[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 59 (Thursday, March 27, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17145-17146]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-06824]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-2014-0231; FR:-9908-78-ORD]


Draft Revised EPA's Report on the Environment 2014

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of public comment period.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing a 30-
day public comment period for the draft revised web-based, ``EPA's 
Report on the Environment 2014'' (ROE 2014). The ROE is a comprehensive 
source of scientific indicators that describe the trends in the 
nation's environmental and human health condition. ROE 2014 was 
prepared by the National Center for Environmental Assessment within 
EPA's Office of Research and Development, working in collaboration with 
EPA Program and Regional offices.
    The public comment period provides opportunities for all interested 
parties to comment on the draft ROE 2014. The draft ROE will also be 
reviewed by the agency's independent Science Advisory Board (SAB) at a 
later date which will be announced in the Federal Register. When 
finalizing the draft ROE 2014, EPA intends to consider any public 
comments that EPA receives in accordance with this notice and intends 
to forward these comments to the SAB panel prior to their review.
    EPA is releasing the draft ROE 2014 for the purposes of public 
comment and peer review. This draft is not final as described in EPA's 
information quality guidelines, and it does not represent and should 
not be construed to represent Agency policy or views.
    The draft ROE 2014 Web site can be accessed at the following url: 
www.epa.gov/draftroe.

DATES: The 30 day public comment period begins March 27, 2014, and ends 
April 28, 2014. Technical comments should be in writing and must be 
received by EPA by April 28, 2014.

ADDRESSES: The draft ``EPA's Report on the Environment 2014'' is web-
based and is available solely via the Internet using this URL: 
www.epa.gov/draftroe.
    Comments may be submitted electronically via www.regulations.gov, 
by mail, by facsimile, or by hand delivery/courier. Please follow the 
detailed instructions provided in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section 
of this notice.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on the public comment 
period, contact the Office of Environmental Information Docket; 
telephone: 202-566-1752; facsimile: 202-566-9744; or email: [email protected].
    For technical information, contact Dr. Patricia Murphy, NCEA; 
telephone: 732-906-6830, facsimile: 732-906-6896 or email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Information About the Project/Document

    EPA's draft ROE 2014 is a comprehensive source of scientific 
indicators that describe the trends in the nation's environmental and 
human health condition. The indicators help to answer important 
questions for EPA about the current status and historical trends in 
U.S. air, water, land, human health, ecological systems, and aspects of 
sustainability at the national and regional levels. These indicators 
are based on data collected by the EPA, other federal and state 
agencies, and non-governmental organizations and meet high standards 
for data quality, objectivity, and utility. The ROE reports status and 
trends; it does not analyze or diagnose the reasons for, and 
relationships between, trends in stressors and environmental and health 
outcomes.
    Since its earliest release in 2003, the ROE has undergone periodic 
updates and restructurings. The latest version features several 
significant changes, the most notable being that the draft ROE 2014 is 
fully online, allowing it to be more interactive and accessible than 
ever. Users can customize graphics and pan and zoom on maps. For 
certain

[[Page 17146]]

indicators, users can now choose to view statistical information about 
the data by simply clicking display options. Additionally, new 
indicators fill information gaps which previously lacked reliable, 
long-term data. A new conceptual framework and sustainability theme 
have also been added.

II. How To Submit Technical Comments to the Docket at 
www.regulations.gov

    Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-2014-
0231, by one of the following methods:
     www.regulations.gov: Follow the online instructions for 
submitting comments.
     Email: [email protected].
     Fax: 202-566-9744.
     Mail: Office of Environmental Information (OEI) Docket 
(Mail Code: 28221T), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 
Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460. The phone number is 202-
566-1752. If you provide comments by mail, please submit one unbound 
original with pages numbered consecutively, and three copies of the 
comments. For attachments, provide an index, number pages consecutively 
with the comments, and submit an unbound original and three copies.
     Hand Delivery: The OEI Docket is located in the EPA 
Headquarters Docket Center, Room 3334 EPA West Building, 1301 
Constitution Ave. NW., Washington, DC. The EPA Docket Center's Public 
Reading Room is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through 
Friday, excluding legal holidays. The telephone number for the Public 
Reading Room is 202-566-1744. Deliveries are only accepted during the 
docket's normal hours of operation, and special arrangements should be 
made for deliveries of boxed information. If you provide comments by 
hand delivery, please submit one unbound original with pages numbered 
consecutively, and three copies of the comments. For attachments, 
provide an index, number pages consecutively with the comments, and 
submit an unbound original and three copies.
    Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-
2014-0231. Please ensure that your comments are submitted within the 
specified comment period. Comments received after the closing date will 
be marked ``late,'' and may only be considered if time permits. It is 
EPA's policy to include all comments it receives in the public docket 
without change and to make the comments available online at 
www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided, 
unless a comment includes information claimed to be Confidential 
Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is 
restricted by statute. Do not submit information that you consider to 
be CBI or otherwise protected through www.regulations.gov or email. The 
www.regulations.gov Web site is an ``anonymous access'' system, which 
means EPA will not know your identity or contact information unless you 
provide it in the body of your comment. If you send an email comment 
directly to EPA without going through www.regulations.gov, your email 
address will be automatically captured and included as part of the 
comment that is placed in the public docket and made available on the 
Internet. If you submit an electronic comment, EPA recommends that you 
include your name and other contact information in the body of your 
comment and with any disk or CD-ROM you submit. If EPA cannot read your 
comment due to technical difficulties and cannot contact you for 
clarification, EPA may not be able to consider your comment. Electronic 
files should avoid the use of special characters, any form of 
encryption, and be free of any defects or viruses. For additional 
information about EPA's public docket visit the EPA Docket Center home 
page at www.epa.gov/epahome/dockets.htm.
    Docket: Documents in the docket are listed in the 
www.regulations.gov index. Although listed in the index, some 
information is not publicly available, e.g., CBI or other information 
whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Certain other materials, 
such as copyrighted material, are publicly available only in hard copy. 
Publicly available docket materials are available either electronically 
in www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at the OEI Docket in the EPA 
Headquarters Docket Center.

    Dated: March 19, 2014.
John Vandenberg,
Acting Director, National Center for Environmental Assessment.
[FR Doc. 2014-06824 Filed 3-26-14; 8:45 am]
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