[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 228 (Tuesday, November 26, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70729-70730]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-29976]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-7413-7]


EPA Science Advisory Board Staff Office Invitation To Solicit 
Public Input Concerning Prospective EPA Science Advisory Board 
Reorganization and Structural Changes

    Summary: The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA or Agency) 
Science Advisory Board (SAB or Board) is inviting members of the public 
to register and attend a public session wherein the Board will solicit 
public input on the SAB's prospective reorganization and structural 
changes; or, for persons unable to attend, to contribute information on 
this topic via

[[Page 70730]]

e-mail. Although the SAB is subject to the procedural requirements of 
the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), as amended (5 U.S.C. App.), 
for its advisory committee meetings, the purpose of this session is to 
obtain information from individual attendees and not from the 
participants as a whole; therefore, the provisions of FACA do not apply 
to this session.
    The session will be held at the Sheraton Crystal City Hotel, 1800 
Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, Virginia, 22202, on Wednesday, 
December 4, 2002, from 9:30 am to 12 pm. The Sheraton Crystal City 
Hotel main telephone number is: (703) 486-1111. The session is open to 
members of the public. However, due to limited space, participation 
will be on a first-come basis. Therefore, members of the public are 
requested to register in advance. Members of the public who cannot 
attend in person are encouraged to submit written comments. For further 
information concerning this session, including procedures both for 
registration and submitting written comments to the EPA Science 
Advisory Board Staff Office, please see below.
    Purpose: The Reorganization Sub-Committee of the SAB Executive 
Committee is soliciting public input concerning prospective EPA Science 
Advisory Board reorganization and structural changes. The Sub-Committee 
will consider the comments and input received in this public process, 
as well as written comments received in response to this notice, as it 
develops and evaluates possible options to enhance the ability of the 
SAB to carry out its critical mission even more effectively and 
efficiently. Please note that this effort is not focused on 
``operational'' SAB issues such as the revised panel formation process 
and the updating of the Board's policies and procedures, both of which 
are being carried out in parallel.
    Background: The SAB was established by the Congress in 1978 by the 
Environmental Research, Development, and Demonstration Authorization 
Act (ERDDAA) (42 U.S.C. 4365). Composed of non-Federal government 
experts, the Board provides independent advice and peer review to EPA's 
Administrator on the scientific and technical aspects of environmental 
problems and issues. The Board's independently-chartered Clean Air 
Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) and Advisory Committee on Clean 
Air Compliance Analysis (COUNCIL) also provide independent scientific 
and technical advice as required by the Clean Air Act Amendments of 
1977 and the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, respectively. While the 
Board reports to the Administrator, it may also be requested to provide 
advice to U. S. Senate Committees and Subcommittees and U.S. House 
Committees and Subcommittees, as appropriate.
    Since being established in 1978, the SAB has doubled in size (from 
five to ten standing committees) and in membership (from some 50 
members to more than 110 members and 380 expert consultants). To 
supplement its standing and chartered committees, the Board forms 
numerous ad hoc panels that look into areas of special interest, all of 
which provide continuity to areas of scientific study that are relevant 
to the Agency. These changes in size and organization have come about 
in response to legislation and the needs of the EPA Administrator, and 
also as a result of the expanding mission of the Board.
    Although the mission of the Board and its overall size have 
increased substantially in the last 25 years, both the structure of the 
Board and the procedures by which the SAB conducts reviews have 
remained essentially the same. Accordingly, there is a crucial need to 
evaluate the current structure, organization and composition of the 
Board to ascertain whether improvements in these areas can enhance the 
Board's ability to carry out its critical mission even more effectively 
and efficiently. The SAB's Executive Committee, under the leadership of 
its Chair, Dr. William Glaze, has recently established the 
Reorganization Sub-Committee for this purpose.
    Specific Format and Topics for the December 4, 2002 Session: A 
draft agenda for the session will be posted on or about December 2, 
2002 on the EPA Science Advisory Board Web site at: http://www.epa.gov/sab. The session will be specifically designed to solicit public input 
on the following two broad questions pertaining to the organization and 
structure of the SAB:
    1. Overall, how well has EPA's Science Advisory Board fulfilled its 
mission--and what are some ways in which it could improve?
    2. What type of SAB structure and substructures are needed to 
fulfill the SAB roles and be flexible enough to meet future needs of 
EPA?
    Other public input relevant to the matters of SAB reorganization 
and structural changes will also be discussed, and accepted at, this 
December 4, 2002, session. Input on operational or procedural aspects 
of the Board are not being solicited at this session.
    Registration for the December 4, 2002 Session: Persons wishing to 
attend this public session should register by Friday, November 29, 
2002, by contacting Ms. Sandra Vincze at telephone (703) 534-1629 or 
via e-mail at world.com">svincze@mgtech-world.com. Please include the following 
information: name, title, organization, telephone number, fax number, 
and e-mail address.
    Provision of Written Comments by Individuals Unable to Attend the 
December 4, 2002 Session: Persons unable to attend the public session 
who wish to provide written comments on the specific topics identified 
above may send those comments to Mr. Fred Butterfield of the Science 
Advisory Board Staff via email at [email protected]. Written 
comments received prior to 12 noon Eastern time on December 3, 2002, 
will be included in the discussion at this public session.
    Session Access: Individuals requiring special accommodation at this 
session, including wheelchair access to the conference room, should 
contact Ms. Sandra Vincze at telephone (703) 534-1629 or via e-mail at 
world.com">svincze@mgtech-world.com at least two business days prior to the 
session (i.e., by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, November 29, 2002) so that 
appropriate arrangements can be made.
    General and Additional Information: Members of the public desiring 
additional information about the session on December 4, 2002, should 
contact Mr. Fred Butterfield, Designated Federal Officer, EPA Science 
Advisory Board (1400A), Suite 6450, U.S. EPA, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, 
NW, Washington, DC 20460; telephone/voice mail (202) 564-4561; fax 
(202) 501-0323; or e-mail [email protected]. Additional 
information on session logistics can be obtained by contacting Ms. 
Sandra Vincze at telephone (703) 534-1629 or via e-mail at 
world.com">svincze@mgtech-world.com.
    Further information concerning the EPA Science Advisory Board, 
including its structure, function, and composition, may be found on the 
EPA SAB Web site at: http://www.epa.gov/sab; and in the EPA Science 
Advisory Board FY2001 Annual Staff Report, which is available from the 
EPA SAB Publications Staff at phone (202) 564-4533; via fax at: (202) 
501-0256; or on the SAB Web site at http://www.epa.gov/sab/annreport01.pdf.

    Dated: November 19, 2002.
Vanessa T. Vu,
Director, EPA Science Advisory Board Staff Office.
[FR Doc. 02-29976 Filed 11-25-02; 8:45 am]
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