[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 40 (Tuesday, March 1, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10619-10620]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-04451]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-9942-97-OA]
Notification of a Public Meeting of the Chartered Science
Advisory Board
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Science Advisory
Board (SAB) Staff Office announces a public meeting of the chartered
SAB to: (1) Conduct a quality review of a draft SAB report on an
accounting framework for biogenic carbon dioxide emissions; (2) discuss
information provided by the EPA on planned actions in the Fall 2015
semi-annual regulatory agenda and their supporting science; and (3)
receive briefings from the EPA Office of Research and Development and
the Office of the Science Advisor.
DATES: The public meeting will be held on Thursday, March 31, 2016,
from 1:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Friday April 1, 2016, from 9:00 a.m. to
1:00 p.m.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Westin Crystal City, 1800
Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, VA 22202.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Any member of the public who wants
further information concerning the meeting may contact Mr. Thomas
Carpenter, Designated Federal Officer (DFO), EPA Science Advisory Board
(1400R), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue
NW., Washington, DC 20460; via telephone/voice mail (202) 564-4885, or
email at [email protected]. General information concerning the
SAB can be found on the EPA 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 (ERDDAA),
codified at 42 U.S.C. 4365, to provide independent scientific and
technical advice to the Administrator on the scientific and 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. The SAB will comply with the provisions of
FACA and all appropriate SAB Staff Office procedural policies. Pursuant
to FACA and EPA policy, notice is hereby given that the SAB will hold a
public meeting to discuss and deliberate on the topics below.
(1) Quality Review of a Draft SAB Review Report on the Framework for
Assessing Biogenic CO2 Emissions From Stationary Sources
In 2012, the SAB completed a review of the first draft accounting
framework addressing scientific and technical issues associated with
biogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, Accounting
Framework for Biogenic CO2 Emissions from Stationary Sources (September
2011). The EPA subsequently revised the 2011 framework and requested
the SAB to conduct a review of the Framework for Assessing Biogenic CO2
Emissions from Stationary Sources (November 2014). The purpose of the
2014 framework is to develop a method for calculating the adjustment,
or Biogenic Assessment Factor (BAF), for carbon emissions associated
with the combustion of biogenic feedstocks taking into account the
biological carbon cycle effects associated with their growth, harvest
and processing. The SAB convened the Biogenic Carbon Emissions Panel to
review the framework.
The chartered SAB will conduct a quality review of the panel's
draft report before it is transmitted to the EPA Administrator. The SAB
quality review process ensures that all draft reports developed by SAB
panels, committees or workgroups are reviewed and approved by the
Chartered SAB before being finalized and transmitted to the EPA
Administrator. These reviews are conducted in a public meeting as
required by FACA. Background on the current advisory activity, Biogenic
Carbon Dioxide Emissions from Stationary Sources--Assessment Framework
can be found on the SAB Web site at http://yosemite.epa.gov/sab/sabproduct.nsf/fedrgstr_activites/Biogenic%20CO2%20Framework?OpenDocument.
(2) Discussion of Information in the Agency's Semiannual Regulatory
Agenda
As part of the EPA's effort to routinely inform the SAB about
proposed and planned agency actions that have a scientific or technical
basis, the agency provided notice to the SAB that the Office of
Management and Budget published the ``Unified (Regulatory) Agenda'' on
the Web on November 20, 2015 available at http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eAgendaMain.
The SAB convened a Work Group to review information provided in the
agency's Fall 2015 regulatory agenda regarding EPA planned actions and
their supporting science. The SAB will discuss recommendations and
information developed by the Work Group regarding the adequacy of the
science supporting the planned actions. Information about this advisory
activity can be found on the Web at http://yosemite.epa.gov/sab/sabproduct.nsf/fedrgstr_activites/SAB%20Fall%202015%20Reg%20Agenda?OpenDocument.
Availability of Meeting Materials: A meeting agenda and other
materials for the meeting will be placed on the SAB Web site at http://epa.gov/sab.
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 the EPA. Members of
the public can submit relevant comments pertaining to the EPA's charge,
meeting materials, or the group providing advice. Input from the public
to the SAB will have the most impact if it provides specific scientific
or technical information or analysis for the SAB 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 DFO
directly.
Oral Statements: In general, individuals or groups requesting an
oral presentation at a public meeting will be limited to five minutes.
Persons interested in providing oral statements at the March 31-April
1, 2016, meeting should contact Mr. Thomas Carpenter, DFO, in writing
(preferably via email) at the contact information noted above by March
23, 2016 to be placed on the list of registered speakers. Written
Statements: Written statements for the March 31-April 1, 2016, meeting
should be received in the SAB Staff Office by March 23, 2016, so that
the information can be made available to the SAB for its consideration
prior to the meeting. Written statements should be supplied
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to the DFO at the contact information above via email (preferred) or in
hard copy with original signature. Submitters are requested to provide
a signed and 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 the EPA as much time as possible to
process your request.
Dated: February 22, 2016.
Christopher Zarba,
Director, EPA Science Advisory Board Staff Office.
[FR Doc. 2016-04451 Filed 2-29-16; 8:45 am]
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