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[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 128 (Tuesday, July 5, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43599-43600]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-15856]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-9948-69-OA]

Notification of a Partially Closed Meeting of the Science 
Advisory Board's 2016-2018 Scientific and Technological Achievement 
Awards Committee

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA), Science Advisory 
Board (SAB) Staff Office is announcing a meeting of the SAB's 2016-2018 
Scientific and Technological Achievement Awards (STAA) Committee to 
discuss draft recommendations for the chartered SAB regarding the 
Agency's 2016 STAA recipients. A portion of the meeting will be closed 
to the public.

DATES: The meeting dates are Monday, August 15, 2016, from 8:00 a.m. to 
6:00 p.m. (Eastern Time), and Tuesday, August 16, 2016, from 8:00 a.m. 
to 3:00 p.m. (Eastern Time). The public portion of the meeting will be 
held on Monday, August 15, 2016, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (Eastern 
Time). The remainder of the meeting will be closed to the public.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Melrose Georgetown Hotel, 
2430 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20037.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Members of the public who wish to 
obtain further information regarding the meeting of the 2016-2018 Staff 
Committee may contact Edward Hanlon, Designated Federal Officer, by 
telephone: (202) 564-2134 or email at hanlon.edward@epa.gov. The SAB 
Mailing address is EPA Science Advisory Board Staff Office (1400R), 
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., 
Washington, DC 20460. General information about the SAB as well as 
updates concerning the SAB meeting announced in this notice may be 
found on the SAB Web site at http://www.epa.gov/sab.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Background: Pursuant to section 10(d) of the Federal Advisory 
Committee Act (FACA), 5 U.S.C. App. 2, and section (c)(6) of the 
Government in the Sunshine Act, 5 U.S.C. 552b(c)(6), the EPA has 
determined that a portion of the 2016-2018 STAA Committee meeting will 
be closed to the public. The purpose of the closed portion of the 
meeting is for the Committee to discuss draft recommendations regarding 
recipients of the Agency's 2016 Scientific and Technological 
Achievement Awards. The purpose of the open portion of the meeting, 
which will occur on Monday, August 15, 2016, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 
p.m. (Eastern Time), is to discuss administrative changes to the STAA 
nomination procedures, and the criteria for deciding which STAA 
nominations merit award.
    The STAA awards are established to honor and recognize EPA 
employees who have made outstanding contributions in the advancement of

[[Page 43600]]

science and technology through their research and development 
activities, as exhibited in publication of their results in peer 
reviewed journals. I have determined that a portion of the 2016-2018 
STAA Committee meeting will be closed to the public because it is 
concerned with recommending employees deserving of awards. In making 
these draft recommendations, the SAB requires full and frank advice 
from the Committee. This advice will involve professional judgments on 
the relative merits of various employees and their respective work. 
Such personnel matters involve the discussion of information that is of 
a personal nature and the disclosure of which would be a clearly 
unwarranted invasion of personal privacy and, therefore, are protected 
from disclosure by section (c)(6) of the Government in the Sunshine 
Act, 5 U.S.C. 552b(c)(6). Minutes of the 2016-2018 STAA Committee 
meeting will be kept and certified by the chair.
    Availability of Meeting Materials: Prior to the public portion of 
the meeting, the agenda and other materials will be accessible through 
the meeting link on the SAB home page at http://www.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. 
Interested members of the public may submit relevant information on the 
topic of the public portion of this advisory activity, and/or the group 
conducting the activity, for the SAB 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 SAB committees and panels 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 an SAB public meeting will be limited to five 
minutes. Interested parties wishing to provide comments at the public 
portion of the August 15, 2016 meeting should contact Mr. Hanlon, DFO, 
in writing (preferably via email) at the contact information noted 
above by August 8, 2016, to be placed on the list of public speakers 
for the meeting.
    Written Statements: Written statements will be accepted throughout 
the advisory process; however, for timely consideration by Committee 
members, statements should be supplied to Mr. Hanlon, DFO (preferably 
via email) at the contact information noted above by August 8, 2016. It 
is the SAB Staff Office general policy to post written comments on the 
Web page for advisory meetings. Submitters are requested to provide an 
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. Hanlon at the contact 
information provided above. To request accommodation of a disability, 
please contact Mr. Hanlon preferably at least ten days prior to the 
meeting to give EPA as much time as possible to process your request.

    Dated: June 27, 2016.
Gina McCarthy,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2016-15856 Filed 7-1-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
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