### 10619 Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 40 / Tuesday, March 1, 2016 / Notices

• Letter(s) of recommendation from a third party supporting the nomination.

For further questions regarding this notice, please contact Lara P. Phelps at (919) 541–5544 or phelps.lara@epa.gov.

Dated: February 23, 2016.

Thomas Burke,

EPA Science Advisor.

[FR Doc. 2016–04445 Filed 2–29–16; 8:45 am]

**BILLING CODE 6560–50–P**

**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.

**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 carpenter.thomas@epa.gov. 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 CO 2 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 (CO 2) emissions, Accounting Framework for Biogenic CO 2 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 CO 2 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%20 2015%20Reg%20 Agenda?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


### 10620 Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 40 / Tuesday, March 1, 2016 / Notices

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]

**BILLING CODE 6560–50–P**

**ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION**
**AGENCY**

**[EPA–HQ–OW–2015–0335; FRL–9943–13– OW]** 

**Request for Public Comment on the Draft EPA–USGS Technical Report:**  **Protecting Aquatic Life From Effects of Hydrologic Alteration** 

**AGENCY :**  Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and United States Geological Survey (USGS).

**ACTION :**  Notice of availability.

**SUMMARY :**  The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the United States Geological Survey are releasing a draft technical report: Protecting Aquatic Life from Effects of Hydrologic Alteration, for a 60-day public comment period. This report was developed because hydrologic alteration can be a contributor of impairment for water bodies that are designated to support aquatic life. Stresses on aquatic life associated with hydrologic alteration may be further exacerbated through climate change. Recent climate trends have included the change in frequency and duration of extreme weather events, such as droughts and floods, which can have an impact on flow and affect aquatic life.

The report is a nonprescriptive framework with information to help states, tribes, territories, water resource managers, and other stakeholders responsible for the maintenance of hydrologic flow regime to quantify flow targets for the preservation of aquatic life and habitat. This report also provides information on the relationship between hydrologic condition and water quality and gives examples of what some states and
authorized tribes have done to address flow concerns using the Clean Water
Act. The framework can also be used to translate narrative criteria and develop flow targets to protect aquatic life and
habitat.

**DATES :**  Comments must be received on or before May 2, 2016.

**ADDRESSES :**  Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA–HQ– OW–2015–0335, to the Federal eRulemaking Portal: http:// www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting comments. Once submitted, comments cannot be edited or withdrawn. 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. EPA will generally 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, 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/commentingepa-dockets.

**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT :**  Diana Eignor, Health and Ecological Criteria Division, Office of Water (Mail Code 4304T), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (202) 566–1143; email address: eignor.diana@epa.gov.

**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION :** 

I. General Information

A. How can I Get Copies of This
Document and Other Related Information?

1. 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 www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at the Water Docket, EPA/ DC, EPA West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave. NW., Washington, DC. The 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 Water Docket is (202) 566–2426. For additional information about EPA’s public docket, visit EPA Docket Center homepage at http://www.epa.gov/epahome/
dockets.htm.

II. How will this document be used?

This draft report is a nonprescriptive framework that can be used to help quantify targets for flow regime components that are protective of aquatic life and their habitats. Flow targets can help states, tribes, and territories to prepare for changes in historic flow patterns. Maintaining flow targets may help increase a stream’s resilience to climate change by reducing or avoiding intensification of existing stresses. This document, even after issued in final form, is not a rule, and it is therefore not mandatory for states and authorized tribes to adopt this framework into their water quality standards. Once the comment period has ended, EPA and the USGS will consider the comments, revise the document, as appropriate, and then publish a final document that will serve as a source of information for states, tribes, territories, and other
stakeholders.

III. Solicitation of Scientific Views

EPA and USGS are soliciting additional scientific views, data, and information regarding the science and technical approach used in the
derivation of this draft technical document on hydrologic alteration.

IV. Additional Information

EPA and USGS each conducted internal peer reviews of the report, and EPA managed a contractor-led independent external peer review of the Draft EPA–USGS Technical Report: Protecting Aquatic Life from Effects of Hydrologic Alteration. EPA will make the external peer review comments and Agency responses to these comments
available in the docket with the revised
draft technical document at http:// www.regulations.gov.