[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 82 (Friday, April 27, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Page 21140]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-10514]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6971-4]


Science Advisory Board; Notification of Public Workshop

    Notice is hereby given that the US EPA along with the US EPA 
Science Advisory Board (SAB), will jointly host a public Workshop on 
Understanding Public Values and Attitudes Related to Ecological Risk 
Management. The Workshop is open to the public, however, seating is 
limited and available on a registration basis. In most instances, SAB 
meetings are subject to the Federal Advisory Committee Act which 
includes opportunities for public comment. However, since this meeting 
meets the requirements of 41 CFR 101-6.1004, the provisions of the 
Federal Advisory Committee Act (Public Law 92-463) do not apply. 
Therefore, we are not soliciting public comments during this non-FACA 
Workshop.
    Time and Location--The Workshop will be held on May 23-24, 2001 at 
the Academy for Educational Development, 1825 Connecticut Avenue, NW., 
Washington, DC, Telephone 202-884-8000. Registration is from 8:30-9:00 
am on May 23. The Workshop will begin at 9:00 am each day, ending at 
5:00 pm on May 23 and no later than 12:15 pm on May 24.
    Purpose of the Workshop--To demonstrate how researchers using 
different kinds of analytical methods, tools and approaches from the 
social sciences can mutually inform each other and risk managers in 
understanding: (a) public values and attitudes related to specific 
threats to ecological resources, such as a specific water body 
threatened with nitrogen deposition and (b) the significance of those 
values.
    The Workshop will focus on a particular waterbody, Tampa Bay 
Estuary, and will provide an opportunity for four researchers in the 
social sciences to address the following questions in terms that are 
relevant to and readily comprehendible to Agency management:
    Given that the state of knowledge about ecological and human health 
effects of nitrogen deposition are fairly well known in the Tampa Bay 
Estuary, (a) Why do people care about protecting waterbodies against 
current problems and preventing further nitrogen deposition? and (b) 
How can EPA move beyond current economic considerations, per se, to 
identify and evaluate/measure why and how much people care about 
protecting the resource?
    Workshop Agenda--A written agenda is available on the SAB website 
(see below). The first day of Workshop will include an introduction 
followed by four presentations of Research Plans commissioned on the 
issue. These proposals would demonstrate how different social science 
approaches (in the disciplines of anthropology, decision sciences, 
economics, and social psychology) could help decision makers at EPA and 
outside understand values, attitudes and decision factors related to 
protection of Tampa Bay against nitrogen deposition. There would be a 
short time following each presentation for a facilitated discussion.
    The morning of the second day will feature a panel of managers who 
will discuss their reactions to the expert presentations. They would 
focus on the potential usefulness of the research proposals presented, 
whether and how they add value to information currently available to 
decision makers for making decisions, communicating decisions, and 
justifying decisions about ecological risk management.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To register for the Workshop, please 
send the following information via email to: Brian Heninger at 
[email protected] by May 15: name; affiliation; address; phone; 
fax; e-mail address; occupation; area of expertise; and what aspects of 
this Workshop interest you the most.
    Any member of the public wishing further information concerning 
this Workshop should consult the website for this Workshop at http://www.epa.gov/sab/presentation-1/index.htm. Questions concerning this 
Workshop can be directed to Dr. Angela Nugent, Special Assistant, EPA 
Science Advisory Board, (202) 564-4562 or [email protected].

    Dated: April 18, 2001.
Donald G. Barnes,
Staff Director, Science Advisory Board.
[FR Doc. 01-10514 Filed 4-26-01; 8:45 am]
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