[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 19 (Friday, January 28, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5154-5156]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-1920]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-9259-5; Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-2010-1077]
Availability of Draft Report, Biofuels and the Environment: First
Triennial Report to Congress
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice of peer review meeting and public comment period.
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SUMMARY: EPA is announcing that it will convene an independent panel of
experts to review the external review draft document titled, Biofuels
and the Environment: The First Triennial Report to Congress (EPA/600/R-
10/183A). The peer review meeting will be organized by Versar, Inc., an
EPA contractor for external scientific peer review. The EPA also is
announcing a 30-day public comment period for the draft document. The
draft document was prepared by the National Center for Environmental
Assessment (NCEA) within EPA's Office of Research and Development. The
2007 Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) mandates increased
production of biofuels (fuels derived from organic materials) from 9
billion gallons per year in 2008 to 36 billion gallons per year by
2022. EISA (Section 204) also requires the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) to assess and report to Congress every three
years on the current and potential future environmental and resource
conservation impacts associated with increased biofuel production and
use. Biofuels and the Environment: First Triennial Report to Congress
is the first report on this issue.
The public comment period and the external peer review meeting are
separate processes that provide opportunities for all interested
parties to comment on the document. EPA intends to forward public
comments that are submitted in accordance with this notice, to the
external peer review panel, prior to the meeting for their
consideration. When finalizing the draft document, EPA intends to
consider any public comments that EPA receives in accordance with this
notice.
EPA is releasing this draft document solely for the purpose of
obtaining public comment and peer review under applicable information
quality guidelines. This document does not represent and should not be
construed to represent any Agency policy or determination.
EPA, through its Peer Review contractor, Versar, Inc., invites the
public to register to attend the peer review meeting. In addition, EPA
through Versar, Inc., invites the public to give oral and/or provide
written comments during the meeting regarding the draft document under
review. The draft document and EPA's charge to the peer reviewers are
available primarily via the Internet on NCEA's home page under the
Recent Additions and Publications menus at http://www.epa.gov/ncea. In
preparing a final report, EPA will consider the comments and
recommendations from the external peer review meeting and any public
comments that EPA receives in accordance with this notice.
DATES: The peer review panel meeting will begin on March 14, 2011, at 9
a.m. and end at 5 p.m. The 30-day public comment period begins January
28, 2011, and ends February 28, 2011. Technical comments should be in
writing and must be received by EPA by February 28, 2011.
ADDRESSES: The peer review meeting will be held at the Marriott
Courtyard Arlington Crystal City/Reagan National Airport, 2899
Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, VA 22202, telephone: 703-549-3434.
The EPA contractor, Versar, Inc., is organizing, convening and
conducting the peer review meeting. To attend the meeting, register by
March 7, 2011, by contacting Versar, Inc. via e-mail:
[email protected] (subject line: Biofuels Report to Congress Peer
Review Meeting), by telephone: 703-750-3000, ext. 545, or toll free at
1-800-2-VERSAR (1-800-283-7727), ask for Kathy Coon, the Biofuels
Report to Congress Meeting Coordinator, or by faxing a registration
request to 703-642-6809 (please reference the Biofuels Report to
Congress Peer Review Meeting and include your name, title, affiliation,
full address and contact information).
Information on Services for Individuals with Disabilities: EPA
welcomes the attendance of the public at the Biofuels Report to
Congress Peer Review Meeting and will make every effort to accommodate
persons with disabilities. For information on access or services for
individuals with disabilities, please contact Versar, Inc. via e-mail:
[email protected] (subject line: Biofuels Report to Congress Peer
Review Meeting), by telephone: 703-750-3000, ext. 545, or toll free at
1-800-2-VERSAR (1-800-
[[Page 5155]]
283-7727), ask for Kathy Coon, the Biofuels Report to Congress Meeting
Coordinator, or by faxing a registration request to 703-642-6809
(please reference the Biofuels Report to Congress Peer Review Meeting
and include your name, title, affiliation, full address and contact
information). To request accommodation of a disability, please contact
Versar, Inc., preferably at least 10 days prior to the meeting, to give
EPA as much time as possible to process your request.
The draft report, Biofuels and the Environment: First Triennial
Report to Congress, is available primarily via the Internet on the
National Center for Environmental Assessment's home page under the
Recent Additions and Publications menus at http://www.epa.gov/ncea. A
limited number of paper copies are available from the Information
Management Team, NCEA; telephone: 703-347-8561; facsimile: 703-347-
8691. If you are requesting a paper copy, please provide your name,
mailing address, and the document title, Biofuels and the Environment:
First Triennial Report to Congress. Copies are not available from
Versar, Inc.
Comments may be submitted electronically via http://www.regulations.gov, by mail, by facsimile, or by hand delivery/
courier. Please follow the detailed instructions as provided in the
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this notice.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions regarding information,
registration, access or services for individuals with disabilities, or
logistics for the external peer-review meeting should be directed to
Versar, Inc., 6850 Versar Center, Springfield, VA 22151, by e-mail:
[email protected] (subject line: Biofuels Report to Congress Peer
Review Meeting), by telephone: 703-750-3000, ext. 545 or toll free at
1-800-2-VERSAR (1-800-283-7727), ask for Kathy Coon, the Biofuels
Report to Congress Meeting Coordinator. To request accommodation of a
disability, please contact Versar, Inc. preferably at least 10 days
prior to the meeting, to give as much time as possible to process your
request.
For information on the public comment period, contact the Office of
Environmental Information Docket; telephone: 202-566-1752; facsimile:
202-566-1753; or e-mail: [email protected].
If you need technical information about the document, please
contact Bob Frederick, National Center for Environmental Assessment
(NCEA); telephone: 703-347-5308; facsimile: 703-347-8694; e-mail:
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Information About the Report to Congress
Many different feedstocks can be used to produce different types of
biofuels. This report focuses on impacts from production and use of six
feedstocks: Corn and soybeans, which together account for the vast
majority of biofuel feedstock currently in use, and four others (corn
stover, perennial grasses, woody biomass and algae) that represent a
range of feedstocks under development.
Two biofuels, ethanol (both conventional and cellulosic) and
biomass-based diesel, are emphasized in this report because they are
the most commercially viable in 2010 and/or projected to be the most
commercially available by 2022.
As required by the Energy Independence and Security Act (Section
204) of 2007, the report covers impacts on air and water quality, soil
quality and conservation, water availability, ecosystem health and
biodiversity; the potential invasiveness of feedstocks; and
international environmental impacts. This report reviews impacts and
mitigation tools across the entire biofuel supply chain, including
feedstock production and logistics, and biofuel production,
distribution, and use.
Throughout the biofuel supply chain, activities take place and
materials are used that have the potential to impact the environment or
affect resource use and availability. The specific impacts associated
with a particular feedstock or biofuel will vary depending on many
factors, including the type, source and method of feedstock production;
the technology used to convert the feedstock to fuel; methods used and
distances traveled to transport biofuels; the types and quantities of
biofuels used; and, controls in place to avoid or mitigate any impacts.
EPA's ability to assess environmental and resource conservation impacts
is constrained by substantial uncertainties. Since many feedstock
technologies are in the early stages of research and development, data
relevant to impacts are limited and projections of their potential
future use are highly speculative.
II. Meeting Information
Members of the public may attend the peer review meeting as
observers and there will be a limited time of no more than five minutes
for individual comments from the public during the meeting. Please let
Versar, Inc. know if you wish to make comments during the meeting.
Space is limited, and reservations will be accepted on a first-come,
first-served basis.
III. How To Submit Technical Comments to the Docket at
www.regulations.gov
Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-2010-
1077, by one of the following methods:
http://www.regulations.gov: Follow the on-line
instructions for submitting comments.
E-mail: [email protected].
Fax: 202-566-1753.
Mail: Office of Environmental Information (OEI) Docket
(Mail Code: 2822T), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1200
Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460. The phone number is 202-
566-1752.
Hand Delivery: The OEI Docket is located in the EPA
Headquarters Docket Center, Room 3334 EPA West Building, 1301
Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC. The EPA Docket Center Public
Reading Room is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through
Friday, excluding legal holidays. The telephone number for the Public
Reading Room is 202-566-1744. Deliveries are only accepted during the
Docket's normal hours of operation, and special arrangements should be
made for deliveries of boxed information.
If you provide comments by mail or hand delivery, please submit
three copies of the comments. For attachments, provide an index, number
pages consecutively with the comments, and submit an unbound original
and three copies.
Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-
2010-1077. Please ensure that your comments are submitted within the
specified comment period. Comments received after the closing date will
be marked ``late'' and may only be considered if time permits. It is
EPA's policy to include all comments it receives in the public docket
without change and to make the comments available online at http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided,
unless a comment includes information claimed to be Confidential
Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is
restricted by statute. Do not submit information that you consider to
be CBI or otherwise protected through http://www.regulations.gov or e-
mail. The http://www.regulations.gov Web site is an ``anonymous
access'' system, which means EPA will not know your identity or contact
information unless you provide it in the body of your comment. If you
send an e-mail comment directly to EPA without going through http://
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www.regulations.gov, your e-mail address will be automatically captured
and included as part of the comment that is placed in the public docket
and made available on the Internet. If you submit an electronic
comment, EPA recommends that you include your name and other contact
information in the body of your comment and with any disk or CD-ROM you
submit. If EPA cannot read your comment due to technical difficulties
and cannot contact you for clarification, EPA may not be able to
consider your comment. Electronic files should avoid the use of special
characters, any form of encryption and be free of any defects or
viruses. For additional information about EPA's public docket visit the
EPA Docket Center homepage at http://www.epa.gov/epahome/dockets.htm.
Docket: Documents in the docket are listed in the http://www.regulations.gov index. Although listed in the index, some
information is not publicly available, e.g., CBI or other information
whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Certain other materials,
such as copyrighted material, are publicly available only in hard copy.
Publicly available docket materials are available either electronically
in http://www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at the OEI Docket in the
EPA Headquarters Docket Center.
Dated: January 24, 2011.
Darrell A. Winner,
Acting Director, National Center for Environmental Assessment.
[FR Doc. 2011-1920 Filed 1-27-11; 8:45 am]
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