.m.-4 p.m., December 9, 2003, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., 
December 10, 2003.
    Place: The Westin Casuarina, 160 East Flamingo Road, Las Vegas, 
Nevada 89109, telephone 702/836-9775, fax 702/836-9776.
    Status: Open 8 a.m.-4 p.m., December 9, 2003. Open 8 a.m.-12:30 
p.m., December 10, 2003. Closed 2 p.m.-5 p.m., December 10, 2003.
    Background: The Advisory Board on Radiation and Worker Health 
(``the Board'') was established under the Energy Employees Occupational 
Illness Compensation Program Act (EEOICPA) of 2000 to advise the 
President, through the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), on 
a variety of policy and technical functions required to implement and 
effectively manage the new compensation program. Key functions of the 
Board include providing advice on the development of probability of 
causation guidelines which have been promulgated by HHS as a final 
rule, advice on methods of dose reconstruction which have also been 
promulgated by HHS as a final rule, evaluation of the scientific 
validity and quality of dose reconstructions conducted by the National 
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) for qualified 
cancer claimants, and advice on the addition of classes of workers to 
the Special Exposure Cohort.
    In December 2000 the President delegated responsibility for 
funding, staffing, and operating the Board to HHS, which subsequently 
delegated this authority to the CDC. NIOSH implements this 
responsibility for CDC. The charter was renewed on August 3, 2003 and 
the President has completed the appointment of members to the Board to 
ensure a balanced representation on the Board.
    Purpose: This board is charged with (a) providing advice to the 
Secretary, HHS on the development of guidelines under Executive Order 
13179; (b) providing advice to the Secretary, HHS on the scientific 
validity and quality of dose reconstruction efforts performed for this 
Program; and (c) upon request by the Secretary, HHS, advise the 
Secretary on whether there is a class of employees at any Department of 
Energy facility who were exposed to radiation but for whom it is not 
feasible to estimate their radiation dose, and on whether there is 
reasonable likelihood that such radiation doses may have endangered the 
health of members of this class.
    Matters to be Discussed: The meeting will convene in open session 
from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. on December 9, 2003 and 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on 
December 10, 2003, to address matters related to NIOSH and Department 
of Labor updates, an Integrated Module Bioassay Analysis (IMBA) Update, 
site profile status and roll-out, a Sanford Cohen and Associates brief, 
reports from the Workgroup on Options for Evaluating Interviews and the 
Research Issues Workgroup, as well as Board discussion. The remainder 
of the meeting will proceed in closed session.
    The purpose of the closed sessions is to include development, 
review, and discussion of a proposed Independent Government Cost 
Estimate (IGCE) for a technical support contract intended to assist the 
Board in fulfilling its statutory duty to advise the Secretary, HHS 
regarding dose reconstruction efforts under the EEOICPA. The IGCE will 
include contract cost estimates, the disclosure of which would 
adversely impact the Government's negotiating position and strategy in 
regards to this contract by giving potential bidders an undue advantage 
in determining the price associated with their bids. The information 
being discussed will include information of a confidential nature.
    This portion of the meeting will be closed to the public in 
accordance with provisions set forth regarding subject matter 
considered confidential under the terms of 5 U.S.C. 552b(c)(9)(B), 48 
CFR 5.401(b)(1) and (4), and 48 CFR 7.304(d), and the Determination of 
the Director of the Management Analysis and Services Office, Centers 
for Disease Control and Prevention, pursuant to Pub. L. 92-463.
    A summary of this meeting will be prepared and submitted with 14 
days of the close of the meeting.
    Agenda items are subject to change as priorities dictate.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Larry Elliott, Executive Secretary, 
ABRWH, NIOSH, CDC, 4676 Columbia Parkway, Cincinnati, Ohio 45226, 
telephone 513/533-6825, fax 513/533-6826.
    The Director, Management Analysis and Services Office, has been 
delegated the authority to sign Federal Register notices pertaining to 
announcements of meetings and other committee management activities for 
both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Agency for 
Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.

    Dated: November 10, 2003.
Betsey Dunaway,
Acting Director, Management Analysis and Services Office, Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 03-28600 Filed 11-14-03; 8:45 am]

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