[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 94 (Monday, May 18, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23187-23188]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-11521]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-8906-3]


Science Advisory Board Staff Office; Notification of an Upcoming 
Meeting of the Science Advisory Board Committee on Science Integration 
for Decision Making

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or Agency) Science 
Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office announces a public meeting of the SAB 
Committee to develop a work plan for its study.

DATES: The meeting dates are Tuesday, June 9, 2009 from 9 a.m. to 5 
p.m. through Wednesday, June 10, 2009 from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. 
(Eastern Time).

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, 1150 
22nd Street, NW., Washington, DC 20037.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Members of the public who wish to 
obtain further information about this meeting must contact Mr. Thomas 
Miller, Designated Federal Officer (DFO). Mr. Miller may be contacted 
at the EPA Science Advisory Board (1400F), U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460; 
or via telephone/voice mail; (202) 343-9982; fax (202) 233-0643; or e-
mail at [email protected]. General information about the EPA SAB, as 
well as any updates concerning the meeting 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, 5 U.S.C., App. 2 (FACA), notice is hereby given that the SAB 
Committee on Science Integration for Decision Making will hold a public 
meeting to develop a work plan for its evaluative study on EPA 
scientific assessment practices for decision making. The SAB was 
established pursuant to 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 FACA. The SAB will comply with the 
provisions of FACA and all appropriate SAB Staff Office procedural 
policies.
    Background: EPA uses many kinds of scientific assessments for 
policy analysis and decision making. Previous studies by the SAB and 
National Research Council (NRC) have recommended improvements to 
strengthen EPA scientific assessment practices for decision making. In 
its 2000 report, Toward Integrated Environmental Decision-Making 
(available on the SAB Web site at http://www.epa.gov/sab), the SAB 
found that an integrated approach to scientific assessment and decision 
making was needed to effectively address new and complex environmental 
problems. In its 2008 report, Science and Decisions: Advancing Risk 
Assessment (National Academies Press, Washington, DC), the NRC 
recommended improvements in EPA's risk assessment processes to address 
the complexities of current problems and potential decisions, and 
ensure that the best available options for managing risks are 
considered. The SAB is undertaking a new study at the request of the 
EPA Administrator to evaluate the extent to which scientific assessment 
practices are integrated into EPA's environmental decision-making 
processes. The study will build upon the findings of the previous SAB 
and NRC studies, and recommend actions that EPA could take to improve 
the integration of scientific assessments for decision making.
    To conduct this new study, the SAB Staff Office formed the ad hoc 
SAB Committee on Science Integration for Decision Making. The Committee 
is comprised of members of the chartered SAB and its standing 
committees. The roster and biosketches of members of the Committee are 
posted on the SAB Web site at http://www.epa.gov/sab. The purpose of 
this meeting is to develop a plan for the new study.
    Availability of Meeting Materials: The meeting agenda and other 
material in support of this meeting are posted on the SAB Web site at 
http://www.epa.gov/sab.
    Procedures for Providing Public Input: Interested members of the 
public may submit relevant written or oral information on the topic of 
this advisory activity, and/or the group conducting the activity, for 
the SAB to consider during the advisory process.
    Oral Statements: In general, individuals or groups requesting an 
oral presentation at a public meeting will be limited to five minutes 
per speaker, with no more than a total of one hour for all speakers. 
Interested parties should contact Mr. Miller, DFO, in

[[Page 23188]]

writing (preferably via e-mail) at the contact information noted above, 
by June 2, 2009 to be placed on a list of public speakers for the 
meeting.
    Written Statements: Written statements should be received in the 
SAB Staff Office by June 2, 2009 so that the information may be made 
available to the SAB Panel members for their consideration. Written 
statements should be supplied to the DFO in the following formats: one 
hard copy with original signature, and one electronic copy via e-mail 
(acceptable file format: Adobe Acrobat PDF, WordPerfect, MS Word, MS 
PowerPoint, or Rich Text files in IBM-PC/Windows 98/2000/XP format). 
Submitters are requested to provide two versions of each document 
submitted with and without signatures, because the SAB Staff Office 
does not publish documents with signatures on its Web sites.
    Accessibility: For information on access or services for 
individuals with disabilities, please contact Mr. Miller at the phone 
number or e-mail address noted above, preferably at least ten days 
prior to the meeting to give EPA as much time as possible to process 
your request.

    Dated: May 12, 2009.
Anthony F. Maciorowski,
Deputy Director, EPA Science Advisory Board Staff Office.
[FR Doc. E9-11521 Filed 5-15-09; 8:45 am]
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