[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 48 (Monday, March 12, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14382-14383]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-6176]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6952-6]


Science Advisory Board; Emergency Notification of Public Advisory 
Committee Meeting(s)

    Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, Public Law 92-463, 
notice is hereby given that one committee of the US EPA Science 
Advisory Board (SAB) will hold a public teleconference meet on the date 
and time noted below. All times noted are Eastern Daylight Time. All 
meetings are open to the public, however, seating is limited and 
available on a first come basis.

Executive Committee (EC) Workgroup--Teleconference March 22, 2001

    A workgroup of the Science Advisory Board's (SAB) Executive 
Committee (EC) will conduct a public teleconference meeting on Friday, 
March 22, 2001 between the hours of 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. (Eastern 
Daylight Time). The meeting will be coordinated through a conference 
call connection in Room 6013 in the USEPA, Ariel Rios Building, 1200 
Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20004. The public is 
encouraged to attend the meeting in the conference room noted above, 
however, the public may also attend through a telephonic link if lines 
are available. Additional instructions about how to participate in the 
conference call can be obtained by calling Mrs. Diana Pozun one week 
prior to the meeting (March 15, 2001) at (202) 564-4544, fax (202) 501-
0323, or via e-mail at [email protected].

Purpose of the Meeting

    At this meeting, the EC workgroup will discuss and take public 
comment on a draft commentary letter it is developing. This draft 
Commentary, ``Improving Science-Based Environmental Stakeholder 
Processes,'' (this draft Commentary will be available on the SAB 
website www.epa.gov/sab, directions below) results from a commitment of 
the EC to examine the use of science in stakeholder processes, as 
documented in an earlier SAB Commentary ``Science Advisory Board 
Commentary on the Role of Science in `New Approaches' to Environmental 
Decision Making that Focuses on Stakeholder Involvement,'' EPA-SAB-EC-
COM-00-002, October 7, 1999 (This Commentary is available on the SAB 
website www.epa.gov/sab, directions below). In that earlier Commentary, 
the EC noted that: (1) The SAB ``enthusiastically support[s] the 
Agency's efforts to develop and promote new, more flexible, adaptive 
approaches to environmental regulations;'' (2) involving 
representatives of specific interested or affected parties in 
environmental decision making is clearly important; (3) the Agency has 
a responsibility to represent the broad public interest; (4) it is in 
the broad public interest to base environmental decisions on a ``full 
and careful consideration of all available science;'' and (5) in 
``newer decision environments, which involve a greater focus on 
consultation and negotiation among directly involved stakeholders,'' 
there is a risk that full consideration of all available science may 
receive too little attention.
    The SAB EC has held four workshops (see 64 FR 58840-58841, November 
1, 1999; 65 FR 7549-7550, February 15, 2000; 65 FR 39614, June 27, 
2000; and 65 FR 60663-60664, October 12, 2000) with the objective of 
better understanding the way in which

[[Page 14383]]

scientific and technical knowledge is being developed and used in 
stakeholder processes, and identifying strategies which might allow 
such knowledge to be better developed and used in such processes in the 
future. Based on information gained in these workshops and published 
information on the use of science in stakeholder processes, the SAB 
will finalize its Commentary (Improving Science-Based Environmental 
Stakeholder Processes) to the Administrator. The Commentary will 
provide advice to help Agency improve public involvement processes for 
environmental protection and the use of science in those processes.
    At the March 22 teleconference, the SAB EC will be seeking public 
input on: (1) Whether the draft Commentary makes factual errors; (2) 
whether there is important evidence or published literature that the 
draft Commentary needs to better acknowledge or incorporate; and (3) 
suggestions for ways the draft Commentary may be improved. Given the 
fact-finding nature of this teleconference call, the SAB EC requests 
that members of the public seeking to provide oral comments provide a 
text of their comments in writing to the Designated Federal Officer, 
Dr. Angela Nugent by noon on March 19, 2001 via e-mail, fax or mail 
(see contact information below) so that she can plan the agenda.

Availability of Review Materials

    The draft document, Improving Science-Based Environmental 
Stakeholder Processes will be posted on the SAB website www.epa.gov/sab 
(under the DRAFT REPORTS heading) seven business days in advance of the 
meeting or will be available from Mrs. Pozun (see previous contact 
information, above). The earlier Science Advisory Board Commentary on 
the Role of Science in `New Approaches' to Environmental Decision 
Making that Focuses on Stakeholder Involvement, EPA-SAB-EC-COM-00-002, 
October 7, 1999 is available on the SAB website http://www.epa.gov/sab 
(under the REPORTS heading and then the FISCAL YEAR 2000 REPORTS 
subheading).

For Further Information

    Any member of the public wishing further information concerning 
this meeting or wishing to submit brief oral comments must contact Dr. 
Angela Nugent, Designated Federal Officer, US EPA Science Advisory 
Board (Mail Code 1400A), Room 6450, U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone 
(202) 564-4562; FAX (202) 501-0323; or via e-mail at 
[email protected]. Requests for oral comments must be in writing 
(e-mail, fax or mail) and received by Dr. Nugent no later than noon 
Eastern Time on March 19, 2001.

Providing Oral or Written Comments at SAB Meetings

    It is the policy of the Science Advisory Board to accept written 
public comments of any length, and to accommodate oral public comments 
whenever possible. Oral Comments: For this teleconference meeting, 
opportunities for oral comment will usually be limited to no more than 
five minutes per speaker. Deadlines for getting on the public speaker 
list for a meeting are given above. Written Comments: Although the SAB 
accepts written comments until the date of the meeting (unless 
otherwise stated), written comments should be received in the SAB Staff 
Office at least one week prior to the meeting date so that the comments 
may be made available to the committee for their consideration. 
Comments should be supplied to the appropriate DFO at the address/
contact information noted above in the following formats: one hard copy 
with original signature, and one electronic copy via e-mail (acceptable 
file format: WordPerfect, Word, or Rich Text files (in IBM-PC/Windows 
95/98 format). Those providing written comments and who attend the 
meeting are also asked to bring 25 copies of their comments for public 
distribution.

General Information

    Additional information concerning the Science Advisory Board, its 
structure, function, and composition, may be found on the SAB Website 
(http://www.epa.gov/sab) and in The FY2000 Annual Report of the Staff 
Director which is available from the SAB Publications Staff at (202) 
564-4533 or via fax at (202) 501-0323. Committee rosters, draft Agendas 
and meeting calendars are also located on our website.

Meeting Access

    Individuals requiring special accommodation at this meeting, 
including wheelchair access to the conference room, should contact the 
Dr. Nugent at least five business days prior to the meeting so that 
appropriate arrangements can be made.

    Dated: March 6, 2001.
Donald G. Barnes,
Staff Director, Science Advisory Board.
[FR Doc. 01-6176 Filed 3-9-01; 8:45 am]
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