[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 219 (Monday, November 14, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70444-70445]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-29295]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-9491-7]


Environmental Economics Advisory Committee Augmented for the 
Consideration of the Value of Water to the U.S. Economy

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or Agency) Science 
Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office announces a public teleconference of 
the augmented SAB Environmental Economics Advisory Committee to provide 
early advice on the value of water to the United States (U.S.) Economy. 
The SAB Staff Office also announces the availability of information on 
committee members and the opportunity for public comment.

DATES: The teleconference will be held on December 5, 2011 from 12:30 
p.m. to 5 p.m. (Eastern Time).

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

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Any member of the public wishing 
further information regarding this teleconference may contact Mr. 
Thomas Carpenter, Designated Federal Officer (DFO), SAB Staff Office, 
by telephone/voice mail at (202) 564-48853 or via email at 
[email protected]. General information concerning the EPA 
Science Advisory Board can be found at the EPA SAB Web site at http://www.epa.gov/sab.

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 peer review, advice, consultation, and recommendations to the 
EPA Administrator on the technical basis for EPA actions. As a Federal 
Advisory Committee, the SAB conducts business in accordance with the 
Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) (5 U.S.C. app. 2) and related 
regulations. Pursuant to FACA and EPA policy, notice is hereby given 
that the Environmental Economics Advisory Committee Augmented for the 
Consideration of the Value of Water to the U.S. Economy will hold a 
public teleconference to provide early advice to assist EPA scope, plan 
and develop a report on water's contribution to the U.S. economy. The 
SAB will comply with the provisions of FACA and all appropriate SAB 
Staff Office procedural policies.
    EPA's Office of Water requested SAB provide a consultation on the 
data, information, and analytical methodology to evaluate the value of 
water to the U.S. economy and provide a resource for future decision-
making. EPA plans to develop a report on the importance of clean water 
to the U.S. economy. The Agency is seeking advice and comment on topics 
such as how the availability of clean water may affect patterns of 
economic development, advantages clean water may provide to different 
sectors of the economy (i.e., tourism, farming and food production, 
fishing, manufacturing, infrastructure, housing and energy), and what 
data are available or needed to support strategic choices. EPA 
anticipates this effort, when combined with EPA research on the value 
of water in the United States from nonmarket values (e.g., nonuse 
values, recreation, etc.), will integrate market and nonmarket economic 
value information that is critical to support decision-making at 
multiple scales (e.g., EPA, state, regional, watershed, or local).
    Availability of the review materials: The agendas and materials in 
support of this meeting will be placed on the EPA Web site at http://www.epa.gov/sab in advance of the meeting. For technical questions and 
information concerning EPA's approach, please contact Mr. John Powers 
at (202) 564-5776 or [email protected].
    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 relevant comments pertaining to the group conducting 
this advisory activity, EPA's charge, or meeting materials. 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 the SAB to consider. 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 email), at the contact 
information noted above, by November 30, 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 November 30, 
2011 so that the information may be made available to the SAB Panel for 
their consideration. Written statements should be supplied to the DFO 
in electronic format via email (acceptable file formats: Adobe Acrobat 
PDF, WordPerfect, 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 Mr. Carpenter at the 
phone number or email address noted above, preferably at least ten days 
prior to the meeting, to give EPA as much time as possible to process 
your request.


[[Page 70445]]


    Dated: November 4, 2011.
Vanessa T. Vu,
 Director, EPA Science Advisory Board Staff Office.
[FR Doc. 2011-29295 Filed 11-10-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P