[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 183 (Thursday, September 22, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55620-55621]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-18954]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-7973-6]


Science Advisory Board Staff Office; Notification of Upcoming SAB 
Meeting To Review the EPA Region 6 Geographic Information System 
Screening Tool (GISST)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The EPA Science Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office is 
announcing a public meeting of the SAB Ecological Processes and Effects 
Committee to review the EPA Region 6 Geographic Information System 
Screening Tool (GISST).

DATES: December 7-8, 2005. The SAB meeting will convene Wednesday, 
December 7 at 8:30 a.m., adjourning at approximately 4 p.m. (central 
time) Thursday, December 8.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting of the Panel will be held at the U.S. EPA 
Region 6 Headquarters Office, 1445 Ross Avenue, Dallas TX 75202.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Any member of the public wishing 
further information regarding the public meeting may contact Dr. Thomas 
Armitage, Designated Federal Officer (DFO), via telephone/voice mail at 
(202) 343-9995; via e-mail at [email protected]; or at the U.S. 
EPA Science Advisory Board (1400F), 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., 
Washington, DC 20460. General information about the SAB can be found in 
the SAB Web site at http://www.epa.gov/sab.
    For technical inquiries concerning the EPA Region 6 Geographic 
Information System Screening Tool, please contact Dr. Sharon Osowski by 
telephone/voice mail at 214-665-7506; via e-mail at 
[email protected]; or by mail at U.S. EPA Region 6 (mail code 6EN-
XP), 1445 Ross Avenue, Suite 1200, Dallas, TX 75272-2733.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    EPA Region 6 has requested that the SAB conduct a review of the 
Geographic Information System Screening Tool (GISST). The GISST is an 
environmental assessment tool developed to provide a systematic 
approach to considering single media and cumulative impacts in making 
decisions concerning complex projects, such as those subject to the 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The GISST uses geographic 
information system coverages and environmental and socioeconomic data 
to provide screening level assessments of the potential environmental 
vulnerabilities of project locations or the impacts of specified 
activities. Decision criteria are used in the GISST to score available 
data on a scale of one to five, where one equals lower potential 
environmental vulnerability or concern and five equals a higher level 
of vulnerability or concern. Scores are used by decision-makers to help 
prioritize potential project locations and alternatives and to help 
identify levels of environmental concern. EPA Region 6 is seeking 
comment from the SAB on the validity of the GISST methodology, the 
defensibility of the GISST results, and the usefulness of the GISST, 
particularly within the NEPA process. EPA Region 6 is also interested 
in making the GISST more user-friendly, and is seeking comments on 
further enhancements to the GISST.

Panel Formation

    The Science Advisory Board is a chartered Federal advisory 
committee established under 42 U.S.C. 4365 to provide independent 
scientific and technical advice, consultation, and recommendations to 
the EPA Administrator on the technical basis for Agency positions and 
regulations. The SAB Staff Office is augmenting the expertise on the 
SAB Ecological Processes and Effects Committee to conduct the review of 
the GISST. The panel being formed will provide advice to the EPA 
through the Chartered SAB. The Panel will comply with the provisions of 
the Federal Advisory Committee Act and all appropriate SAB procedural 
policies, including the SAB process for panel formation described in 
the Overview of the Panel Formation Process at the Environmental 
Protection Agency Science Advisory Board, which can be found on the 
SAB's Web site at: http://www.epa.gov/sab/pdf/ec0210.pdf. The SAB Staff 
Office has previously formed panels that provided advice on EPA's 
Critical Ecosystem Assessment Model (CrEAM) and Regional Vulnerability 
Assessment (ReVA) methods for multi-scale decision-making. The 
expertise needed on the GISST Review Panel is similar to the expertise 
that was required for review of the CrEAM and the ReVA methods.

[[Page 55621]]

Therefore, the SAB Staff Office will select a set of nominees for 
consideration to serve on the GISST Review Panel (known as the ``Short 
List'') from the rosters of SAB panels that reviewed the CrEAM and ReVA 
methods, and from previously published Short Lists of candidates for 
those panels. The rosters of the SAB Critical Ecosystem Assessment 
Model Review Panel and the SAB Regional Vulnerability Assessment 
Advisory Panel, as well as the Short Lists of candidates for these 
panels, are available on the SAB Web site http://www.epa.gov/sab. The 
Short List will be posted on the SAB Web site at: http://www.epa.gov/sab, and will include, for each candidate, the nominee's name and 
biosketch. Public comments on the Short List will be accepted for 14 
calendar days. During this comment period, the public will be requested 
to provide information, analysis or other documentation on nominees 
that the SAB Staff should consider in evaluating candidates for the 
Panel.
    For the SAB, a balanced review panel (i.e., committee, 
subcommittee, or panel) is characterized by inclusion of candidates who 
possess the necessary domains of knowledge, the relevant scientific 
perspectives (which, among other factors, can be influenced by work 
history and affiliation), and the collective breadth of experience to 
adequately address the charge. Public responses to the Short List 
candidates will be considered in the selection of the panel, along with 
information provided by candidates and information gathered by SAB 
Staff independently of the background of each candidate (e.g., 
financial disclosure information and computer searches to evaluate a 
nominee's prior involvement with the topic under review). Specific 
criteria to be used in evaluation of an individual subcommittee member 
include: (a) Scientific and/or technical expertise, knowledge, and 
experience (primary factors); (b) absence of financial conflicts of 
interest; (c) scientific credibility and impartiality; (d) availability 
and willingness to serve; and (e) ability to work constructively and 
effectively in committees.
    Prospective panelists will also be required to fill-out the 
``Confidential Financial Disclosure Form for Special Government 
Employees Serving on Federal Advisory Committees at the U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency'' (EPA Form 3110-48). This confidential 
form allows Government officials to determine whether there is a 
statutory conflict between that person's public responsibilities (which 
includes membership on an EPA Federal advisory committee) and private 
interests and activities, or the appearance of a lack of impartiality, 
as defined by Federal regulation. The form may be viewed and downloaded 
from the following URL address: http://www.epa.gov/sab/pdf/epaform3110-48.pdf.

Availability of Meeting Materials

    Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, Public Law 92-463, 
notice is hereby given that the Panel will hold a public meeting to 
conduct this review. The dates and times for the meeting are provided 
above. A roster of panel members, their biosketches, the meeting 
agenda, and the charge to the SAB panel will be posted on the SAB Web 
site prior to the meeting. Meeting materials also include the EPA 
Region 6 GIS Screening Tool (GISST) User's Manual available at the 
following URL address: http://www.epa.gov/earth1r6/6en/xp/enxp2a3.htm.

Procedures for Providing Public Comments

    The SAB Staff Office accepts written public comments, and will 
accommodate oral public comments when possible. Written Comments: 
Written comments are preferred and should be submitted by e-mail to Dr. 
Thomas Armitage at [email protected] in Adobe Acrobat, 
WordPerfect, Word, or Rich Text files in IBM-PC/Windows 98/2000/XP 
format) by November 30, 2005. Those without access to e-mail may submit 
one signed hard copy of the comments to Dr. Armitage by mail or 
courier. Commenters planning to attend the meeting in person are asked 
to bring 35 copies of their comments for public distribution. Oral 
Comments: Requests to provide oral comments must be in writing (e-mail 
or fax) and received by Dr. Armitage no later than November 30, 2005 to 
reserve time on the meeting agenda. Presentation time for oral comment 
will typically be about five minutes per speaker, but may be reduced 
depending on time availability and the number of requests.

Meeting Accommodations

    Individuals requiring special accommodation to access the public 
meetings listed above should contact the DFO at least five business 
days prior to the meeting so that appropriate arrangements can be made.

    Dated: September 16, 2005.
Anthony F. Maciorowski,
Associate Director for Science, EPA Science Advisory Board Staff 
Office.
[FR Doc. 05-18954 Filed 9-21-05; 8:45 am]
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