UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
WASHINGTON, D,C, 20460
EFA-SAB-CON-EEC-91-QQ2
THE ADMINISTRATOR
April 29, 1991
Honorable William K. Reilly
Administrator
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
401 M Street, S.W,
Washington, D.C. 204SO
Subject: Science Advisory Board's Consultation
on Review of Selection Criteria for Partici-
pation of EPA Staff on the Proposed Agency Task
Force on Modeling
Dear Mr. Reilly:
The Environmental Engineering Committee (IIC) of the Science
Advisory Board (SAB) wet at EPA's Washington, D.C. Headquarters on
February 7, 1991 to consult with the Office of Solid Waste and
Emergency Response (QSWER) Information Management (IM) staff on
recommendations related to appropriate selection criteria for
participation of EPA Staff on the proposed Agency Task Force on
Modeling. It is envisioned that the proposed Task Force will be
the first step in establishing an Agency-wide Panel to assess and
manage the use of models by the EPA by directing activities and
determining guidelines for verification and validation of models,
and by establishing acceptance criteria for use of models in EPA
programs.
The Committee provided responses to the QSWER/IM staff and
their support contractor at the meeting, and later provided written
information in a letter to Asa Frost, Director of Information
Management in OSWER.
The EEC suggested modest changes to the selection criteria for
EPA staff proposed by the OSWER/IM for the planned Agency-wide Task
Force on Modeling. Specific comments also were provided dealing
with the overall composition and organization of the Task Force.
Printed on Recycled Paper
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The EEC would like to take this opportunity to state that it
strongly supports the initiative taken by the OSWER/IM in proposing
the Agency Task Force on Modeling and notes that this activity
implements one of the major recommendations of the SAB's Resolution
on Use of Mathematical Models by EPA for Regulatory Assessment and
Decision-Making (EPA-SAB-EEC-89-012). The modeling resolution
states that "...An Agency-wide task-group to assess and guide model
use ^ by EPA should be formed." Be thus commend the IM staff for
taking such an initiative within OSWER, and further support OSWER's
efforts to extend the OSWER activity Agency-wide.
We appreciate the opportunity to assist and provide
suggestions on issues such as these. This consultation provided
front-end assistance and guidance reguested by an EPA program
Since this is not a "formal" review effort, the comments should not
be considered advice in the usual sense we give advice to Program
Offices, and a response is not required.
Raytfond C. LoettF, Chairman
Executive Committee
Science Advisory Board
Richard A. Conway, Chairman
Environmental Engineering Committee
Science Advisory Board
Mitchell ^J. Small, Chairman
OSWER Modeling Project Subcommittee
Science Advisory Board
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