[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 116 (Thursday, June 16, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35216-35217]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-15002]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-9320-1]


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 July 5, 2011 to conduct a 
quality review of a draft SAB report, Review of EPA's Draft Hydraulic 
Fracturing Study Plan (Quality Review Draft).

DATES: The public teleconference will be held on July 5, 2011 from 11 
a.m. to 3 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 the public teleconference may 
contact Dr. Angela Nugent, Designated Federal Officer (DFO). Dr. Nugent 
may be contacted at the EPA Science Advisory Board (1400R), U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., 
Washington, DC 20460; or by telephone/voice mail at (202) 564-2188; fax 
at (202) 565-2098; or e-mail at [email protected]. General 
information concerning the EPA Science Advisory Board can be found on 
the EPA Web site at http://www.epa.gov/sab.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 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 EPA 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 the SAB will hold a public 
teleconference to conduct a quality review of a draft report entitled 
Review of EPA's Draft Hydraulic Fracturing Study Plan. The SAB will 
comply with the provisions of FACA and all appropriate SAB Staff Office 
procedural policies.
    Background: EPA's Office of Research and Development (ORD) is 
initiating a study of the potential environmental and human health 
implications of hydraulic fracturing with special emphasis on the 
relationship between hydraulic fracturing and drinking water resources. 
ORD has requested that the SAB review its draft Study Plan. The SAB 
Hydraulic Fracturing Study Plan Review Panel has developed the draft 
report that will undergo quality review by the chartered SAB.
    Background information about the SAB advisory activity, including 
its meetings and teleconferences, can be found on the SAB Web site at 
http://yosemite.epa.gov/sab/sabproduct.nsf/fedrgstr_activites/HFSP?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.

[[Page 35217]]

    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 provides 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. Members of the 
public wishing to provide comment should contact the Designated Federal 
Officer directly.
    Oral Statements: In general, individuals or groups requesting an 
oral presentation at a teleconference will be limited to three minutes. 
Those interested in being placed on the public speakers list for the 
July 5, 2011 teleconference should contact Dr. Nugent at the contact 
information provided above no later than June 30, 2011.
    Written Statements: Written statements should be supplied to the 
DFO via email at the contact information noted above by June 30, 2011 
for the teleconference so that the information may be made available to 
the Panel members for their consideration. Written statements should be 
supplied in one of the following electronic formats: Adobe Acrobat PDF, 
MS Word, MS PowerPoint, or Rich Text files in IBM-PC/Windows 98/2000/XP 
format. It is the SAB Staff Office general policy to post written 
comments on the Web page for the advisory meeting or teleconference. 
Submitters are requested to provide an unsigned version of each 
document because the SAB Staff Office does not publish documents with 
signatures on its Web sites. Members of the public should be aware that 
their personal contact information, if included in any written 
comments, may be posted to the SAB Web site. Copyrighted material will 
not be posted without explicit permission of the copyright holder.
    Accessibility: For information on access or services for 
individuals with disabilities, please contact Dr. Nugent (202) 564-2188 
or [email protected]. To request accommodation of a disability, 
please contact Dr. Nugent preferably at least ten days prior to the 
teleconference to give EPA as much time as possible to process your 
request.

    Dated: June 9, 2011.
Vanessa T. Vu,
Director, EPA Science Advisory Staff Office.
[FR Doc. 2011-15002 Filed 6-15-11; 8:45 am]
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