[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 100 (Tuesday, May 25, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29339-29340]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-12617]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-9154-7]


Science Advisory Board Staff Office; Notification of a Public 
Meeting of the SAB Panel for the Review of Effects of Mountaintop Mines 
and Valley Fills on Aquatic Ecosystems and Aquatic Life Benchmark for 
Conductivity

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The EPA Science Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office announces a 
public meeting of the SAB Panel for the review of two EPA draft 
documents on the Effects of Mountaintop Mines and Valley Fills on 
Aquatic Ecosystems, and on Aquatic Life Benchmark for Conductivity.

DATES: The public meeting will be held on July 20, 2010 from 8:30 a.m. 
to 5 p.m. (Eastern Daylight Time), July 21, 2010 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 
p.m., and July 22, 2010 from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. (Eastern Daylight Time).

ADDRESSES: The face-to-face meeting on July 20-22, 2010 will be held at 
the Washington Plaza Hotel at 10 Thomas Circle, NW., Washington, DC 
20005; telephone (202) 842-1300.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Any member of the public wishing to 
obtain information concerning the public meeting may contact Mr. Edward 
Hanlon, Designated Federal Officer (DFO), EPA Science Advisory Board 
Staff Office (1400F), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 
Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460; by telephone/voice mail 
at (202) 343-9946 or at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#a4ccc5cac8cbca8ac1c0d3c5d6c0e4c1d4c58ac3cbd2"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="f39b929d9f9c9ddd969784928197b3968392dd949c85">[email protected]</span></a>. General information 
about the SAB, as well as any updates concerning the meeting announced 
in this notice, may be found on the EPA Web site at http://www.epa.gov/sab.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee 
Act (FACA), 5 U.S.C., App. 2, notice is hereby given that the SAB 
Mountaintop Mining/Valley Fill/Conductivity Review Panel will hold a 
public face-to-face meeting to conduct a peer review of the EPA's draft 
technical documents, The Effects of Mountaintop Mines and Valley Fills 
on Aquatic Ecosystems of the Central Appalachian Coalfields External 
Review Draft (December 2009), and Field-Based Aquatic Life Benchmark 
for Conductivity in Central Appalachian Streams, External Review Draft 
(March 2010). The SAB was established pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 4365 to 
provide independent scientific and technical advice to the 
Administrator on the technical basis for Agency positions and 
regulations.
    The SAB is a Federal Advisory Committee chartered under FACA. The 
SAB will comply with the provisions of FACA and all appropriate SAB 
Staff Office procedural policies.
    Background: EPA's Office of Research and Development (ORD) prepared 
a scientific assessment of the ecological impacts related to 
mountaintop mining and valley-fill operations entitled ``The Effects of 
Mountaintop Mines and Valley Fills on Aquatic Ecosystems of the Central 
Appalachian Coalfields.'' The scope of this assessment includes: loss 
of headwater streams, downstream water quality and subsequent effects 
on in-stream biota, and cumulative ecological impacts. In addition, the 
draft assessment evaluates restoration and recovery methods used by 
mining companies to address these ecological impacts associated with 
mountaintop mining and valley-fill operations. ORD also developed the 
``Field-Based Aquatic Life Benchmark for Conductivity in Central 
Appalachian Streams'' report that uses field data to derive an aquatic 
life benchmark value for conductivity (a measure of salinity) that may 
be applied to waters in the Appalachian Region that are dominated by 
salts of SO<INF>4</INF><SUP>2-</SUP> and HCO<INF>3</INF><SUP>-</SUP>. 
ORD requested that the SAB review and provide advice on the scientific 
adequacy, suitability and appropriateness of both the draft Aquatic 
Ecosystem Report and the draft Conductivity Benchmark Report.
    In response to ORD's request, the SAB Staff Office solicited 
nominations of experts and formed a review panel for the Review of 
Effects of Mountaintop Mines and Valley Fills on Aquatic Ecosystems, 
and Aquatic Life Benchmark for Conductivity [Federal Register Notice 
dated February 3, 2010 (75 FR 5589--5590)]. The panel will provide 
advice on the ecological impacts related to mountaintop mining and 
valley-fill operations and on deriving an aquatic benchmark for 
conductivity using field data. During the face-to-face meeting, the 
panel will review the technical documents.
    Availability of Meeting Materials: Agendas and materials in support 
of this meeting will be placed on the EPA Web site at http://www.epa.gov/sab in advance of the meeting. For technical questions and 
information concerning EPA's draft document, please contact Dr. Michael 
Slimak, EPA Office of Research and Development (ORD), at (703) 347-8524 
or by e-mail at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#bac9d6d3d7dbd194d7d3d9d2dbdfd6fadfcadb94ddd5cc"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="57243b3e3a363c793a3e343f36323b1732273679303821">[email protected]</span></a>.
    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 EPA. Members of the 
public can submit comments for a Federal advisory committee to consider 
as it develops advice for EPA. They should send their comments directly 
to the Designated Federal Officer for the relevant advisory committee. 
Oral Statements: In general, individuals or groups requesting an oral 
presentation at a public meeting will be limited to five minutes per 
speaker, with no more than a total of one hour for all speakers. Each 
person making an oral statement should consider providing written 
comments as well as their oral statement so that the points presented 
orally can be expanded upon in writing. Interested parties should 
contact Mr. Edward Hanlon, DFO, in writing (preferably via e-mail) at 
the contact information noted above by July 13, 2010 to be placed on 
the list of public speakers at the face-to-face meeting. Written 
Statements: Written statements should be supplied to the DFO via email 
at the contact information noted above by July 13, 2010 so that the 
information may be made available to the Committee members for their 
consideration. Written statements should be supplied in one of the 
following electronic formats: Adobe Acrobat PDF, MS Word, MS 
PowerPoint, or Rich Text files in IBM-PC/Windows 98/2000/XP format. 
Submitters are requested to provide versions of signed documents, 
submitted with and without signatures, because the SAB Staff Office 
does not publish documents with signatures on its Web sites.
    Accessibility: For information on access or services for 
individuals with disabilities, please contact Mr. Edward Hanlon at 
(202) 343-9946 or at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#86eee7e8eae9e8a8e3e2f1e7f4e2c6e3f6e7a8e1e9f0"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="79111817151617571c1d0e180b1d391c0918571e160f">[email protected]</span></a>. To request

[[Page 29340]]

accommodation of a disability, please contact Mr. Hanlon preferably at 
least ten days prior to each meeting to give EPA as much time as 
possible to process your request.

    Dated: May 18, 2010.
Anthony F. Maciorowski,
Deputy Director, EPA Science Advisory Staff Office.
[FR Doc. 2010-12617 Filed 5-24-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P


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