[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 244 (Tuesday, December 21, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Page 80048]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-32032]



[[Page 80048]]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-9241-6]


Science Advisory Board Staff Office; Notification of an Upcoming 
Meeting of the Science Advisory Board; Ecological Processes and Effects 
Committee Augmented for Ballast Water

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 
Ecological Processes and Effects Committee (EPEC). The SAB EPEC, 
augmented with other experts, will discuss their draft report about the 
effectiveness of shipboard ballast water treatment processes and ways 
to improve future assessments of ballast water treatment systems to 
minimize the impacts of invasive species in vessel ballast water 
discharge.

DATES: The meeting dates are Tuesday, January 25, 2011 from 8:30 a.m. 
to 5:30 p.m. (Eastern Time) and Wednesday, January 26, 2011 from 8:30 
a.m. to 3 p.m. (Eastern Time).

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at The Madison Hotel, 1177 15th 
Street, NW., Washington, DC 20005.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Members of the public who wish to 
obtain further information about this meeting may contact Ms. Iris 
Goodman, Designated Federal Officer (DFO). Ms. Goodman 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) 564-2164 fax (202) 265-2098; or e-
mail at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee 
Act, Public Law 92-463, notice is hereby given that the SAB EPEC 
augmented with other experts will hold a public meeting to discuss 
their draft report that responds to charge questions about the 
effectiveness and reliability of treatment technologies and systems to 
meet discharge standard that adequately protect waters from the risk of 
invasion and are protective of Clean Water Act standards. 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. 2. The SAB will comply with the provisions of FACA and 
all appropriate SAB Staff Office procedural policies.
    Background: Vessel ballast water discharges are a major source of 
nonidigenous species introductions to marine, estuarine, and freshwater 
ecosystems of the United States. Ballast water discharges are regulated 
by EPA under authority of the Clean Water Act (CWA) and the U.S. Coast 
Guard under authority of the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention 
and Control Act, as amended (NANPCA).
    EPA's Office of Water (OW) has requested SAB review of technical 
documents and available data on the effectiveness of ballast water 
treatment systems and advice on improving the performance of such 
systems. The SAB panel previously met on July 29-30, 2010 and held 
public teleconferences on October 26, 2010 and November 4, 2010. 
Additional information about this advisory activity may be found on the 
SAB Web site at http://yosemite.epa.gov/sab/sabproduct.nsf/fedrgstr_activites/BW%20discharge?OpenDocument. The purpose of the meeting on 
January 25-26, 2011 is for the Committee to discuss their draft report.
    Availability of Meeting Materials: The meeting agenda and other 
materials in support of the meeting will be posted on the SAB Web site 
at http://www.epa.gov/sab in advance of the meeting.
    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 an 
oral presentation at a public meeting will be limited to five minutes 
per speaker. Interested parties should contact Ms. Goodman, DFO, in 
writing (preferably via e-mail) at the contact information noted above 
by January 18, 2011 to be placed on a list of public speakers for the 
meeting.
    Written Statements: Written statements should be received in the 
SAB Staff Office no later than January 18, 2011 so that the information 
may be made available to the SAB Committee 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 Ms. Goodman 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: December 14, 2010.
Anthony F. Maciorowski,
Deputy Director, EPA Science Advisory Board Staff Office.
[FR Doc. 2010-32032 Filed 12-20-10; 8:45 am]
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