[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 134 (Wednesday, July 15, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34348-34349]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-16842]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-8931-4]
EPA Science Advisory Board Staff Office; Notification of Two
Public Teleconferences 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
two public teleconferences of the chartered SAB to conduct quality
reviews of two draft SAB reports.
DATES: The teleconference dates will be Thursday, August 6, 2009 from 2
to 3:30 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time), and Friday, August 28, 2009, from
2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time).
ADDRESSES: The meetings will be conducted by telephone only.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Any member of the public wishing to
obtain general information concerning these public teleconferences
should contact Mr. Thomas Miller, Designated Federal Officer (DFO), EPA
Science Advisory Board (1400F), 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW.,
Washington, DC 20460; via telephone/voice mail (202) 343-9982; fax
(202) 233-0643; or e-mail at miller.tom@epa.gov. General information
concerning the EPA Science Advisory Board can be found on the SAB Web
site at http://www.epa.gov/sab.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee
Act, 5 U.S.C., App. 2 (FACA), notice is hereby given that the EPA
Science Advisory Board (SAB) will hold public teleconferences to
conduct two quality reviews of draft SAB committee reports. The SAB was
established pursuant to 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 under FACA. The SAB will comply with the provisions
of FACA and all appropriate SAB Staff Office procedural policies.
Background
(a) SAB Quality Review of the Draft SAB Report on EPA's Economic
Analysis Guidelines Update. The Chartered SAB will conduct a quality
review of the SAB Environmental Economics Advisory Committee (EEAC)
draft report on EPA's Economic Analysis Guidelines Update from 2 p.m to
3:30 p.m. on Thursday, August 6, 2009. EPA's National Center for
Environmental Economics (NCEE) has requested SAB review of EPA's
revised Guidelines for Preparing Economic Analyses. EPA last issued
Guidelines for Preparing Economic Analyses in September 2000 to
represent Agency policy on the preparation of economic analysis
required by legislation and administrative orders. EPA received advice
from the SAB in developing those Guidelines. Since 2000, there has been
considerable new economic research and EPA has received new guidance
from the Office of Management and Budget pertaining to the Agency's
conduct of regulatory analysis. In response, NCEE has revised and
updated the Guidelines and has requested SAB review. More information
on this topic can be found on the SAB Web site at http://yosemite.epa.gov/sab/sabproduct.nsf/fedrgstr_activites/Guidelines%20Review?OpenDocument.
(b) SAB Quality Review of the Draft SAB Panel Report on the EPA
Expert Elicitation White Paper. The Chartered SAB will conduct a
quality review of the draft report from its Expert Elicitation Advisory
Panel from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Friday, August 28, 2009. EPA's Office
of the Science Advisor (OSA) has requested SAB review of an ``Expert
Elicitation (EE) Task Force White Paper.'' The White Paper discusses
the potential utility of using expert elicitation to support EPA
regulatory and non-regulatory analyses and decision-making, provides
recommendations for expert elicitation ``good practices,'' and
describes steps for a broader application across EPA. OSA has asked the
SAB to provide advice regarding the potential usefulness of expert
elicitation, how to strengthen the scientific basis for its use, and
the implications for possible implementation at EPA. More information
on this topic can be found on the SAB Web site at http://yosemite.epa.gov/sab/sabproduct.nsf/fedrgstr_activites/Expert%20Elicitation%20White%20Paper?OpenDocument.
Availability of Meeting Materials: The agenda and other materials
in support of these teleconferences will be placed on the SAB Web site
at http://www.epa.gov/sab in advance of each meeting.
Procedures for Providing Public Input: Interested members of the
public may submit relevant written or oral information for the SAB to
consider during these teleconferences. Oral Statements: In general,
individuals or groups requesting time to make an oral presentation at a
public SAB teleconference will be limited to three minutes, with no
more than one-half hour for all speakers. To be placed on the public
speakers list for the August 6, 2009 teleconference interested
individuals should contact Mr. Thomas Miller, DFO, in writing
(preferably by e-mail), by July 31 at the contact information provided
above. Those interested in being placed on the public speakers list for
the August 28, 2009 teleconference should contact Mr. Miller in the
manner noted above by August 22, 2009. Written Statements: Written
statements relevant to the August 6, 2009 teleconference should be
received in the SAB Staff Office by July 31, 2009 so that the
information may be made available to the SAB for their consideration
prior to the teleconferences. Written statements
[[Page 34349]]
relevant to the August 28, 2009 teleconference should be received in
the SAB Staff Office by August 20, 2009. Written statements should be
supplied to the DFO via e-mail to miller.tom@epa.gov (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 asked
to provide versions of each document submitted with and without
signatures, because the SAB Staff Office does not publish documents
with signatures on its Web sites.
Accessibility: For information on access or services for
individuals with disabilities, please contact Mr. Thomas Miller at
(202) 343-9982, or miller.tom@epa.gov. To request accommodation of a
disability, please contact Mr. Miller, preferably at least 10 days
prior to the meeting, to give EPA as much time as possible to process
your request.
Dated: July 9, 2009.
Vanessa T. Vu,
Director, EPA Science Advisory Board Staff Office.
[FR Doc. E9-16842 Filed 7-14-09; 8:45 am]
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