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Advice Letter: Update of NACEPT Activities 8/15/02
National Advisory Council for
Environmental
Policy and Technology
August 15, 2002
Governor Christine Todd Whitman
Administrator
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue,
N.W.
Washington, DC 20460
Dear Governor Whitman:
On behalf of the National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology (NACEPT), it is my pleasure to submit to you the following update from our meeting in Washington, DC, on July 18-19, 2002.
A major portion of our discussion focused on the Council's emerging trends work, the NACEPT National Environmental Technology Competition effort, the Office of Research and Development (ORD) Environmental Scanning Project, NACEPT subcommittee updates, the Environmental Indicators Initiative, and the EPA's Innovation Strategy.
The Council has approved two advice letters concerning emerging trends and environmental technology, which will be forwarded to you in the near future. The Council also made the following recommendations on a select set of issues.
Integration of EPA 's Key Planning Processes
The Council is very supportive of the Agency's effort to define a process to integrate information and technology, human resource management, and strategic planning processes. The Council recognizes the value of this undertaking, and agrees to help the EPA to meet this goal in any way that may be beneficial, if requested by the Office of Environmental Information, the Office of Administration and Resources Management, and the Office of the Chief Financial Officer.
NACEPT Standing Committee on Sectors
The NACEPT Council recognizes and endorses the recommendations of the Standing Committee on Sectors, and further recommends that EPA utilize industry performance partnerships as a primary means to achieve its goals. The Council also requests that EPA consider reconstituting the NACEPT Standing Committee on Sectors to provide advice on the implementation of EPA industry performance partnership programs.
NACEPT Endocrine Disruptor Methods Validation Subcommittee (EDMVS)
EDMVS provides advice and counsel to the EPA on scientific issues associated with the conduct of studies necessary for validation of Tier 1 and Tier 2 assays for the EPA's Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program (63 FR 71542). The EDMVS provides advice and recommendations regarding: the development and choice of initial protocols; prevalidation study designs; validation study designs; and the integration of prevalidation and validation study results into EDSP Tier 1 and Tier 2 methods documents suitable for external peer review. Taking into account the advice and recommendations of the EDMVS and the NACEPT Council, the EPA will manage and conduct prevalidation and validation laboratory studies.
The NACEPT Council approved the following EDMVS interim recommendation on July 18, which will be useful to the Agency in addressing issues that apply to the in vivo assays.
"EPA should move forward with studies (multi, array) using a single, appropriate strain/stock. In conjunction with this activity, EPA should prepare a white paper summarizing what is known about intraspecies strains/stock similarities and differences in neuroendocrine control of reproduction/development and in responses to endocrine active chemicals and provide the rationale for the strain/stock selection. "
Thank you for giving us the opportunity to provide you with advice and counsel on key environmental issues, and we are ready to assist you in any way possible.
Sincerely,
Dorothy Bowers
Chair
National Advisory Council for
Environmental Policy and Technology
cc: Eileen McGinnis, Chief of Staff
Tom Gibson, Assistant Administrator, OPEI
Kim Nelson, Assistant Administrator, OEI
Linda Combs, Assistant Administrator, OCFO
Morris Winn, Assistant Administrator, OARM
Steve Johnson, Assistant Administrator, OPPTS
Jay Benforado, Deputy Associate Administrator, OPEI
Jane Scott Smith, DFO, EDMVS Subcommittee, OPPTS
Kathleen Bailey, DFO, Standing Committee on Sectors, OPEI
Daiva Balkus, Director, OCEM
Gordon Schisler, Deputy Director, OCEM