Workshop to Peer Review Proposed Indicators for the U.S. EPA's 2006 Report on the Environment, 32769-32771 [05-11162]
Download as PDF
Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 107 / Monday, June 6, 2005 / Notices
link to long on and submit the
intervention or protests.
Persons unable to file electronically
should submit an original and 14 copies
of the intervention or protests to the
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,
888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC
20426.
The filings in the above proceedings
are accessible in the Commission’s
eLibrary system by clicking on the
appropriate link in the above list. They
are also available to review in the
Commission’s Public Reference Room in
Washington, DC. There is an
eSubscription link on the Web site that
enables subscribers to receive e-mail
notification when a document is added
to a subscribed docket(s). For assistance
with any FERC Online service, please email FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or
call (866) 208–3676 (toll free). For TYY,
call (202) 502–8659.
Linda Mitry,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. E5–2869 Filed 6–3–05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
[OPP–2005–0152; FRL–7717–9]
The Association of American Pesticide
Control Officials (AAPCO)/ State FIFRA
Issues Research and Evaluation Group
(SFIREG); Notice of Public Meeting
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: The Association of American
Pesticide Control Officials (AAPCO)/
State FIFRA Issues Research and
Evaluation Group (SFIREG) will hold a
2–day meeting, beginning on June 27,
2005, and ending June 28, 2005. This
notice announces the location and times
for the meeting and sets forth the
tentative agenda topics.
DATES: The meeting will be held on
Monday, June 27, 2005, from 8:30 a.m.
to 5 p.m.; and on Tuesday, June 28,
2005, from 8:30 a.m. to noon.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at
the Doubletree Hotel, 300 Army Navy
Drive, Arlington, VA.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Georgia A. McDuffie, Field and External
Affairs Division (7506C), Office of
Pesticide Programs, Environmental
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania
Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460–
0001; telephone number: (703) 605–
0195; fax number: (703) 308–1850; email address: mcduffie.georgia@epa.gov,
or
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Jkt 205001
Philip H. Gray, SFIREG Executive
Secretary, P.O. Box 1249, Hardwick, VT
05843–1249; telephone number: (802)
472–6956; fax number: (802) 472–6957;
e-mail address:
aapco@plainfield.bypass.com.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. General Information
A. Does this Action Apply to Me?
You may be potentially affected by
this action if you are interested in the
SFIREG information exchange
relationship with EPA regarding
important issues related to human
health, environmental exposure to
pesticides, and insight into EPA’s
decision-making process. All interested
parties are invited and encouraged to
attend the meetings and participate as
appropriate. Potentially affected entities
may include, but are not limited to:
Those persons who are or may be
required to conduct testing of chemical
substances under the Federal Food,
Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), or the
Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and
Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). Since other
entities may also be interested, the
Agency has not attempted to describe all
the specific entities that may be affected
by this action. If you have any questions
regarding the applicability of this action
to a particular entity, consult the
persons listed under FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT.
B. How Can I Get Copies of this
Document and Other Related
Information?
1. Docket. EPA has established an
official public docket for this action
under docket identification (ID) number
OPP–2005–0152. The official public
docket consists of the documents
specifically referenced in this action,
any public comments received, and
other information related to this action.
Although a part of the official docket,
the public docket does not include
Confidential Business Information (CBI)
or other information whose disclosure is
restricted by statute. The official public
docket is the collection of materials that
is available for public viewing at the
Public Information and Records
Integrity Branch (PIRIB), Rm. 119,
Crystal Mall #2, 1801 S. Bell St.,
Arlington, VA. This docket facility is
open from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday
through Friday, excluding legal
holidays. The docket telephone number
is (703) 305–5805.
2. Electronic access. You may access
this Federal Register document
electronically through the EPA Internet
under the ‘‘Federal Register’’ listings at
https://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/.
PO 00000
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32769
An electronic version of the public
docket is available through EPA’s
electronic public docket and comment
system, EPA Dockets. You may use EPA
Dockets at https://www.epa.gov/edocket/
to view public comments, access the
index listing of the contents of the
official public docket, and to access
those documents in the public docket
that are available electronically.
Although not all docket materials may
be available electronically, you may still
access any of the publicly available
docket materials through the docket
facility identified in Unit I.B.1. Once in
the system, select ‘‘search,’’ then key in
the appropriate docket ID number.
II. Tentative Agenda
1. OPP measures process.
2. National Worker Protection
Standard (WPS) Assessment Report.
3. OPP report on the Pesticide Safety
Education Program (PSEP) Review
Report.
4. Pesticide container recycling.
5. Mosquito misters.
6. Grant guidance and funding.
7. Label review comments from
SFIREG.
8. Section 18 process: Developing
efficiencies in the process with national
emergencies.
9. Section 18: Resistance management
challenges.
10. Worker exposure: How risk is
determined drift and volatilization:
Secondary exposure.
11. Consumer labeling initiative.
12. Fumigant cluster.
13. Plant Incorporated Protectants
(PIPs): Revisions to position paper.
14. Office of Pesticide Programs and
Office of Enforcement and Compliance
Assurance reports.
15. E-Labeling.
List of Subjects
Environmental protection.
Dated: May 26, 2005.
Jay Ellenberger,
Director, Field and External Affairs Division,
Office of Pesticide Programs.
[FR Doc. 05–11164 Filed 6–3–05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–S
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
[FRL–7921–4]
[E–Docket ID No. Ord–2005–0021]
Workshop to Peer Review Proposed
Indicators for the U.S. EPA’s 2006
Report on the Environment
AGENCY:
Environmental Protection
Agency.
E:\FR\FM\06JNN1.SGM
06JNN1
32770
Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 107 / Monday, June 6, 2005 / Notices
Notice of peer-review workshop
and public comment period.
ACTION:
SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing
that ERG, an EPA contractor for external
scientific peer review, will convene a
panel of experts and organize and
conduct an independent external peerreview workshop to review the
Proposed Indicators for the U.S. EPA’s
2006 Report on the Environment
(hereafter, Proposed Indicators—EPA
ROE 2006). EPA is also announcing a
45-day public review and comment
period on the Proposed Indicators—EPA
ROE 2006. This public comment period
and the public peer-review workshop
are separate processes and will provide
an opportunity for all stakeholders to
weigh in on the primary contents of the
draft 2006 Report on the Environment
(EPA ROE 2006) at an early stage. The
selection of the Proposed Indicators—
EPA ROE 2006 was coordinated across
EPA and with other agencies. The draft
text and accompanying information for
each indicator were prepared by EPA
Program and Regional Offices, the Office
of Research and Development (ORD),
the Office of Environmental Information
(OEI), and the Office of Policy
Economics and Innovation (OPEI). In
preparing the EPA ROE 2006, EPA will
consider ERG’s report of the comments
and recommendations from the expert
peer-review workshop and any public
comments EPA receives in accordance
with today’s notice.
DATES: ERG will hold the three-day
peer-review workshop from July 27–29,
2005. The workshop will begin at 8 a.m.
for registration and end at
approximately 5 p.m., eastern daylight
time. Members of the public may attend
the peer-review workshop as observers.
Interested parties will also have an
opportunity to make brief oral
statements at the commencement of the
meeting each day.
The 45-day public comment period
begins June 6, 2005, and ends July 21,
2005. Technical comments should be in
writing and must be received by EPA by
July 21, 2005.
ADDRESSES: The external peer-review
workshop will be held in the Sphinx
Room, Almas Temple, 1315 K Street,
NW., Washington, DC 20005. To attend
the workshop, register by July 21, 2005
at the following Web site: https://
www2.ergweb.com/projects/
conferences/roe/register-roe.htm.
Interested parties can also register for
the workshop by contacting ERG, 110
Hartwell Avenue, Lexington, MA 02421;
telephone: 781–674–7374 or toll-free
800–803–2833 (between 9 a.m. and 5:30
p.m. EDT); facsimile: 781–674–2906; or
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14:25 Jun 03, 2005
Jkt 205001
e-mail: meetings@erg.com. Please
include your full address and contact
information. Space is limited, and
reservations will be accepted on a firstcome, first-served basis. Workshop
attendees who wish to make oral
statements at the workshop should
notify ERG at the time of your initial
contact that you would like to register
to make a public comment. The
workshop agenda is also available at the
above-mentioned Web site.
The Proposed Indicators—EPA ROE
2006 are available primarily via the
Internet at: https://www.epa.gov/
ROEindicators. EPA’s peer-review
charge is also available at this Web site.
Each of the proposed indicators can be
downloaded separately from this Web
site in the PDF format. A limited
number of electronic copies on compact
disc (CD) are available from the National
Center for Environmental Assessment’s
Technical Information Staff, NCEA–W;
telephone: 202–564–3261; facsimile:
202–565–0050. If you are requesting a
CD, please provide your name, your
mailing address, and the document title,
‘‘Proposed Indicators—EPA ROE 2006.’’
Public comments may be submitted
electronically via EPA’s E-Docket, by
mail, by facsimile, or by hand delivery/
courier. Please follow the detailed
instructions for submission of public
comments as provided in the section of
this notice entitled SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION. ERG will provide copies of
the public comments received by July
15, 2005, to the panel of experts prior
to the peer-review workshop.
For
information on the peer review
workshop, contact: Conference
Registration, ERG, 110 Hartwell Avenue,
Lexington, MA 02421; telephone: 781–
674–7374 or toll-free at 800–803–2833
between 9 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. EDT;
facsimile: 781–674–2906; or e-mail:
meetings@erg.com. Questions regarding
registration and logistics should be
directed to ERG.
For information on the public
comment period, contact the OEI
Docket; telephone: 202–566–1752;
facsimile: 202–566–1753; or e-mail:
ORD.Docket@epa.gov.
If you have technical questions about
the Proposed Indicators—EPA ROE
2006, contact: Julie Damon, National
Center for Environmental Assessment
(8601D), U.S. EPA, 1200 Pennsylvania
Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460;
telephone: 202–564–3404; facsimile:
202–565–0065; or e-mail:
damon.julie@epa.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
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About the Report on the Environment
and the Proposed Indicators—EPA ROE
2006
In June 2003, EPA published its first
national Draft Report on the
Environment, using available indicators
and data to answer questions pertaining
to national environmental and human
health conditions. At that time, EPA
released two companion documents—
one for readers with a general interest in
the environment (Draft Report on the
Environment Public Report) and another
for more technical readers (Draft Report
on the Environment Technical
Document). These draft documents
utilized indicators to describe the then
current environmental conditions,
trends, and data gaps.
Shortly after the release of the 2003
draft documents, EPA announced that it
planned to release the next Report on
the Environment in 2006. Activities
related to the development of EPA’s
2006 ROE have been ongoing since
release of the 2003 draft documents. As
in 2003, EPA anticipates the 2006 ROE
will include the release of two paper
documents—one for readers with a
general interest in the environment (a
Public Report) and another for more
technical readers (a Technical
Document). EPA also intends to make
the information in the 2006 ROE
available as an interactive, searchable
Web site—the ‘‘e-ROE.’’ The Technical
Document is expected to provide the
scientific foundation for the more
general Public Report and the e-ROE.
EPA plans to use the Technical
Document to present and discuss
indicators and data that are currently
available to answer the questions posed
in the ROE 2006.
The peer-review workshop on the
proposed indicators we are announcing
today precedes the production of the
draft EPA ROE 2006 Technical
Document. EPA has asked for this peer
review to obtain expert opinion on
whether the indicators proposed to be
included in the EPA ROE 2006
Technical Document are supported by
data that are technically sound, meet the
established indicator definition and
criteria, and help answer the questions
posed in the ROE 2006. As noted above,
EPA has issued a peer-review charge,
which describes the areas of inquiry on
which we have asked comment from
external experts. EPA encourages the
public to submit comments on the same
areas of inquiry. In addition, EPA
welcomes comments on any other
aspect of the proposed indicators that
the public would like to share with the
Agency. After ERG provides EPA with a
report of the peer-review workshop,
E:\FR\FM\06JNN1.SGM
06JNN1
Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 107 / Monday, June 6, 2005 / Notices
EPA will consider ERG’s report and the
public comments. Any resulting
revisions to the proposed indicators or
any changes to the list of proposed
indicators will be discussed within EPA
and with our federal agency partners.
The external review draft of the EPA
ROE 2006 Technical Document is
expected in spring/summer 2006.
How to Submit Comments to EPA’s EDocket
EPA has established an official public
docket for information pertaining to the
Proposed Indicators—EPA ROE 2006,
Docket ID No. ORD–2005–0021. The
official public docket is the collection of
materials, excluding Confidential
Business Information (CBI) or other
information for which disclosure is
restricted by statute, that is available for
public viewing at the Office of
Environmental Information (OEI) Docket
in the Headquarters EPA Docket Center,
EPA West Building, Room B102, 1301
Constitution Ave., NW., Washington,
DC. The EPA Docket Center 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 OEI Docket is 202–566–
1752; facsimile: 202–566–1753; or email: ORD.Docket@epa.gov.
An electronic version of the official
public docket is available through EPA’s
electronic public docket and comment
system, E-Docket. You may use EDocket at https://www.epa.gov/edocket/
to submit or view public comments, to
access the index of the contents of the
official public docket, and to view those
documents in the public docket that are
available electronically. Once in the
system, select ‘‘search,’’ then key in the
appropriate docket identification
number.
Certain types of information will not
be placed in E-Docket. Information
claimed as CBI and other information
for which disclosure is restricted by
statute are not included in the official
public docket and also will not be
available for public viewing in EDocket. Copyrighted material will not be
placed in E-Docket, but will be
referenced there and available as
printed material in the official public
docket.
If you intend to submit comments to
EPA, please note that it is EPA policy
to make comments available for public
viewing just as they are received at the
EPA Docket Center or in E-Docket. This
policy applies to information submitted
electronically or in paper form, except
where restricted by copyright, CBI, or
statute. When EPA identifies a comment
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14:25 Jun 03, 2005
Jkt 205001
containing copyrighted material, EPA
will provide a reference to that material
in the version of the comment placed in
EPA’s electronic public docket; the
entire printed comment, including the
copyrighted material, will be available
in the official public docket.
Public comments submitted on
computer disks that are mailed or
delivered to the docket will be
transferred to E-Docket. Physical objects
will be photographed, where practical,
and the photograph will be placed in EDocket along with a brief description
written by the docket staff.
You may submit comments
electronically, by mail, by facsimile, or
by hand delivery/courier. To ensure
proper receipt by EPA, include the
appropriate docket identification
number with your submission. Please
adhere to the specified submitting
period; public comments received past
the closing date will be marked ‘‘late’’
and may only be considered if time
permits.
If you submit public comments
electronically, EPA recommends that
you include your name, mailing
address, and an e-mail address or other
contact information in the body of your
comment. Also include these contact
details on the outside of any submitted
disk or CD–ROM, and in any cover letter
accompanying the disk or CD–ROM.
This ensures that you can be identified
as the person submitting the comment
and allows EPA to contact you in case
the Agency cannot read your
submission due to technical difficulties,
or needs further information on the
substance of your comment. EPA will
not edit your comment, and any
identifying or contact information
provided in the body of the comment
will be included as part of the comment
placed in the official public docket and
made available in E-Docket. If EPA
cannot read what you submit due to
technical difficulties and cannot contact
you for clarification, it may delay or
preclude EPA’s consideration of your
comments.
Electronic submission of comments
via E-Docket is the preferred method for
receiving comments. To access EPA’s
electronic public docket from the EPA
Internet Home Page, select ‘‘Information
Sources,’’ ‘‘Dockets,’’ and ‘‘EPA
Dockets.’’ Once in the system, select
‘‘search,’’ and key in Docket ID No.
ORD–2005–0021. The system is an
‘‘anonymous access’’ system, which
means EPA will not know your identity,
e-mail address, or other contact details
unless you provide it in the body of
your comment.
Comments may be sent by electronic
mail (e-mail) to ORD.Docket@epa.gov,
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32771
Attention Docket ID No. ORD–2005–
0021. In contrast to EPA’s electronic
public docket, EPA’s e-mail system is
not an ‘‘anonymous access’’ system. If
you send an e-mail directly to the
docket without going through EPA’s EDocket, EPA’s e-mail system
automatically captures your e-mail
address, and it becomes part of the
information in the official public docket
and is made available in E-Docket.
You may submit comments on a disk
or CD–ROM mailed to the OEI Docket
mailing address. Files will be accepted
in WordPerfect, Word, or PDF file
format. Avoid the use of special
characters and any form of encryption.
If you provide comments in writing,
please submit one unbound original
with pages numbered consecutively,
and three copies. For attachments,
provide an index, number pages
consecutively with the main text, and
submit an unbound original and three
copies.
Dated: May 31, 2005.
Peter W. Preuss,
Director, National Center for Environmental
Assessment.
[FR Doc. 05–11162 Filed 6–3–05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
[FRL–7921–3]
Science Advisory Board Staff Office;
Notification of an Upcoming
Teleconference of the
Perfluorooctanoic Acid Risk
Assessment (PFOA) Review Panel of
the EPA Science Advisory Board (SAB)
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: The EPA Science Advisory
Board (SAB) Staff Office announces a
public teleconference of the SAB
Perfluorooctanoic Acid Risk Assessment
(PFOA) Review Panel.
DATES: July 6, 2005, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
ADDRESSES: The public teleconference
will take place via telephone only.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Members of the public who wish to
obtain the call-in number and access
code to participate in the teleconference
may contact Dr. Sue Shallal, EPA
Science Advisory Board Staff (1400F),
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW.,
Washington, DC 20460; telephone/voice
mail: (202) 343–9977 or via e-mail at
shallal.suhair@epa.gov. The technical
contact in EPA’s Office of Pollution
E:\FR\FM\06JNN1.SGM
06JNN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 107 (Monday, June 6, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32769-32771]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-11162]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-7921-4]
[E-Docket ID No. Ord-2005-0021]
Workshop to Peer Review Proposed Indicators for the U.S. EPA's
2006 Report on the Environment
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.
[[Page 32770]]
ACTION: Notice of peer-review workshop and public comment period.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing
that ERG, an EPA contractor for external scientific peer review, will
convene a panel of experts and organize and conduct an independent
external peer-review workshop to review the Proposed Indicators for the
U.S. EPA's 2006 Report on the Environment (hereafter, Proposed
Indicators--EPA ROE 2006). EPA is also announcing a 45-day public
review and comment period on the Proposed Indicators--EPA ROE 2006.
This public comment period and the public peer-review workshop are
separate processes and will provide an opportunity for all stakeholders
to weigh in on the primary contents of the draft 2006 Report on the
Environment (EPA ROE 2006) at an early stage. The selection of the
Proposed Indicators--EPA ROE 2006 was coordinated across EPA and with
other agencies. The draft text and accompanying information for each
indicator were prepared by EPA Program and Regional Offices, the Office
of Research and Development (ORD), the Office of Environmental
Information (OEI), and the Office of Policy Economics and Innovation
(OPEI). In preparing the EPA ROE 2006, EPA will consider ERG's report
of the comments and recommendations from the expert peer-review
workshop and any public comments EPA receives in accordance with
today's notice.
DATES: ERG will hold the three-day peer-review workshop from July 27-
29, 2005. The workshop will begin at 8 a.m. for registration and end at
approximately 5 p.m., eastern daylight time. Members of the public may
attend the peer-review workshop as observers. Interested parties will
also have an opportunity to make brief oral statements at the
commencement of the meeting each day.
The 45-day public comment period begins June 6, 2005, and ends July
21, 2005. Technical comments should be in writing and must be received
by EPA by July 21, 2005.
ADDRESSES: The external peer-review workshop will be held in the Sphinx
Room, Almas Temple, 1315 K Street, NW., Washington, DC 20005. To attend
the workshop, register by July 21, 2005 at the following Web site:
https://www2.ergweb.com/projects/conferences/roe/register-roe.htm.
Interested parties can also register for the workshop by contacting
ERG, 110 Hartwell Avenue, Lexington, MA 02421; telephone: 781-674-7374
or toll-free 800-803-2833 (between 9 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. EDT);
facsimile: 781-674-2906; or e-mail: meetings@erg.com. Please include
your full address and contact information. Space is limited, and
reservations will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.
Workshop attendees who wish to make oral statements at the workshop
should notify ERG at the time of your initial contact that you would
like to register to make a public comment. The workshop agenda is also
available at the above-mentioned Web site.
The Proposed Indicators--EPA ROE 2006 are available primarily via
the Internet at: https://www.epa.gov/ROEindicators. EPA's peer-review
charge is also available at this Web site. Each of the proposed
indicators can be downloaded separately from this Web site in the PDF
format. A limited number of electronic copies on compact disc (CD) are
available from the National Center for Environmental Assessment's
Technical Information Staff, NCEA-W; telephone: 202-564-3261;
facsimile: 202-565-0050. If you are requesting a CD, please provide
your name, your mailing address, and the document title, ``Proposed
Indicators--EPA ROE 2006.''
Public comments may be submitted electronically via EPA's E-Docket,
by mail, by facsimile, or by hand delivery/courier. Please follow the
detailed instructions for submission of public comments as provided in
the section of this notice entitled SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. ERG will
provide copies of the public comments received by July 15, 2005, to the
panel of experts prior to the peer-review workshop.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on the peer review
workshop, contact: Conference Registration, ERG, 110 Hartwell Avenue,
Lexington, MA 02421; telephone: 781-674-7374 or toll-free at 800-803-
2833 between 9 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. EDT; facsimile: 781-674-2906; or e-
mail: meetings@erg.com. Questions regarding registration and logistics
should be directed to ERG.
For information on the public comment period, contact the OEI
Docket; telephone: 202-566-1752; facsimile: 202-566-1753; or e-mail:
ORD.Docket@epa.gov.
If you have technical questions about the Proposed Indicators--EPA
ROE 2006, contact: Julie Damon, National Center for Environmental
Assessment (8601D), U.S. EPA, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW.,
Washington, DC 20460; telephone: 202-564-3404; facsimile: 202-565-0065;
or e-mail: damon.julie@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
About the Report on the Environment and the Proposed Indicators--EPA
ROE 2006
In June 2003, EPA published its first national Draft Report on the
Environment, using available indicators and data to answer questions
pertaining to national environmental and human health conditions. At
that time, EPA released two companion documents--one for readers with a
general interest in the environment (Draft Report on the Environment
Public Report) and another for more technical readers (Draft Report on
the Environment Technical Document). These draft documents utilized
indicators to describe the then current environmental conditions,
trends, and data gaps.
Shortly after the release of the 2003 draft documents, EPA
announced that it planned to release the next Report on the Environment
in 2006. Activities related to the development of EPA's 2006 ROE have
been ongoing since release of the 2003 draft documents. As in 2003, EPA
anticipates the 2006 ROE will include the release of two paper
documents--one for readers with a general interest in the environment
(a Public Report) and another for more technical readers (a Technical
Document). EPA also intends to make the information in the 2006 ROE
available as an interactive, searchable Web site--the ``e-ROE.'' The
Technical Document is expected to provide the scientific foundation for
the more general Public Report and the e-ROE. EPA plans to use the
Technical Document to present and discuss indicators and data that are
currently available to answer the questions posed in the ROE 2006.
The peer-review workshop on the proposed indicators we are
announcing today precedes the production of the draft EPA ROE 2006
Technical Document. EPA has asked for this peer review to obtain expert
opinion on whether the indicators proposed to be included in the EPA
ROE 2006 Technical Document are supported by data that are technically
sound, meet the established indicator definition and criteria, and help
answer the questions posed in the ROE 2006. As noted above, EPA has
issued a peer-review charge, which describes the areas of inquiry on
which we have asked comment from external experts. EPA encourages the
public to submit comments on the same areas of inquiry. In addition,
EPA welcomes comments on any other aspect of the proposed indicators
that the public would like to share with the Agency. After ERG provides
EPA with a report of the peer-review workshop,
[[Page 32771]]
EPA will consider ERG's report and the public comments. Any resulting
revisions to the proposed indicators or any changes to the list of
proposed indicators will be discussed within EPA and with our federal
agency partners. The external review draft of the EPA ROE 2006
Technical Document is expected in spring/summer 2006.
How to Submit Comments to EPA's E-Docket
EPA has established an official public docket for information
pertaining to the Proposed Indicators--EPA ROE 2006, Docket ID No. ORD-
2005-0021. The official public docket is the collection of materials,
excluding Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information
for which disclosure is restricted by statute, that is available for
public viewing at the Office of Environmental Information (OEI) Docket
in the Headquarters EPA Docket Center, EPA West Building, Room B102,
1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC. The EPA Docket Center
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 OEI
Docket is 202-566-1752; facsimile: 202-566-1753; or e-mail:
ORD.Docket@epa.gov.
An electronic version of the official public docket is available
through EPA's electronic public docket and comment system, E-Docket.
You may use E-Docket at https://www.epa.gov/edocket/ to submit or view
public comments, to access the index of the contents of the official
public docket, and to view those documents in the public docket that
are available electronically. Once in the system, select ``search,''
then key in the appropriate docket identification number.
Certain types of information will not be placed in E-Docket.
Information claimed as CBI and other information for which disclosure
is restricted by statute are not included in the official public docket
and also will not be available for public viewing in E-Docket.
Copyrighted material will not be placed in E-Docket, but will be
referenced there and available as printed material in the official
public docket.
If you intend to submit comments to EPA, please note that it is EPA
policy to make comments available for public viewing just as they are
received at the EPA Docket Center or in E-Docket. This policy applies
to information submitted electronically or in paper form, except where
restricted by copyright, CBI, or statute. When EPA identifies a comment
containing copyrighted material, EPA will provide a reference to that
material in the version of the comment placed in EPA's electronic
public docket; the entire printed comment, including the copyrighted
material, will be available in the official public docket.
Public comments submitted on computer disks that are mailed or
delivered to the docket will be transferred to E-Docket. Physical
objects will be photographed, where practical, and the photograph will
be placed in E-Docket along with a brief description written by the
docket staff.
You may submit comments electronically, by mail, by facsimile, or
by hand delivery/courier. To ensure proper receipt by EPA, include the
appropriate docket identification number with your submission. Please
adhere to the specified submitting period; public comments received
past the closing date will be marked ``late'' and may only be
considered if time permits.
If you submit public comments electronically, EPA recommends that
you include your name, mailing address, and an e-mail address or other
contact information in the body of your comment. Also include these
contact details on the outside of any submitted disk or CD-ROM, and in
any cover letter accompanying the disk or CD-ROM. This ensures that you
can be identified as the person submitting the comment and allows EPA
to contact you in case the Agency cannot read your submission due to
technical difficulties, or needs further information on the substance
of your comment. EPA will not edit your comment, and any identifying or
contact information provided in the body of the comment will be
included as part of the comment placed in the official public docket
and made available in E-Docket. If EPA cannot read what you submit due
to technical difficulties and cannot contact you for clarification, it
may delay or preclude EPA's consideration of your comments.
Electronic submission of comments via E-Docket is the preferred
method for receiving comments. To access EPA's electronic public docket
from the EPA Internet Home Page, select ``Information Sources,''
``Dockets,'' and ``EPA Dockets.'' Once in the system, select
``search,'' and key in Docket ID No. ORD-2005-0021. The system is an
``anonymous access'' system, which means EPA will not know your
identity, e-mail address, or other contact details unless you provide
it in the body of your comment.
Comments may be sent by electronic mail (e-mail) to
ORD.Docket@epa.gov, Attention Docket ID No. ORD-2005-0021. In contrast
to EPA's electronic public docket, EPA's e-mail system is not an
``anonymous access'' system. If you send an e-mail directly to the
docket without going through EPA's E-Docket, EPA's e-mail system
automatically captures your e-mail address, and it becomes part of the
information in the official public docket and is made available in E-
Docket.
You may submit comments on a disk or CD-ROM mailed to the OEI
Docket mailing address. Files will be accepted in WordPerfect, Word, or
PDF file format. Avoid the use of special characters and any form of
encryption. If you provide comments in writing, please submit one
unbound original with pages numbered consecutively, and three copies.
For attachments, provide an index, number pages consecutively with the
main text, and submit an unbound original and three copies.
Dated: May 31, 2005.
Peter W. Preuss,
Director, National Center for Environmental Assessment.
[FR Doc. 05-11162 Filed 6-3-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P