[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 185 (Monday, September 25, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55786-55787]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-8177]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL--8222-5]


Science Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office; Notification of 
Multiple Upcoming SAB Hypoxia Advisory Panel Teleconferences

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The EPA Science Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office announces 
seven upcoming public teleconferences of the SAB Hypoxia Advisory Panel 
Subgroups.

DATES: The dates for the seven teleconferences are:
    (1) SAB Hypoxia Advisory Panel Subgroup 1 Characterization of the 
Causes Hypoxia--October 17, 2006 from 2 to 5 p.m. Eastern Standard 
Time, and November 15, 2006 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Eastern Standard 
Time;
    (2) SAB Hypoxia Advisory Panel Subgroup 2 Characterization of 
Nutrient Fate, Transport, and Sources -- October 16 and November 21, 
2006 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Eastern Standard Time; and
    (3) SAB Hypoxia Advisory Panel Subgroup 3 Scientific Basis for 
Goals and Management Options -- October 6, October 30, and November 27, 
2006 1 to 4 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Members of the public who wish to 
obtain the teleconference call-in numbers and access codes to 
participate in the teleconferences may contact the following 
individuals.
    (1) For the SAB Hypoxia Advisory Panel Subgroup 1--Characterization 
of the Causes of Hypoxia teleconferences, contact Dr. Thomas Armitage, 
Designated Federal Officer (DFO), by telephone at (202) 343-9995, fax 
at (202) 233-0643, or e-mail at [email protected].
    (2) For the SAB Hypoxia Advisory Panel Subgroup 2--Characterization 
of Nutrient Fate, Transport, and Sources teleconferences, contact Mr. 
David Wangsness, DFO, by telephone at (202) 343-9975, fax at (202) 233-
0643, or e-mail at [email protected].
    (3) For the Hypoxia Advisory Panel Subgroup 3--Scientific Basis for 
Goals and Management Options SAB teleconferences, contact Dr. Holly 
Stallworth, DFO, by telephone at (202) 343-9867, fax at (202) 233-0643, 
or e-mail at [email protected]. General information about the 
SAB, as well as any updates concerning the teleconferences announced in 
this notice, may be found on the SAB Web site at: http://www.epa.gov/sab.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee 
Act, Public Law 92-463, notice is hereby given that the SAB Hypoxia 
Advisory Panel will hold seven public teleconferences to allow its 
three subgroups to develop issues related to advancements in the state 
of the science regarding hypoxia in the Northern Gulf of Mexico. Issues 
resulting from the public teleconferences will be further discussed by 
the entire SAB Hypoxia Advisory Panel at a future public meeting to be 
announced in a separate Federal Register notice. The SAB was 
established by 42 U.S.C. 4365 to provide independent scientific and 
technical advice to the Administrator on the technical basis for Agency 
positions and regulations. The SAB is a Federal Advisory Committee 
chartered under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), as amended, 
5 U.S.C., App. The SAB will comply with the provisions of FACA and all 
appropriate SAB Staff Office procedural policies.

[[Page 55787]]

Background

    EPA participates with other Federal agencies, state and tribes in 
the Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force. In 
2001, the Task Force released the Action Plan for Reducing, Mitigating 
and Controlling Hypoxia in the Northern Gulf of Mexico (or Action Plan 
available at http://www.epa.gov/msbasin/taskforce/actionplan.htm). The 
Action Plan was informed by the science described in An Integrated 
Assessment of Hypoxia in the Northern Gulf of Mexico (or Integrated 
Assessment (available at http://www.noaa.gov/products/hypox_finalfront.pdf) developed by the National Science and Technology 
Council, Committee on Environment and Natural Resources. Six technical 
reports provided the scientific foundation for the Integrated 
Assessment and are available at http.//www.nos.noaa.gov/products/pub_hypox.html. The aforementioned documents provide a comprehensive 
summary of the state-of-the-science for the Gulf of Mexico hypoxic zone 
to about the year 2000.
    EPA's Office of Water has requested that the SAB develop a report 
that evaluates the state-of-the-science regarding the causes and extent 
of hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico, as well as the scientific basis of 
possible management options in the Mississippi River Basin. The SAB is 
asked to focus on scientific advances since 2000 that may have 
increased scientific understanding and control options in three general 
areas.
    1. Characterization the Cause(s) of Hypoxia. The physical, 
biological and chemical processes that affect the development, 
persistence and extent of hypoxia in the northern Gulf of Mexico.
    2. Characterization of Nutrient Fate, Transport and Sources. 
Nutrient loadings, fate, transport and sources in the Mississippi River 
that impact Gulf hypoxia.
    3. Scientific Basis for Goals and Management Options. The 
scientific basis for, and recommended revisions to, the goals proposed 
in the Action Plan; and the scientific basis for the efficacy of 
recommended management actions to reduce nutrient flux from point and 
nonpoint sources.
    In response to EPA's request, the SAB Staff Office has formed the 
SAB Hypoxia Advisory Panel. Background on the Panel formation process 
was provided in a Federal Register notice published on February 17, 
2006 (71 FR 8578-8580). Background for the first meeting of the SAB 
Hypoxia Advisory Panel was announced in a Federal Register notice 
published on August 9, 2006 (71 FR 45543-45544). At its first meeting 
on September 6-7, 2006 the Panel organized itself into three subgroups 
corresponding to the three general areas described above. General 
information about the SAB Hypoxia Advisory Panel, as well as any 
updates concerning the teleconferences announced in this notice, may be 
found on the SAB Web site at: http://www.epa.gov/sab.
    Availability of Meeting Materials: Pursuant to the Federal Advisory 
Committee Act, Public Law 92-463, notice is hereby given that the SAB 
Hypoxia Advisory Panel Subgroups will hold the seven public 
teleconferences on the dates and times provided above. Rosters of the 
SAB Hypoxia Advisory Panel, their biosketches, and the teleconference 
agendas will be posted on the SAB Web site http://www.epa.gov/sab prior 
to the teleconference.
    Procedures for Providing Public Input: The SAB Staff Office accepts 
written public statements of any length, and accommodates oral public 
statements whenever possible. The SAB Staff Office expects that public 
statements presented at SAB meetings will not repeat previously 
submitted oral or written statements. Oral Statements: In general, 
individuals or groups requesting an oral presentation at a 
teleconference meeting will usually be limited to three minutes per 
speaker with no more than a total of fifteen minutes for all speakers. 
Interested parties should contact the appropriate DFO at the contact 
information provided above in writing via e-mail at least 10 days prior 
to the scheduled teleconference to be placed on the public speaker list 
for the teleconference. Speakers should provide an electronic copy of 
their statements to the DFO for distribution to interested parties and 
participants in the meeting. Written Statements: Written statements 
should be received in the SAB Staff Office at least seven days before 
scheduled teleconference so that the statements may be made available 
to the Panel for their consideration. Statements should be supplied to 
the appropriate DFO at the address and contact information provided 
above in the following formats: One hard copy with original signature, 
and one electronic copy via e-mail (acceptable file format: Adobe 
Acrobat, WordPerfect, Word, or Rich Text files in IBM-PC/Windows 98/
2000/XP format).
    Meeting Accommodations: Individuals requiring special accommodation 
to access the teleconference should contact the appropriate DFO at the 
phone number or e-mail address noted above at least five business days 
prior to the meeting so that appropriate arrangements can be made.

    Dated: September 15, 2006.
Anthony F. Maciorowski,
Associate Director for Science, EPA Science Advisory Board Staff 
Office.
[FR Doc. 06-8177 Filed 9-22-06; 8:45 am]
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