December 22, 1998

EPA-SAB-RAC-CON-99-002

Honorable Carol M. Browner
Administrator
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
401 M Street, SW
Washington, DC 20460

              Subject:       Notification of a Consultation on Approaches to Calculating Radon
                           Risks

Dear Ms. Browner:

       The Radiation Advisory Committee (RAC) of the Science Advisory Board (SAB), met on
November 17,  1998 to conduct a consultation with staff from the Office of Radiation and Indoor
Air (ORIA) on approaches to calculating radon risks. This activity is a logical follow-up by the
ORIA staff to the on-going work of the National Research Council's report of the sixth
Committee on Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation (BEIR VI), which addresses the risk of
lung cancer associated with exposure to radon and its radioactive progeny.  The SAB has
developed the consultation as a mechanism to advise the Agency on technical issues that should
be considered in the development of regulations, guidelines, or technical guidance before the
Agency has taken a position.  A consultation is conducted under the normal requirements of the
Federal Advisory Committee Act, which include advance notice of the public meeting in the
Federal Register.

       As is our customary practice, there will be no formal report from the SAB as a result of
this consultation, nor do we expect any formal response from the Agency.  However, since the
RAC finds the schedule appropriate, the Committee looks forward to conducting a formal review
in the future as outlined in the Development Schedule.


                                        Sincerely,
       /signed/                                       /signed/
Dr. Joan M. Daisey, Chair                        Dr. Stephen L. Brown, Chair
Science Advisory Board                          Radiation Advisory Committee
                                               Science Advisory Board

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                     U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
                             Science Advisory Board
                     Radiation Advisory Committee (RAC)

CHAIR
Dr. Stephen L. Brown,R2C2 Risks of Radiation & Chemical Compounds, Oakland, CA

MEMBERS AND CONSULTANTS:
Dr. William J. Bair, Retired, Richland, WA

Dr. Vicki M. Bier, University of Wisconsin, Dept. of Industrial Engineering, Madison, WI

Dr. Thomas F. Gesell, Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID

Dr. F. Owen Hoffman, SENES Oak Ridge, Inc.,Oak Ridge, TN

Dr. Janet Johnson, Shepherd Miller, Inc., Ft. Collins, CO

Dr. Donald Langmuir, Hydrochem Systems Corp., Golden, CO

Dr. Jill Lipoti,New Jersey Dept. of Environmental Protection, Trenton, NJ

Dr. Ellen Mangione, M.D., M.P.H.,Colorado Department of Public Health and
Environment, South, Denver, CO

Dr. Paul J. Merges, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Albany, NY

Dr. John W. Poston, Sr.,Dept.of Nuclear Engineering,Texas A&M University, College Station,
TX

Dr. Genevieve S. Roessler,Radiation Consultant, Elysian, MN

EHC Liaison
Dr. David G. Hoel, Medical University of SC, Charleston, SC

EEC Liaison
Dr. Calvin Chien, Senior Environmental Fellow, E.I. DuPont Company, Wilmington, DE

Science Advisory Board Staff
Dr. K. Jack Kooyoomjian,Designated Federal Official (DFO), Committee Operations Staff,
Science Advisory Board,USEPA, 401 M Street,S.W., 1400,Washington, D.C. 20460

Ms. Diana Pozun, Management Assistant, US Environmental Protection Agency, Science
      Advisory Board, Washington, DC

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                                       NOTICE
       This report has been written as a part of the activities of the Science Advisory Board, a
public advisory group providing extramural scientific information and advice to the Administrator
and other officials of the Environmental Protection Agency. The Board is structured to provide
balanced expert assessment of scientific matters related to problems faced by the Agency. This
report has not been reviewed for approval by the Agency; and hence, the contents of this report
do not necessarily represent the views and policies of the Environmental Protection Agency or
other agencies in the Federal government.  Mention of trade names or commercial products does
not constitute a recommendation for use.

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