[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 96 (Monday, May 19, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27071-27073]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-12482]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OPPT-2003-0022; FRL-7309-3]


Forum on State and Tribal Toxics Action; Notice of Public Meeting

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice

-----------------------------------------------------------------------.


SUMMARY: EPA is announcing the meeting of the Forum on State and Tribal 
Toxics Action (FOSTTA) to collaborate on environmental protection and 
pollution prevention issues. The Tribal Affairs Project and 
representatives and invited guests of the Pollution Prevention Project, 
components of FOSTTA, will be meeting on June 4-5, 2003. The meeting is 
being held to provide the members of the two projects an opportunity to 
interact fully and to have in depth discussions on the state-of-the-art 
pollution prevention approaches used to develop and operate the Mohegan 
Sun Facility and on other pollution prevention issues. This notice 
announces the location and times for the meeting and sets forth some 
tentative agenda topics. EPA invites all interested parties to attend 
the public meeting.

DATES: The two projects will meet jointly June 4-5, 2003, from 8:30 
a.m. to 5 p.m. Requests to participate in the spring FOSTTA meeting, 
identified by docket ID number OPPT-2003-0022, must be received by EPA 
on or before May 29, 2003.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Mohegan Sun, 1 Mohegan Sun 
Boulevard, Uncasville, CT. Requests to participate in the meeting may 
be submitted to Christine Eppstein, listed under FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION

[[Page 27072]]

CONTACT. Follow the detailed instructions as provided in Unit III. of 
the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information contact: 
Barbara Cunningham, Director, Environmental Assistance Division 
(7408M), Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, Environmental 
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460-
0001; telephone number: (202) 554-1404; e-mail address: [email protected].
    For technical information contact: Darlene Harrod, Environmental 
Assistance Division (7408M), Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., 
Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone number: (202) 564-8814; fax 
number: (202) 564-8813; e-mail address: [email protected].
    Christine Eppstein, Environmental Council of the States, 444 North 
Capitol Street, NW., Suite 445, Washington, DC 20001; telephone number: 
(202) 624-3661; fax number: (202) 624-3666; e-mail address: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. General Information

A. Does this Action Apply to Me?

    You may be potentially affected by this action if you are 
interested in FOSTTA and hearing more about the perspectives of the 
states and tribes on EPA programs and information exchange regarding 
important issues related to human health and environmental exposure to 
toxics. Potentially affected entities may include, but are not limited 
to:
    [sbull] States and federally recognized tribes.
    [sbull] State, federal, local environmental, and public health 
organizations.
    The listing is not intended to be exhaustive, but rather provides a 
guide for readers regarding entities likely to be affected by this 
action. If you have any questions regarding the applicability of this 
action to a particular entity, consult the technical persons listed 
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

B. How Can I Get Copies of this Document and Other Related Documents?

    1. Docket. EPA has established an official public docket for this 
action under docket ID number OPPT-2003-0022. The official public 
docket consists of the documents specifically referenced in this 
action, any public comments received, and other information related to 
this action. Although a part of the official docket, the public docket 
does not include Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other 
information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. The official 
public docket is the collection of materials that is available for 
public viewing at EPA's Docket Center, Rm. B102-Reading Room, EPA West, 
1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC. EPA's Docket Center is 
open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding 
legal holidays. EPA's Docket Center Reading Room telephone number is 
(202) 566-1744, and the telephone number for the OPPT Docket, which is 
located in EPA Docket Center, is (202) 566-0280.
    2. Electronic access. You may access this Federal Register document 
electronically through EPA's Internet under the ``Federal Register'' 
listings at http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/.
    An electronic version of the public docket is available through 
EPA's electronic public docket and comment system, EPA Dockets. You may 
use EPA's Dockets at http://www.epa.gov/edocket/ to submit or view 
public comments, access the index listing of the contents of the 
official public docket, and to access those documents in the public 
docket that are available electronically. Although not all docket 
materials may be available electronically, you may still access any of 
the publicly available docket materials through the docket facility 
identified in Unit II.1. Once in the system, select ``search,'' then 
key in the appropriate docket ID number.

C. How Can I Request to Participate in this Meeting?

    You may submit a request to participate in this meeting to 
Christine Eppstein, the technical person listed under FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT. Do not submit any information in your request that 
is considered Confidential Business Information (CBI). Requests to 
participate in the meeting, identified by docket ID number OPPT-2003-
0022, must be received on or before May 29, 2003.

II. Background

    The Toxic Substances Control Act, 15 U.S.C. 2609 section 10(g), 
authorizes EPA and other federal agencies to establish and coordinate a 
system for exchange among federal, state, and local authorities of 
research and development results respecting toxic chemical substances 
and mixtures, including a system to facilitate and promote the 
development of standard data format and analysis and consistent testing 
procedures. Through FOSTTA, the Chemical Information and Management 
Project (CIMP) focuses on EPA's chemical program and works to develop a 
more coordinated effort involving federal, state, and tribal agencies. 
The Pollution Prevention Project (P2) promotes the prevention ethic 
across society, helping companies incorporate P2 approaches and 
techniques and integrating P2 into mainstream environmental activities 
at both the federal level and among the states. The Tribal Affairs 
Project (TAP) concentrates on chemical and prevention issues that are 
most relevant to the tribes, including lead control and abatement, 
Tribal traditional/subsistence lifeways, hazard communications, and 
outreach. FOSTTA's vision is to reinvigorate the projects, focus on 
major policy-level issues, recruit more senior state and tribal 
leaders, increase outreach to all 50 states, some 560 federally 
recognized tribes, and vigorously seek ways to engage the states and 
tribes in ongoing substantive discussions on complex and often times 
controversial environmental issues that states and tribes resolve at 
their respective levels of government. In January 2002, the 
Environmental Council of the States (ECOS), in cooperation with the 
National Tribal Environmental Council (NTEC), was awarded the new 
FOSTTA cooperative agreement. ECOS, NTEC, and EPA's Office of Pollution 
Prevention and Toxics (OPPT) are co-sponsoring the meetings. As part of 
a cooperative agreement, ECOS facilitates on going efforts of the state 
and tribal leaders and OPPT to increase understanding and improve 
collaboration on toxics and pollution prevention issues and to continue 
a dialogue on how federal environmental programs can best be 
implemented among the states, tribes, and EPA.

III. The Meeting

    In the interest of time and efficiency, the meetings are structured 
to provide maximum opportunity for state, tribal, and EPA participants 
to discuss items on the predetermined agenda. At the discretion of the 
chair, an effort will be made to accommodate participation by observers 
attending the proceedings. The FOSTTA representatives and EPA will 
collaborate on environmental protection and prevention issues. The 
tentative agenda items identified by the states and the tribes follow:
    [sbull] Overview of the Mohegan Sun Facility and the P2 approaches 
used in its development and operation.
    [sbull] Technology transfer discussion.
    [sbull] P2Rx Pollution Prevention information currently available.
    [sbull] Discussion of tribal needs and P2Rx resources or potential 
products.
    [sbull] OPPTS tribal strategy.

[[Page 27073]]

List of Subjects

    Environmental protection, Pollution prevention.

    Dated: May 9, 2003.
 Clarence O. Lewis, III,
Acting Director, Environmental Assistance Division, Office of Pollution 
Prevention and Toxics.

[FR Doc. 03-12482 Filed 5-16-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-S