18500 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 69 / Monday, April 12, 2010 / Notices 

• Mail: Office of Environmental 

Information (OEI) Docket (Mail Code: 

2822T), 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’s 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. 

Such deliveries are only accepted 

during the docket’s normal hours of 

operation, and special arrangements 

should be made for deliveries of boxed 

information. 

If you provide comments by mail or 

hand delivery, please submit three 

copies of the comments. For 

attachments, provide an index, number 

pages consecutively with the comments, 

and submit an unbound original and 

three copies. 

Instructions: Direct your comments to 

Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–ORD–2009– 

0934. Please ensure that your comments 

are submitted within the specified 

comment period. Comments received 

after the closing date will be marked 

‘‘late,’’ and may only be considered if 

time permits. It is EPA’s policy to 

include all comments it receives in the 

public docket without change and to 

make the comments available online at 

http://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 http:// 

www.regulations.gov or e-mail. The 

http://www.regulations.gov Web site 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 comment directly 

to EPA without going through http:// 

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 comment due to 

technical difficulties and cannot contact 

you for clarification, EPA may not be 

able to consider your comment. 

Electronic files should avoid the use of 

special characters, any form of 

encryption, and be free of any defects or 

viruses. For additional information 

about EPA’s public docket, visit the EPA 

Docket Center homepage at http:// 

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

Docket: Documents in the docket are 

listed in the http://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 materials, such as 

copyrighted material, are publicly 

available only in hard copy. Publicly 

available docket materials are available 

either electronically in http:// 

www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at 

the OEI Docket in the EPA Headquarters 

Docket Center. 

Dated: April 2, 2010. 

Peter W. Preuss, 

Director, National Center for Environmental 

Assessment. 

[FR Doc. 2010–8302 Filed 4–9–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6560–50–P 

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION 

AGENCY 

[EPA–HQ–OW–2010–0315; FRL–9136–4] 

Guidance on Improving EPA Review of 

Appalachian Surface Coal Mining 

Operations under the Clean Water Act, 

National Environmental Policy Act, and 

the Environmental Justice Executive 

Order 

AGENCY: Environmental Protection 

Agency (EPA). 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection 

Agency (EPA) is soliciting public 

comment on the issues addressed in two 

EPA guidance memoranda released on 

April 1, 2010, titled Improving EPA 

Review of Appalachian Surface Coal 

Mining Operations under the Clean 

Water Act, National Environmental 

Policy Act, and the Environmental 

Justice Executive Order. Effective 

immediately, these memoranda—one 

labeled ‘‘Summary Guidance’’ and one 

labeled ‘‘Detailed Guidance’’—seek to 

clarify EPA’s roles and expectations, in 

coordinating with its Federal and state 

partners, with regard to environmental 

review of Appalachian surface coal 

mining operations under the Clean 

Water Act, National Environmental 

Policy Act, and the Environmental 

Justice Executive Order (E.O. 12898). 

DATES: Comments must be received on 

or before December 1, 2010. 

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, 

identified by Docket ID No. EPA–HQ– 

OW–2010–0315, by one of the following 

methods: 

• http://www.regulations.gov: Follow 

the on-line instructions for reviewing 

comments. 

• E-mail: OW–Docket@epa.gov. 

• Mail: U.S. Environmental 

Protection Agency; EPA Docket Center 

(EPA/DC) Water Docket, MC 2822T; 

1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., 

Washington, DC 20460. 

• On Site: EPA Docket Center, 1301 

Constitution Ave., NW., EPA West, 

Room 3334, Washington, DC 20460. 

For additional information about EPA’s 

public docket visit the EPA Docket 

Center homepage at http:// 

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

Docket: All 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 are available 

either electronically in http:// 

www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at 

the Office of Water Docket/EPA/DC, 

1301 Constitution Ave., NW., EPA West, 

Room 3334, Washington, DC 20460. 

This Docket Facility is open from 8:30 

a.m. until 4:30 p.m., EST, Monday 

through Friday, excluding legal 

holidays. The telephone number for the 

Public Reading Room is (202) 566–1744, 

and the telephone number for the Office 

of Water is (202) 566–2426. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Timothy Landers, U.S. EPA, 1200 

Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, 

DC 20460; (202) 566–2231; 

landers.timothy@epa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA’s 

draft guidance on Improving EPA 

Review of Appalachian Surface Coal 

Mining Operations under the Clean 

Water Act, National Environmental 

Policy Act, and the Environmental 

Justice Executive Order clarifies how 

EPA is applying its existing legal 

authorities in its review of Appalachian 

surface coal mining operations. The 

guidance memoranda are available at 

http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/ 

guidance/mining.html. As such, these 

memoranda do not represent a 

regulation, and are not subject to the 

formal provisions of the Administrative 

Procedure Act. However, EPA 

recognizes the importance of this 

guidance to its Federal and state 

partners, to the regulated community, 

and to the public, and therefore seeks 


sroberts on DSKD5P82C1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 69 / Monday, April 12, 2010 / Notices 18501 

public comment on the issues addressed 

in the two documents and on the 

guidance’s implementation through this 

Federal Register notice. This public 

comment opportunity will be available 

until December 1, 2010. 

EPA has committed to determining 

whether any changes are required to the 

interim guidance by April 1, 2011 and 

issuing revised final guidance if 

necessary. EPA’s evaluation of 

comments on this guidance will also be 

informed by the result of the SAB 

reviews of EPA’s draft science reports, 

as discussed further below. 

EPA is committed to ensuring that its 

decisions are based on the best available 

science. To further this commitment, 

the guidance incorporates 

independently reviewed scientific 

information on the impacts of 

Appalachian surface coal mining on the 

aquatic environment. In addition to the 

existing peer-reviewed science outlined 

in the memoranda, EPA also references 

two draft reports produced by EPA’s 

Office of Research and Development. 

The first draft report, The Effects of 

Mountaintop Mines and Valley Fills on 

Aquatic Ecosystems of the Central 

Appalachian Coalfields, assesses the 

state of the science on the 

environmental impacts of mountaintop 

mines and valley fills on streams in the 

Central Appalachian Coalfields. The 

second draft report, A Field-based 

Aquatic Life Benchmark for 

Conductivity in Central Appalachian 

Streams, adapts the standard U.S. EPA 

methodology for deriving ambient water 

quality criteria to field data, and derives 

benchmarks for dissolved salts as 

measured by conductivity in Central 

Appalachian streams using data from 

West Virginia and Kentucky. These 

scientific reports, publicly released on 

April 1 and described in a separate 

Federal Register notice also published 

today, are available for public comment 

for 60 days. The drafts can be accessed 

at http://www.epa.gov/ncea and are 

available for public comment through 

EPA Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–ORD– 

2009–0934. As outlined in that notice, 

comments provided on the two draft 

scientific reports will be forwarded to 

an expert panel convened by EPA’s 

Science Advisory Board (SAB) in 

advance of the SAB’s independent peer 

review of these reports during the 

summer of 2010. 

For purposes of this Federal Register 

notice, EPA in particular seeks comment 

on the following elements of its 

guidance memoranda, as well as on the 

implementation of this guidance 

between now and December 1, 2010: 

• Whether the guidance achieves its 

objective of providing further clarity 

and improved protection for the 

environment and human health through 

EPA’s review of draft or proposed 

permits under Section 402 of the Clean 

Water Act and permit applications 

under Section 404 of the Clean Water 

Act for Appalachian surface coal mining 

operations. 

• Whether additional scientific 

information is available to inform EPA’s 

authorities under the Clean Water Act, 

National Environmental Policy Act, and 

Environmental Justice Executive Order 

(E.O. 12898). 

• Whether EPA’s implementation of 

its guidance in reviewing state Section 

402 permits and permit applications 

under Section 404 of the Clean Water 

Act has been effective in achieving the 

goals of providing additional clarity and 

enhanced environmental and human 

health protection. 

• Whether there are additional 

examples of best practices in terms of 

mine design, site and materials 

management, or water treatment 

systems, consistent with the objectives 

of improved environmental protection, 

greater clarity, and the best-available 

science, that should be considered. 

• Whether additional relevant and 

appropriate data, studies, knowledge of 

studies, or informal observations should 

be considered as part of EPA’s 

application of best-available science and 

its authorities under the Clean Water 

Act, National Environmental Policy Act, 

and the Environmental Justice Executive 

Order (E.O. 12898), to Appalachian 

surface coal mining. 

The record will remain open for 

comment on the guidance until 

December 1, 2010. All public comments 

will be fully considered along with the 

results of the SAB review in reaching a 

decision on whether changes are 

required to the current guidance by 

April 1, 2011. 

Dated: April 6, 2010. 

Peter S. Silva, 

Assistant Administrator for Water. 

Dated: April 6, 2010. 

Cynthia Giles, 

Assistant Administrator for Enforcement and 

Compliance Assurance. 

[FR Doc. 2010–8303 Filed 4–9–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6560–50–P 

FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION 

Sunshine Act Notices 

DATE AND TIME: Tuesday, April 13, 2010, 

at 10 a.m. 

PLACE: 999 E Street, NW., Washington, 

DC. 

STATUS: This meeting will be closed to 

the public. 

ITEMS TO BE DISCUSSED: Compliance 

matters pursuant to 2 U.S.C. 437g. 

Audits conducted pursuant to 2 

U.S.C. 437g, 438(b), and Title 26, U.S.C. 

Matters concerning participation in civil 

actions or proceedings or arbitration. 

Internal personnel rules and procedures 

or matters affecting a particular 

employee. 

* * * * * 

DATE AND TIME: Wednesday, April 14, 

2010, at 11 a.m. 

PLACE: 999 E Street, NW., Washington, 

DC (Ninth Floor) 

STATUS: This hearing will be open to the 

public. 

AUDIT HEARING: Biden for President, Inc. 

Individuals who plan to attend and 

require special assistance, such as sign 

language interpretation or other 

reasonable accommodations, should 

contact Darlene Harris, Acting 

Commission Secretary, at (202) 694– 

1040, at least 72 hours prior to the 

hearing date. 

PERSON TO CONTACT FOR INFORMATION: 

Judith Ingram, Press Officer, Telephone: 

(202) 694–1220. 

Darlene Harris, 

Acting Secretary of the Commission. 

[FR Doc. 2010–8185 Filed 4–9–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6715–01–M 

FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM 

Formations of, Acquisitions by, and 

Mergers of Bank Holding Companies 

The companies listed in this notice 

have applied to the Board for approval, 

pursuant to the Bank Holding Company 

Act of 1956 (12 U.S.C. 1841 et seq.) 

(BHC Act), Regulation Y (12 CFR Part 

225), and all other applicable statutes 

and regulations to become a bank 

holding company and/or to acquire the 

assets or the ownership of, control of, or 

the power to vote shares of a bank or 

bank holding company and all of the 

banks and nonbanking companies 

owned by the bank holding company, 

including the companies listed below. 

The applications listed below, as well 

as other related filings required by the 

Board, are available for immediate 

inspection at the Federal Reserve Bank 

indicated. The applications also will be 

available for inspection at the offices of 

the Board of Governors. Interested 

persons may express their views in 

writing on the standards enumerated in 

the BHC Act (12 U.S.C. 1842(c)). If the 

proposal also involves the acquisition of 

a nonbanking company, the review also 


sroberts on DSKD5P82C1PROD with NOTICES