[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 94 (Monday, May 17, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27553-27554]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-11691]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-9152-3]


Science Advisory Board Staff Office; Notification of a Public 
Teleconference of the Chartered Science Advisory Board

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The EPA Science Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office announces a 
public teleconference of the chartered SAB on June 16, 2010 to conduct 
quality reviews of two draft SAB reports. In addition, the SAB will 
discuss its draft report on EPA's strategic research directions.

DATES: The public teleconference will be held on June 16, 2010 from 11 
a.m. to 2 p.m. (Eastern Daylight Time).

ADDRESSES: The public teleconference will be conducted by telephone 
only.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Any member of the public wishing to 
obtain general information concerning this public teleconference should 
contact Dr. Angela Nugent, Designated Federal Officer (DFO), EPA 
Science Advisory Board (1400F), 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., 
Washington, DC 20460; via telephone/voice mail (202) 343-9981; fax 
(202) 233-0643; or e-mail at epa.gov">nugent.angela@epa.gov. General 
information concerning the EPA Science Advisory Board can be found on 
the SAB Web site at http://www.epa.gov/sab.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee 
Act (FACA), 5 U.S.C., App. 2, notice is hereby given that the EPA 
Science Advisory Board will hold a public teleconference to review 
three draft SAB reports: (1) The SAB Environmental Engineering 
Committee Hydraulic Fracturing Research Plan Review; (2) the report 
from the SAB Work Group to Lead the Review of the Arsenic Cancer 
Assessment; and (3) the chartered SAB's draft report on Strategic 
Research Directions and Integrated Transdisciplinary Research. 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 under FACA. The SAB will comply with the provisions 
of FACA and all appropriate SAB Staff Office procedural policies.
    Background: (1) Advisory on EPA's Proposed Hydraulic Fracturing 
Research Plan Review. In its Fiscal Year 2010 Appropriation Conference 
Committee Directive to EPA, the U.S. House of Representatives approved 
a provision that urges EPA to assess the potential risks to drinking 
water posed by hydraulic fracturing of formations including coalbeds 
and shale for extraction of natural gas. Hydraulic fracturing generates 
vertical and horizontal fractures in underground geologic formations to 
facilitate extraction of gas (or oil) from the subsurface.

[[Page 27554]]

    To meet the Congressional request, EPA's Office of Research and 
Development (ORD) developed a draft research plan. This plan described 
an approach to gather existing data and information including a 
stakeholder input process; to catalog potential risks to drinking water 
supplies from hydraulic fracturing; to identify data gaps; and to 
develop research questions, research needs, and research products. ORD 
requested SAB advice regarding the planned research. The SAB 
Environmental Engineering Committee discussed its advice on April 7-8, 
2010 (75 FR 9205-9206). Background information about this advisory 
activity can be found on the SAB Web site at http://yosemite.epa.gov/sab/sabproduct.nsf/fedrgstr_activites/Hydraulic%20Fracturing?OpenDocument.
    (2) Review of the Arsenic Cancer Assessment: EPA is currently in 
the process of updating the 1988 IRIS cancer assessment for inorganic 
arsenic. The EPA evaluated and implemented the National Research 
Council recommendations in their report titled Arsenic in Drinking 
Water: 2001 Update and in 2005 requested the SAB review the Agency's 
draft cancer assessment for inorganic arsenic. The SAB review report 
(Advisory on EPA's Assessments of Carcinogenic Effects of Organic and 
Inorganic Arsenic: A Report of the US EPA Science Advisory Board, EPA-
SAB-07-008) was finalized in 2007.
    EPA's Office of Research Development has recently completed a 2010 
draft titled: ``Toxicological Review of Inorganic Arsenic: In Support 
of the Summary Information on the Integrated Risk Information System 
(IRIS)''. ORD requested that the SAB evaluate and comment on EPA's 
interpretation and implementation of the key SAB (2007) 
recommendations. ORD requested a review focusing in three areas of the 
draft cancer assessment of inorganic arsenic: Evaluation of 
epidemiological literature; dose-response modeling approaches; and the 
sensitivity analysis of the exposure assumptions used in the risk 
assessment.
    A work group of the chartered SAB discussed its review on April 6-
7, 2010 (75 FR 9205-9206). Background information about this advisory 
activity can be found on the SAB Web site at http://yosemite.epa.gov/
sab/sabproduct.nsf/fedrgstr--activites/
Rev%20Tox%20Review%20Inorg%20Arsenic?OpenDocument.
    (3) Chartered SAB's draft report on strategic research directions 
and integrated transdisciplinary research: Since 2007 EPA's ORD has 
requested SAB advice on strategic research directions. ORD requested 
advice on the overall strategic direction of the program in relation to 
EPA's overall mission and components of EPA's research program. The 
draft report was developed after SAB discussions with ORD about 
strategic research directions on November 9-10, 2009 (74 FR 52805-
52806) and April 5-6, 2010 (75 FR 11883-11884).
    Background information about this advisory activity can be found on 
the SAB Web site at http://yosemite.epa.gov/sab/sabproduct.nsf/fedrgstr_activites/Research%20Directions?OpenDocument.
    Availability of Meeting Materials: The agenda and other materials 
in support of the teleconference will be placed on the SAB Web site at 
http://www.epa.gov/sab in advance of the teleconference.
    Procedures for Providing Public Input: Public comment for 
consideration by EPA's Federal advisory committees and panels has a 
different purpose from public comment provided to EPA program offices. 
Therefore, the process for submitting comments to a Federal advisory 
committee is different from the process used to submit comments to an 
EPA program office.
    Federal advisory committees and panels, including scientific 
advisory committees, provide independent advice to EPA. Members of the 
public can submit comments for a Federal advisory committee to consider 
as it develops advice for EPA. They should send their comments directly 
to the Designated Federal Officer for the relevant advisory committee. 
Oral Statements: In general, individuals or groups requesting time to 
make an oral presentation at a public SAB teleconference will be 
limited to three minutes, with no more than one-half hour for all 
speakers. Those interested in being placed on the public speakers list 
should contact Dr. Nugent at the contact information provided above by 
June 9, 2010. Written Statements: Written statements should be received 
in the SAB Staff Office by June 9, 2010. Written statements should be 
supplied to the DFO via e-mail to epa.gov">nugent.angela@epa.gov (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 
asked to provide 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 Dr. Angela Nugent at 
(202) 343-9981 or epa.gov">nugent.angela@epa.gov. To request accommodation of a 
disability, please contact her preferably at least 10 days prior to the 
teleconference, to give EPA as much time as possible to process your 
request.

    Dated: May 10, 2010.
Anthony Maciorowski,
Deputy Director, EPA Science Advisory Board Staff Office.
[FR Doc. 2010-11691 Filed 5-14-10; 8:45 am]
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