[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 58 (Friday, March 25, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16769-16770]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-7094]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-9286-6]


Science Advisory Board Staff Office; Notification of a Public 
Meeting of the Science Advisory Board Panel for the Oil Spill Research 
Strategy Review Panel

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 face-to-face 
meeting of the SAB Panel to review EPA's Draft Oil Spill Research 
Strategy.

DATES: The meeting will be held on April 11, 2011 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 
and April 12, 2011 from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (Eastern Time).

ADDRESSES: The Panel meeting will be held at the Omni Shoreham, 2500 
Calvert Street, NW., Washington, DC 20008, Phone (202) 234-0700.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Any member of the public wishing 
further information regarding this meeting may contact Mr. Thomas 
Carpenter, Designated Federal Officer (DFO), SAB Staff Office, by 
telephone/voice mail at (202) 564-4885; by fax at (202) 565-2098 or via 
e-mail at General information concerning the EPA Science Advisory Board 
can be found at the EPA SAB Web site at http://www.epa.gov/sab. Any 
inquiry regarding EPA's Draft Oil Spill Research Strategy should be 
directed to Patricia Erickson, EPA Office of Research and Development 
(ORD), at [email protected] or (513) 569-7406.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Background: The SAB was established pursuant to the Environmental 
Research, Development, and Demonstration Authorization Act (ERDAA), 
codified at 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), 5 U.S.C., 
App. 2. Pursuant to FACA and EPA policy, notice is hereby given that an 
ad hoc SAB Panel will hold a public meeting to review EPA's Draft Oil 
Spill Research Strategy. The SAB will comply with the provisions of 
FACA and all appropriate SAB Staff Office procedural policies.
    The Draft Oil Spill Research Strategy discusses proposed research 
and collaborative approaches for four activities related to oil spills: 
Dispersants, alternative remediation technologies, coastal inland 
restoration, and human health effects. The Deep Water Horizon spill 
identified the need for additional research on alternative spill 
response technologies; environmental impacts of chemical dispersants 
under deep sea application conditions; the fate and toxicity of 
dispersants and dispersed oil; chronic health effects for spill 
response workers and the public; and shoreline and wetland impacts, 
restoration and recovery. Accordingly, EPA developed the research 
strategy to address these needs, as they pertain to EPA's 
responsibilities for oil spills, and has requested that the SAB review 
their draft strategy.
    EPA is seeking SAB review and comment regarding the Draft Oil Spill 
Research Strategy. Information about formation of the panel and the 
draft strategy can be found at http://yosemite.epa.gov/sab/sabproduct.nsf/fedrgstr_activites/Oil%20Spill%20Research%20Strategy?OpenDocument. The purpose of the 
April 11-12, 2011, meeting is for the Panel to discuss their review 
comments on EPA's draft Oil Spill Research Strategy.
    Availability of Meeting Materials: The agenda and the draft EPA Oil 
Spill Research Strategy will be available 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. Input from the 
public to the SAB will have the most impact if it consists of comments 
that provide specific scientific or technical information or analysis 
for SAB panels to consider or if it relates to the clarity or accuracy 
of the technical information included. Members of the public wishing to 
provide comment should contact the Designated Federal Officer for the 
relevant advisory committee directly.
    Oral Statements: In general, individuals or groups requesting an 
oral presentation at this public meeting will be limited to five 
minutes per speaker. Interested parties should contact Mr. Thomas 
Carpenter, DFO, in writing (preferably via e-mail), at the contact 
information noted above, by March 25, 2011 to be placed on the list of 
public speakers for the meeting. Written Statements: Written statements 
should be received in the SAB Staff Office by March 25, 2011 so that 
the information may be made available to the SAB Oil Spill Research 
Review Panel 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: One each 
with and without signatures, because the SAB Staff Office does not 
publish documents with signatures on its Web sites. It is the SAB Staff 
Office general policy to post written comments on the Web page for the 
advisory meeting or teleconference.

[[Page 16770]]

Members of the public should be aware that their contact information, 
if included in any written comments, will appear on the Web. 
Furthermore, special care should be taken not to include copy-righted 
material.
    Accessibility: For information on access or services for 
individuals with disabilities, please contact Mr. Thomas Carpenter 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: March 22, 2011.
Anthony F. Maciorowski,
Deputy Director, EPA Science Advisory Staff Office.
[FR Doc. 2011-7094 Filed 3-24-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P