Docket EPA-HQ-OA-2013-0582 Page 1

Posting an FDMS Docket without a Federal Register Notice

MEMORANDUM

SUBJECT: Posting EPA-HQ-OA-2013-0582 to Regulations.gov for Public Access

FROM: Christopher Zarba /signed/

Acting Director, Science Advisory Board Staff Office, 

Office of the Administrator, US Environmental Protection Agency 

This memorandum authorizes the posting of EPA-HQ-OA-2013-0582 to Regulations.gov 

for public access.

Background: 

The EPA’s Office of Research and Development (ORD) has developed a draft report 

reviewing and synthesizing the peer-reviewed scientific literature on the connectivity or 

isolation of streams and wetlands relative to large water bodies such as rivers, lakes, 

estuaries and oceans. The purpose of the report, Connectivity of Streams and Wetlands to 

Downstream Waters: A Review and Synthesis of the Scientific Evidence (September, 2013

External Review Draft, EPA/600/R-11/098B) is to summarize the current understanding 

about these connections, the factors that influence them, and the mechanisms by which 

connected waters singly or in aggregate, affect the function of downstream waters. A 

Panel of the EPA Science Advisory Board (SAB) will be meeting December 16-18, 2013 

to conduct a scientific peer review of the draft report. The draft report, charge to the 

Panel, and other meeting materials are available on SAB web site. This docket is created 

to receive public comments for the Panel to consider. 

Public Comment: The docket opens September 17, 2012 Public comments should be 

received by November 6, 2013 in order to be considered by the Panel at its December 16-

18, 2013 meeting. 

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. The intended use of comments submitted to the SAB 

is different from the purpose of comments submitted to the EPA’s program offices. 

Federal advisory committees and panels, including scientific advisory committees, 

provide independent advice to EPA. Interested members of the public may submit 

relevant comments pertaining to review meeting materials, including the charge to the 

Panel, for the SAB Panel to consider during the advisory process. 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 written comments 

may submit them to the EPA Docket electronically via www.regulations.gov, by e-mail,
Docket EPA-HQ-OA-2013-0582 Page 2

by mail, by facsimile, or by hand delivery/courier. Please follow the detailed instructions 

below

Written comments for the December 16-18, 2013 meeting should be received in the EPA 

Docket by November 6, 2013 so that the information may be made available to the SAB 

Panel for its consideration. Comments received after November 6, 2013 will be marked 

late and may not be provided to the Panel in advance of the December 16-18, 2013 

meeting. Written statements should be identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OA-2013-

0582 and submitted to the Docket at www.regulations.gov by one of the following 

methods:

www.regulations.gov: Follow the on-line instructions for submitting comments.

E-mail: Docket_OEI@epa.gov . Include the docket number in the subject line of 

the message.

Fax: (202)566-9744

Mail: Office of Environmental Information (OEI) Docket (Mail Code: 28221T), 

Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OA-2013-0582, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 

1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20460. The phone number is 

(202) 566-1752. 

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 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. 

It is EPA’s policy to include all comments received in the public docket without change 

and to make the comments available on-line 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 e-mail. The www.regulations.gov website 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 e-mail 

directly to EPA without going through www.regulations.gov, your e-mail 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 

comments due to technical difficulties and cannot contact you for clarification, the SAB 

Panel may not be able to consider your comments. Electronic files should avoid the use 

of special characters and any form of encryption and be free of any defects or viruses. 

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 material, such as copyrighted 

material will be publicly available only in hard copy. Publicly available docket materials 
Docket EPA-HQ-OA-2013-0582 Page 3

are available either electronically at www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at the OEI 

Docket in the EPA Headquarters Docket Center.

For additional information about EPA’s public docket, visit the EPA Docket Center 

homepage at www.epa.gov/epahome/dockets.htm.