[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 117 (Monday, June 18, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36273-36274]
[FR Doc No: 2012-14821]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-9688-5]

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

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Science Advisory
Board (SAB) Staff Office announces a joint public meeting of the
Chartered SAB and the EPA's Office of Research and Development (ORD)
Chartered Board of Scientific Counselors (BOSC) to provide advice on
ORD's plans to implement its research program.

DATES: The public meeting will be held on Tuesday, July 10, 2012 from
8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Wednesday, July 11, 2012 from 8:30 a.m. to
3:00 p.m. (Eastern Daylight Time).

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the The Renaissance Raleigh
North Hills Hotel, 4100 Main at North Hills Street, Raleigh, NC 27609.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Any member of the public who wishes
further information concerning the meeting may contact Dr. Angela
Nugent, 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<PHONE_NUMBER>, fax
(202) 565-2098; or email at<EMAIL_ADDRESS>

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 (ERDAA),
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
the chartered SAB and chartered BOSC will hold a joint public meeting
to discuss advice on ORD's research programs. The SAB and BOSC will
comply with the provisions of FACA and all appropriate SAB Staff Office
procedural policies.
    ORD has restructured its research programs to better understand
environmental problems and inform sustainable solutions to meet EPA's
strategic goals. The restructured research programs comprise six
program areas: Air, Climate, and Energy; Safe and Sustainable Water
Resources; Sustainable and Healthy Communities; Chemical Safety for
Sustainability; Human Health Risk Assessment; and Homeland Security.
    ORD requested that the SAB work jointly with the BOSC in 2011 to
provide early advice on ORD strategic research directions. In response,
the SAB and BOSC held a joint public meeting on June 29-30, 2011 (76 FR
32198-32199) and a public teleconference on September 19, 2011 (76 FR
54463) to develop a report, Office of Research and Development (ORD)
New Strategic Research Directions: A Joint Report of the Science
Advisory Board (SAB) and ORD Board of Scientific Councilors (BOSC),
EPA-SAB-12-001. After receiving this advisory report, ORD requested SAB
and BOSC additional advice on ORD's research implementation plans,
efforts to strengthen program integration and efforts to strengthen and
measure innovation. The SAB and BOSC will focus on those topics at the
July 10-11, 2012 meeting.
    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 EPA.
Members of the public can submit relevant comments pertaining to the
group providing advice, EPA's charge questions and EPA review or
background documents. 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 panel 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
for the relevant advisory committee directly. Oral Statements: In
general, individuals or groups requesting an oral presentation at a
public meeting will be limited to five minutes. To be placed on the
public speaker list for the July 10-11, 2012 meeting, interested
parties should notify Dr. Angela Nugent, DFO, by email no later than
July 3, 2012. Written Statements: Written statements for the July 10-
11, 2012 meeting should be received in the SAB Staff Office by July 3,
2012, so that the information may be made available to the SAB and BOSC
for their consideration prior to this meeting. Written statements
should be supplied to the DFO in the following formats: one hard copy
with original signature and one electronic copy via email (acceptable
file format: Adobe Acrobat PDF, MS Word, WordPerfect, MS PowerPoint, or
Rich Text files in IBM-PC/Windows 98/2000/XP format). Submitters are
asked to provide electronic 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 Dr. Nugent 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.

    Dated: June 11, 2012.
Thomas H. Brennan,
Deputy Director, EPA Science Advisory Board Staff Office.
[FR Doc. 2012-14821 Filed 6-15-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P


[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 121 (Friday, June 22, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29113-29114]
[FR Doc No: 2018-13572]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OGC-2018-0378; FRL-9979-73-OGC]

Proposed Stipulated Order of Partial Dismissal, Endangered
Species Act Claims

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of proposed stipulated order of partial dismissal;
request for public comment.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Administrator's October 16, 2017, Directive Promoting Transparency and
Public Participation in Consent Decrees and Settlement Agreements,
notice is hereby given of a proposed stipulated order of partial
dismissal to address several claims in a lawsuit filed by the Northwest
Environmental Advocates (``Plaintiff'') in the United States District
Court for the Western District of Washington: Northwest Environmental
Advocates v. United States Environmental Protection Agency, No. 2:14-
cv-0196. On September 1, 2015, Plaintiff filed an amended complaint
alleging, inter alia, that the United States Environmental Protection
Agency (``EPA'') failed to perform duties mandated by the Endangered
Species Act (``ESA'') to consult with the Fish & Wildlife Service and
the National Marine Fisheries Service (collectively ``the Services'')
regarding water quality standards adopted by Washington and approved by
the EPA. The proposed stipulated order of partial dismissal would set a
deadline for EPA to complete an ESA effects determination for its
February 11, 2008, approval of Washington's revisions to the State's
ammonia criteria and, as appropriate, request initiation of any
necessary ESA consultation with the Services.

DATES: Written comments on the proposed stipulated order of partial
dismissal must be received by July 23, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID number EPA-HQ-
OGC-2018-0378, online at www.regulations.gov (EPA's preferred method).
For comments submitted at www.regulations.gov, follow the online
instructions for submitting comments. Once submitted, comments cannot
be edited or removed from www.regulations.gov. The EPA may publish any
comment received to its public docket. Do not submit electronically any
information you consider to be Confidential Business Information (CBI)
or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute.
Multimedia submissions (audio, video, etc.) must be accompanied by a
written comment. The written comment is considered the official comment
and should include discussion of all points you wish to make. The EPA
generally will not consider comments or comment contents located
outside of the primary submission (i.e. on the web, cloud, or other
file sharing system). For additional submission methods, please contact
the person identified in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section.
For the full EPA public comment policy, information about CBI or
multimedia submissions, and general guidance on making effective
comments, please visit http://www2.epa.gov/dockets/commenting-epa-dockets.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Thomas Glazer, Water Law Office
(7426N), Office of General Counsel, U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460; telephone:
(202) 564-0908; email address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Additional Information About the Proposed Stipulated Dismissal

    On February 10, 2014, Plaintiff filed suit in the federal district
court for the Western District of Washington. Plaintiff's original
Complaint brought five claims alleging violations of ESA section 7, CWA
section 303(c), and the Administrative Procedures Act (``APA'').
Following EPA's motion to partially dismiss on statute of limitations
grounds, NWEA filed an Amended Complaint on September 1, 2015, which
alleges four broad sets of claims. Plaintiff's first claim alleges
that, on February 11, 2008, EPA approved revised State of Washington
Department of Ecology (Washington) water quality standards involving
metals conversion factors and ammonia criteria without initiating
consultation under ESA section 7(a)(2) in contravention of the ESA.
Plaintiffs' second claim alleges that the listing of new species,
designation of new critical habit, and Washington's completion of a
2009 study regarding dissolved oxygen all triggered an obligation for
EPA to reinitiate consultation on various natural conditions criteria
provisions pertaining to temperature and dissolved oxygen that EPA
approved on February 11, 2008.
    The proposed stipulated order of partial dismissal would resolve
these ESA claims. As described in paragraph three of the proposed
stipulated order of dismissal, within three years, EPA will complete an
ESA effects determination pursuant to 50 CFR 402.14(a) for its February
11, 2008 approval of Washington's revisions to the State's ammonia
criteria and, as appropriate, request initiation of any necessary ESA
consultation with the Services. If during that time, Washington submits
revisions to the ammonia criteria and EPA intends to approve, EPA will
complete an effects determination and, if appropriate, request
initiation of any necessary ESA consultation with the Services within
one year of submission or three years of the Court's approval of the
stipulated order of dismissal, whichever is later. Portions of claims
three and four would also be dismissed in exchange for commitments by
Washington, but EPA is not taking comment on those aspects of the
proposed stipulated order of partial dismissal. See the proposed
stipulated order of partial dismissal for specific details.
    For a period of thirty (30) days following the date of publication
of this notice, the Agency will accept written comments relating to the
resolution of the ESA claims contained in the proposed stipulated order
of partial dismissal from persons who are not named as parties or
intervenors to the litigation in question. If so requested, EPA will
also consider holding a public

hearing on whether to enter into the proposed stipulated order of
partial dismissal. EPA or the Department of Justice may withdraw or
withhold consent to the proposed stipulated order of partial dismissal
if the comments disclose facts or considerations that indicate that
such consent is inappropriate, improper, inadequate, or inconsistent
with the requirements of the Act. Unless EPA or the Department of
Justice determines that consent to this proposed stipulated order of
partial dismissal should be withdrawn, the terms of the proposed
stipulated order of partial dismissal will be affirmed and entered with
the Court.

II. Additional Information About Commenting on the Proposed Stipulated
Order of Partial Dismissal

A. How can I get a copy of the proposed stipulated order of partial
dismissal?

    The official public docket for this action (identified by EPA-HQ-
OGC-2018-0378) contains a copy of the proposed stipulated order of
partial dismissal. The official public docket is available for public
viewing at the Office of Environmental Information (OEI) Docket in the
EPA Docket Center, EPA West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave. NW,
Washington, DC. The EPA Docket Center 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, and the telephone number for the OEI Docket is (202) 566-
1752.
    An electronic version of the public docket is available on EPA's
website at [Insert URL] and also through www.regulations.gov. You may
use www.regulations.gov to submit or view public comments, access the
index listing of the contents of the official public docket, and access
those documents in the public docket that are available electronically.
Once in the system, key in the appropriate docket identification number
then select ``search.'' It is important to note that EPA's policy is
that public comments, whether submitted electronically or in paper,
will be made available for public viewing online at www.regulations.gov
without change, unless the comment contains copyrighted material, CBI,
or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute.
Information claimed as CBI and other information whose disclosure is
restricted by statute is not included in the official public docket or
in the electronic public docket.
    EPA's policy is that copyrighted material, including copyrighted
material contained in a public comment, will not be placed in EPA's
electronic public docket but will be available only in printed, paper
form in the official public docket. Although not all docket materials
may be available electronically, you may still access any of the
publicly available docket materials through the EPA Docket Center.

B. How and to whom do I submit comments?

    You may submit comments as provided in the ADDRESSES section.
Please ensure that your comments are submitted within the specified
comment period.
    If you submit an electronic comment, EPA recommends that you
include your name, mailing address, and an email address or other
contact information in the body of your comment and with any disk or CD
ROM you submit. This ensures that you can be identified as the
submitter of the comment and allows EPA to contact you in case EPA
cannot read your comment due to technical difficulties or needs further
information on the substance of your comment. Any identifying or
contact information provided in the body of a comment will be included
as part of the comment that is placed in the official public docket,
and made available in EPA's electronic public docket. 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.
    Use of the www.regulations.gov website to submit comments to EPA
electronically is EPA's preferred method for receiving comments. The
electronic public docket system is an ``anonymous access'' system,
which means EPA will not know your identity, email address, or other
contact information unless you provide it in the body of your comment.
In contrast to EPA's electronic public docket, EPA's electronic mail
(email) system is not an ``anonymous access'' system. If you send an
email comment directly to the Docket without going through
www.regulations.gov, your email address is automatically captured and
included as part of the comment that is placed in the official public
docket, and made available in EPA's electronic public docket.

    Dated: June 11, 2018.
Steven Neugeboren,
Associate General Counsel.
[FR Doc. 2018-13572 Filed 6-21-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P