[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 249 (Tuesday, December 30, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 78430-78431]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-30403]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-9920-84-OA]


Notification of a Joint Public Teleconference of the Chartered 
Science Advisory Board and the Board of Scientific Counselors and a 
Public Teleconference of the Chartered Science Advisory Board

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Science Advisory 
Board (SAB) Staff Office announces two public teleconferences: (1) A 
joint teleconference of the Chartered SAB and Board of Scientific 
Counselors (BOSC) to discuss a draft report providing advice on 
implementation of Office of Research and Development's (ORD's) 
strategic directions for research; and (2) a teleconference of the 
Chartered SAB to discuss information provided in the agency's Fall 2013 
and Spring 2014 regulatory agenda and to review draft SAB reports on 
the EPA's draft web-based Report on the Environment and the EPA's draft 
Environmental Justice Technical Guidance.

DATES: The public teleconference for the Chartered SAB and the BOSC 
will be held on Tuesday, January 13, 2015, from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. 
(Eastern Time) and the public teleconference for the Chartered SAB will 
be held on Friday, January 23, 2015, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. 
(Eastern Time).

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

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Any member of the public wishing to 
obtain information concerning the public teleconferences may contact 
Dr. Angela Nugent, Designated Federal Officer (DFO), EPA Science 
Advisory Board Staff Office (1400R), U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20460; by 
telephone/voice mail at (202) 564-2218 or at [email protected]. 
General information about the SAB as well as any updates concerning the 
teleconferences announced in this notice may 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 (ERDDAA), 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 BOSC was established by 
the EPA to provide advice, information, and recommendations regarding 
the ORD research program. The SAB and BOSC are federal advisory 
committees 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: (1) The Chartered SAB and Chartered BOSC will hold a joint 
teleconference to discuss a draft report on future directions for ORD's 
research programs and (2) the Chartered SAB will hold a public 
teleconference for two purposes. The first purpose is to discuss 
information provided in the agency's Fall 2013 and Spring 2014 
regulatory agenda, specifically planned actions and their supporting 
science. The second purpose is to review two draft SAB reports (on the 
EPA's draft web-based Report on the Environment and the EPA's draft 
Environmental Justice Technical Guidance). The SAB and BOSC will comply 
with the provisions of FACA and all appropriate SAB Staff Office 
procedural policies.
    Joint SAB-BOSC teleconference on future directions for ORD's 
research programs. On January 13, 2015, the Chartered SAB and Chartered 
BOSC will discuss a draft report entitled Strategic Research Planning 
for 2016-2019: A Joint Report (11/20/14 Draft) of the SAB and ORD BOSC. 
The draft report was developed as a result of deliberations at a joint 
SAB-BOSC meeting on July 24-25, 2014. Information about this advisory 
activity can be found on the Web at http://yosemite.epa.gov/sab/sabproduct.nsf/fedrgstr_activites/ORD%20Strat%20Dir%202016-2019?OpenDocument.
    Chartered SAB teleconference to discuss EPA planned actions and 
review two draft SAB reports. On January 23, 2015, the chartered SAB 
will hold a teleconference for two purposes. The first purpose is to 
discuss information provided in the agency's Fall 2013 and Spring 2014 
regulatory agenda, specifically planned actions and their supporting 
science. The Chartered SAB will conclude discussions begun at an SAB 
public teleconference on June 11, 2014 (79 FR 27604-27605) regarding 
the Fall 2013 Unified (Regulatory) Agenda and Regulatory Plan. 
Information about this advisory activity can be found on the Web at 
http://yosemite.epa.gov/sab/sabproduct.nsf/fedrgstr_activites/SAB%20Fall%202013%20Agenda%20Disc?OpenDocument. The Chartered SAB will 
also discuss recommendations regarding the Spring 2014 Unified 
(Regulatory) Agenda and Regulatory Plan. Information about this 
advisory activity can be found on the Web at http://yosemite.epa.gov/sab/sabproduct.nsf/fedrgstr_activites/SAB%20Spring%202014%20Agenda%20Disc?OpenDocument.
    The second purpose of the call on January 23, 2015, is for the SAB 
to review two draft SAB reports. Quality review is a key function of 
the chartered SAB. Draft reports prepared by SAB committees, panels, or 
work groups must be reviewed and approved by the chartered SAB before 
transmittal to the EPA Administrator. Consistent with FACA, the 
chartered SAB makes a determination in a public meeting about each 
draft report and determines whether the report is ready to be 
transmitted to the EPA Administrator.
    The first Chartered SAB review will focus on a draft report on the 
scientific and technical merit of the EPA's draft Web-based Report on 
the Environment with particular attention to its adoption

[[Page 78431]]

of a sustainability framework and new sustainability indicators, as 
well as the online format as a tool to communicate to scientists, 
policy makers and public audiences. The SAB undertook this review at 
the request of the EPA's Office of Research and Development. 
Information about this advisory activity can be found on the Web at 
http://yosemite.epa.gov/sab/sabproduct.nsf/fedrgstr_activites/ROE%202014?OpenDocument.
    The second Chartered SAB review will focus on an SAB draft report 
reviewing the EPA's draft Environmental Justice Technical Guidance. The 
EPA developed the guidance to assist agency staff on how to assess 
disproportionate environmental and public health impacts of proposed 
rules and actions on minority, low income and indigenous populations in 
a variety of regulatory contexts. The EPA's Office of Policy requested 
the SAB's assessment of the appropriateness and scientific soundness of 
the technical guidance. Information about this advisory activity can be 
found on the Web at http://yosemite.epa.gov/sab/sabproduct.nsf/fedrgstr_activites/EJ%20Technical%20Guidance?OpenDocument.
    Availability of Meeting Materials: The agendas and materials in 
support of these teleconferences will be available on the EPA Web site 
at http://www.epa.gov/sab in advance of the teleconferences.
    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 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 as noted above.
    Oral Statements: In general, individuals or groups requesting an 
oral presentation at a teleconference will be limited to three minutes. 
Each person making an oral statement should consider providing written 
comments as well as their oral statement so that the points presented 
orally can be expanded upon in writing. Interested parties should 
contact Dr. Angela Nugent, DFO, in writing (preferably via email) at 
the contact information noted above one week before each of the 
teleconferences to be placed on the list of public speakers.
    Written Statements: Written statements should be supplied to the 
DFO, preferably via email, at the contact information noted above one 
week before each of the teleconferences so that the information may be 
made available to the Board members for their consideration. 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. Angela Nugent at 
(202) 564-2218 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: December 15, 2014.
Thomas H. Brennan,
Deputy Director, EPA Science Advisory Staff Office.
[FR Doc. 2014-30403 Filed 12-29-14; 8:45 am]
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