mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES


Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 3 / Tuesday, January 6, 2009 / Notices 445 

underway, however, that reach beyond 

the scope of this Assessment Report. For 

information regarding EPA efforts 

relating to the occurrence of 

pharmaceuticals and personal care 

products, visit EPA’s Web site at 

http://www.epa.gov.ppcp. 

In a separate effort, EPA developed a 

Clean Water Act (CWA) general permit 

that addresses a range of discharges 

incidental to the normal operation of 

commercial vessels, including some of 

the additional wastes identified by the 

preceding comment. By virtue of a court 

decision, which vacated the EPA 

regulation that had excluded these 

discharges from NPDES permitting, 

these discharges will become subject to 

CWA permitting requirements as of 

February 6, 2009. Except for ballast 

water, subsequent legislation (Pub. L. 

110–299) exempts commercial vessels 

shorter than 79 feet and commercial 

fishing vessels (regardless of their size) 

from NPDES permitting requirements 

for these discharges for a period of two 

years (during which time EPA has been 

directed to conduct further study and 

analysis). 

One commenter urged EPA and other 

federal agencies to work at the 

international level on issues directly 

associated with discharges from cruise 

ships and other ocean-going vessels. 

Numerous federal agencies are presently 

working cooperatively through forums, 

such as the International Maritime 

Organization, to enhance international 

environmental protection standards. At 

present, the U.S. government is 

simultaneously supporting efforts to 

enhance international standards related 

to discharges of machinery space 

wastes, sewage, and garbage. In 

addition, among other efforts, the U.S. 

government is also working diligently to 

enhance and implement international 

standards relating to air emissions from 

ships, including measures to reduce 

greenhouse gas emissions. This work is 

ongoing and extensive. 

Dated: December 30, 2008. 

Benjamin H. Grumbles, 

Assistant Administrator for Water. 

[FR Doc. E8–31453 Filed 1–5–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6560–50–P 

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION 

AGENCY 

[FRL–8759–1] 

Good Neighbor Environmental Board; 

Notification of Public Advisory 

Committee Teleconference 

AGENCY: Environmental Protection 

Agency (EPA). 

ACTION: Notification of Public Advisory 


Committee Teleconference. 


SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Federal 

Advisory Committee Act, Public Law 

92–463, notice is hereby given that the 

Good Neighbor Environmental Board 

(GNEB) will hold a public 

teleconference on January 16, 2009 from 

1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. 

The meeting is open to the public. For 

further information regarding the 

teleconference and background 

materials, please contact Mark Joyce at 

the number listed below. 

Background: GNEB is a Federal 

advisory committee chartered under the 

Federal Advisory Committee Act, Public 

Law 92–463. UNEB provides advice and 

recommendations to the President and 

Congress on environmental and 

infrastructure issues along the U.S. 

border with Mexico. 

Purpose of Meeting: The purpose of 

this teleconference is to discuss and 

approve the Good Neighbor 

Environmental Board’s Twelfth Report: 

Innovative Approaches to Addressing 

Environmental Problems along the US/ 

Mexico Border. 

Supplementary Information: If you 

wish to make oral comments or submit 

written comments to the Board, please 

contact Mark Joyce at least five days 

prior to the meeting. 

General Information: Additional 

information concerning the GNEB can 

be found on its Web site at http:// 

www.epa.gov/ocem/gneb. 

Meeting Access: For information on 

access or services for individual with 

disabilities, please contact Mark Joyce at 

(202) 564–2130 or e-mail him at 

joyce.mark@epa.gov. To request 

accommodation of a disability, please 

contact Mark Joyce at least 10 days prior 

to the meeting to give EPA as much time 

as possible to process your request. 

Dated: December 19, 2008. 

Mark Joyce, 

Designated Federal Officer. 

[FR Doc. E8–31152 Filed 1–5–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6560–50–M 

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION 

AGENCY 

[FRL–8759–2] 

Good Neighbor Environmental Board; 

Request for Nominations to the Good 

Neighbor Environmental Board 

AGENCY: Environmental Protection 

Agency (EPA). 


ACTION: Notice of request for 


nominations. 


SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental 

Protection Agency (EPA) is inviting 

nominations from a diverse range of 

qualified candidates to be considered 

for appointment to fill vacancies on the 

Good Neighbor Environmental Board. 

Vacancies are expected to be filled by 

late spring 2009. 

Additional sources may be utilized in 

the solicitation of nominees. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Good 

Neighbor Environmental Board was 

created by the Enterprise for the 

Americas Initiative Act of 1992. Under 

Executive Order 12916, implementation 

authority is delegated to the 

Administrator of the EPA. The Board is 

responsible for providing advice to the 

President and Congress on 

environmental and infrastructure issues 

and needs within the states contiguous 

to Mexico. The statute calls for the 

Board to have representatives from U.S. 

government agencies; the states of 

Arizona, California, New Mexico and 

Texas; local government; tribes; and a 

variety of non-governmental officials 

including the private sector; academic 

officials; environmental group 

representatives; health groups; ranching 

and grazing interests; and other relevant 

sectors. U.S. government agency 

representatives are nominated by the 

heads of their agencies. Non-federal 

members are appointed by the 

Administrator of the EPA. The Board 

meets three times annually, twice at 

various locations along the U.S.-Mexico 

border and once in Washington, DC. 

The average workload for members is 

approximately 10 to 15 hours per 

month. Members serve on the Board in 

a voluntary capacity. 

However, EPA provides 

reimbursement for travel expenses 

associated with official government 

business. Nominees will be considered 

according to the mandates of the Federal 

Advisory Committee Act, which 

requires committees to maintain 

diversity across a broad range of 

constituencies, sectors, and groups. The 

following criteria will be used to 

evaluate nominees: 

• Resident of a U.S.-Mexico border 

state, ideally within the border region 

itself. 

• Extensive professional knowledge 

of the unique environmental and 

infrastructure issues that are found in 

the region, including the bi-national 

dimension of these issues. 

• Representative of a sector or group 

that helps to shape border-region 

environmental policy.

• Senior-level experience that fills a 

current need on the Board for a 

representative with that particular type 

of knowledge.