UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
                             WASHINGTON D.C. 20460
                               October 28, 1992
                                                                OFFICE OF
                                                              THE ADMINISTRATOR
                                                            SCIENCE ADVISORY BOARD
EPA-SAB-DWC-CON-93-001

Honorable William K. Reilly
Administrator
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
401 M Street, SW
Washington, D.C.  20460

            Subject:     Notification of a Consultation on the Draft Drinking
                        Water Criteria Documents for Chlorine and for
                        Chloramines

Dear Mr. Reilly:

      The Drinking Water Committee (DWG) of the Science Advisory Board (SAB)
met on April 13-14, 1992 to discuss the Agency's March 1992 external review draft
documents: 1) Drinking Water Criteria Document for Chlorine, Hypochlorous Acid
and Hypochlorite Ion, and 2) Drinking Water Criteria Document for Chloramines.
These  documents were prepared to provide the health effects basis to be
considered in establishing maximum contaminant level goals (MCLG's).

      Although the discussion was originally planned  to be a review of the two
draft documents, the Agency Staff did not prepare a charge to the Committee nor
did they ask the Comim-cec to respond to any specific questions.  As the
discussion evolved, it became evident to the Committee that both draft documents
were still very preliminary and that  further effort would be required on the part
of the  Agency before the documents  were ready for a full review.  Consequently,
we decided to consider the discussion at the public meeting to be a Consultation
on the progress of the two documents. As you know,  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.

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      We believe that the Consultation achieved its goal by discussing a number of
important issues that EPA can consider in revising the two draft documents.  As
is our customary practice there will be no formal report fr^m the SAB as result of
this Consultation, nor do we expect any formal response f/om the Agency.  We
look forward to advising the Agency in the future by consultations as well as
through more formal scientific reviews.

      We appreciate the opportunity to interact with Agency Staff on these two
draft documents and look forward to conducting a formal review in the future.
                                   Sincerely,
      Dr. Ramond C. Loehr, Chair              Dr. Verne A. Ray, Chair
      Science Advisory Board                    Drinking Water Committee

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             ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
                     SCIENCE ADVISORY BOARD
                   DRINKING WATER COMMITTEE
CHAIRMAN
      Dr. Verne A, Ray, Medical Research Laboratory, Pfizer Inc., Groton,
Connecticut

VICE CHAIRMAN

      Dr. Vern L. Snoeyink, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Illinois,
Urbana, Illinois

MKMBRRS/CONSULTANTS

      Dr. Richard J. Bull, College of Pharmacy, Washington State University,
Pullman, Washington

      Dr. Gary P. Carlson, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology,  School of
Pharmacy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana

      Dr. Keith E. Cams, East Bay Municipal Utility District, Oakland, California

      Dr. Lenore S. Clesceri, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Materials Research
Center, Troy, New York

      Dr. David G. Kaufman, Department of Pathology, University of North Carolina,
Chapel Hill, North Carolina

      Dr. Ramon G. Lee, American Water Works Service Company, Voorhees, New
Jersey

      Dr. Edo D. PeUizzari, Research Triangle  Institute, Research Triangle Park,
North Carolina

      Dr. Mark D. Sobsey, Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering,
School of Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina

      Dr. James M. Symons, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering,
University of Houston, Houston, Texas

SCIENCE ADVISORY

      Mr. A. Robert Flaak, Assistant Staff Director and Acting Designated Federal
Official, Science Advisory Board (A-101F), U.S. EPA, 401 M Street, SW, Washington,
DC 20460

      Mrs. Frances Dolby, Staff Secretary, Drinking Water Committee, Science
Advisory Board (A-101F), U.S. EPA, 401 M Street, SW, Washington,  DC  20460

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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 facing 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, nor of other agencies in the jixecutive Branch of the Federal government,
nor does mention of trade names or commercial products constitute a
recommendation for use.

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