Availability of the External Peer Review Draft of Using Probabilistic Methods To Enhance the Role of Risk Analysis in Decision-Making With Case Study Examples, 41695-41696 [E9-19755]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 158 / Tuesday, August 18, 2009 / Notices Issued in Washington, DC, on August 12, 2009. Eric J. Fygi, Acting General Counsel. [FR Doc. E9–19763 Filed 8–17–09; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6450–01–P DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. CP09–452–000] National Fuel Gas Supply Corporation; Notice of Request Under Blanket Authorization jlentini on DSKJ8SOYB1PROD with NOTICES August 11, 2009. Take notice that on August 5, 2009, National Fuel Gas Supply Corporation (National Fuel), 6363 Main Street, Williamsville, New York 14221, filed in Docket No. CP09–452–000, a prior notice request pursuant to sections 157.205 and 157.216 of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s regulations under the Natural Gas Act for authorization to abandon certain minor underground natural gas storage facilities, located in Jefferson County, Pennsylvania, all as more fully set forth in the application, which is on file with the Commission and open to public inspection. The filing may also be viewed on the Web at https:// www.ferc.gov using the ‘‘eLibrary’’ link. Enter the docket number excluding the last three digits in the docket number field to access the document. For assistance, contact FERC at FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or call toll-free, (866) 208–3676 or TTY, (202) 502–8659. Specifically, National Fuel proposes to plug and abandon one injection/ withdrawal well, Well 4885 and to abandon the associated well line GW– 4885, consisting of approximately 500 feet of 4-inch diameter pipeline, in the Galbraith Storage Field, located in Jefferson County, Pennsylvania. National Fuel states that the well is no longer useful due to poor injection performance and poor deliverability and needs to be reconditioned or plugged due to deterioration of the well casing. National Fuel declares that the well line will serve no purpose once the well is plugged and abandoned. National Fuel asserts that due to the poor performance of Well 4885, the proposed abandonment will not result in a material decrease in service to customers. Any questions regarding the application should be directed to David W. Reitz, Deputy General Counsel, National Fuel Gas Supply Corporation, VerDate Nov<24>2008 16:30 Aug 17, 2009 Jkt 217001 6363 Main Street, Williamsville, New York 14221, or call at (716) 857–7949. Any person may, within 60 days after the issuance of the instant notice by the Commission, file pursuant to Rule 214 of the Commission’s Procedural Rules (18 CFR 385.214) a motion to intervene or notice of intervention. Any person filing to intervene or the Commission’s staff may, pursuant to section 157.205 of the Commission’s Regulations under the Natural Gas Act (NGA) (18 CFR 157.205) file a protest to the request. If no protest is filed within the time allowed therefore, the proposed activity shall be deemed to be authorized effective the day after the time allowed for protest. If a protest is filed and not withdrawn within 30 days after the time allowed for filing a protest, the instant request shall be treated as an application for authorization pursuant to section 7 of the NGA. The Commission strongly encourages electronic filings of comments, protests, and interventions via the Internet in lieu of paper. See 18 CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions on the Commission’s Web site (https:// www.ferc.gov) under the ‘‘e-Filing’’ link. Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary. [FR Doc. E9–19729 Filed 8–17–09; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717–01–P ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [EPA–HQ–ORD–2009–NNNN; FRL–8943–2] Availability of the External Peer Review Draft of Using Probabilistic Methods To Enhance the Role of Risk Analysis in Decision-Making With Case Study Examples AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice of document availability for public comment. SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing a 15-day public comment period for the external peer review draft of ‘‘Using Probabilistic Methods to Enhance the Role of Risk Analysis in DecisionMaking With Case Study Examples,’’ a white paper, and the ‘‘Manager’s Summary’’ of the same document. All comments received by the closing date of September 1, 2009 will be shared with the external peer review panel for their consideration. Comments received after the close of the comment period may be considered by EPA when it finalizes the document. These draft interim papers do not represent and PO 00000 Frm 00022 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 41695 should not be construed to represent any EPA policy, viewpoint, or determination. Members of the public may obtain the draft documents from https://www.regulations.gov; or https:// www.epa.gov/raf/prawhitepaper; or from Gary Bangs via the contact information below. EPA will convene a panel of invited experts to review the draft document. The external expert peer review will be conducted by letter and closed teleconference in the May 2009 time frame. The panel may consider public comments received in the official public docket for this activity under docket ID number EPA–HQ–ORD–2009–NNNN. The draft documents and peer-review charge are available at https:// www.epa.gov/raf/prawhitepaper. In preparing a final document, EPA will consider the public comments submitted to EPA’s docket during the public comment period as well as the comments and recommendations from the external peer-reviewers. EPA is releasing these draft documents solely for the purpose of predissemination peer review under applicable information quality guidelines. These documents have not been formally disseminated by the EPA. They do not represent and should not be construed to represent any Agency policy or determination. DATES: All comments received by September 1, 2009 will be shared with the external peer review panel for their consideration. Comments received beyond that time may be considered by EPA when it finalizes the documents. ADDRESSES: The draft documents are available electronically through the EPA Office of the Science Advisor’s Web site at: https://www.epa.gov/raf/ prawhitepaper. Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–ORD–2009– NNNN, by one of the following methods: • Online at: https:// www.regulations.gov; Follow the on-line instructions for submitting comments. • E-mail: ORD.Docket@epa.gov. • Mail: ORD Docket, Environmental Protection Agency, Mailcode: 28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460. • Hand Delivery: EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), Room 3334, EPA West Building, 1301 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460, Attention Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–ORD–2009– NNNN. Deliveries are only accepted from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. Special arrangements should be made for deliveries of boxed information. E:\FR\FM\18AUN1.SGM 18AUN1 jlentini on DSKJ8SOYB1PROD with NOTICES 41696 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 158 / Tuesday, August 18, 2009 / Notices Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–ORD–2009– NNNN. EPA’s policy is that all comments received will be included in the public docket without change and may be made available online at http: //www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided, unless the comment includes information claimed to be Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Do not submit information that you consider to be CBI or otherwise protected by statute through https:// www.regulations.gov or e-mail. The https://www.regulations.gov Web site is an ‘‘anonymous access’’ system, which means EPA will not know your identity or contact information unless you provide it in the body of your comment. If you send an e-mail comment directly to EPA, without going through https:// www.regulations.gov, your e-mail address will be automatically captured and included as part of the comment that is placed in the public docket and made available on the Internet. If you submit an electronic comment, EPA recommends that you include your name and other contact information in the body of your comment and with any disk or CD–ROM you submit. If EPA cannot read your comment due to technical difficulties and cannot contact you for clarification, EPA may not be able to consider your comment. Electronic files should avoid the use of special characters, any form of encryption, and be free of any defects or viruses. Docket: All documents in the docket are listed in the https:// 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 https://www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at the ORD Docket, EPA/DC, EPAWest, 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 ORD Docket is (202) 566–1752. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gary Bangs, Risk Assessment Forum, Mail Code 8105R, Environmental Protection VerDate Nov<24>2008 16:30 Aug 17, 2009 Jkt 217001 Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (202) 564–6667; fax number: (202) 564–2070, E-mail: bangs.gary@epa.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Various stakeholders, inside and outside the Agency, have called for a more comprehensive characterization of risks, including uncertainties, in protecting more sensitive or vulnerable populations and life stages. Therefore, the Office of the Science Advisor of the EPA, together with EPA’s Science Policy Council and members of EPA’s Risk Assessment Forum (RAF), identified a need to examine the use of probabilistic approaches in Agency risk assessment and risk management. An RAF Technical Panel developed this paper and the manager’s summary to provide a general overview of the value of probabilistic analyses and similar or related methods, and some examples of current applications across the Agency. The purpose of these papers is not only to describe potential and actual uses of these tools in the risk decision process, but also to encourage their further implementation in human, ecological and environmental risk analysis and related decision making. The enhanced use of probabilistic analyses to characterize uncertainty in assessments would not only reflect external scientific advice on how to further advance EPA risk assessment science, but will also help to address specific challenges faced by managers and improve confidence in Agency decisions. The draft document was prepared by the Probabilistic Risk Analysis Technical Panel of EPA’s Risk Assessment Forum and has undergone internal peer review. Dated: August 4, 2009. Kevin Teichman, Acting EPA Science Advisor. [FR Doc. E9–19755 Filed 8–17–09; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6560–50–P ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [FRL–8946–7] Science Advisory Board Staff Office; Notification of an Upcoming Meeting of the Science Advisory Board; Ecological Processes and Effects Committee AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or Agency) Science PO 00000 Frm 00023 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office announces a public meeting of the SAB Ecological Processes and Effects Committee to conduct a review of EPA’s draft guidance document, Empirical Approaches for Nutrient Criteria Derivation. DATES: The meeting dates are Wednesday, September 9, 2009 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Eastern Time), Thursday, September 10, 2009 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Eastern Time) and Friday, September 11, 2009 from 8:30 a.m. to 12 noon (Eastern Time). ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Marriott at Metro Center Hotel, 775 12th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20005. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Members of the public who wish to obtain further information about this meeting must contact Dr. Thomas Armitage, Designated Federal Officer (DFO). Dr. Armitage may be contacted at the EPA Science Advisory Board (1400F), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460; or via telephone/voice mail; (202) 343–9995; fax (202) 233–0643; or e-mail at armitage.thomas@epa.gov. Any inquiry regarding EPA’s draft guidance document, Empirical Approaches for Nutrient Criteria Derivation, should be directed to Ms. Ifeyinwa Davis of EPA’s Office of Water at davis.ifeyinwa@epa.gov or (202) 566– 1096. General information about the EPA SAB, as well as any updates concerning the meeting announced in this notice, may be found on the SAB Web site at https://www.epa.gov/sab. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, Public Law 92–463, notice is hereby given that the SAB Ecological Processes and Effects Committee will hold a public meeting to conduct a peer review of EPA’s draft guidance document, Empirical Approaches for Nutrient Criteria Derivation. The SAB was established by 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 the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), as amended, 5 U.S.C., App. 2. The SAB will comply with the provisions of FACA and all appropriate SAB Staff Office procedural policies. Background: EPA’s Office of Water (OW) is responsible for deriving national recommended water quality criteria that serve as guidance to States to assist them in establishing water E:\FR\FM\18AUN1.SGM 18AUN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 158 (Tuesday, August 18, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41695-41696]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-19755]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-ORD-2009-NNNN; FRL-8943-2]


Availability of the External Peer Review Draft of Using 
Probabilistic Methods To Enhance the Role of Risk Analysis in Decision-
Making With Case Study Examples

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of document availability for public comment.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing a 
15-day public comment period for the external peer review draft of 
``Using Probabilistic Methods to Enhance the Role of Risk Analysis in 
Decision-Making With Case Study Examples,'' a white paper, and the 
``Manager's Summary'' of the same document. All comments received by 
the closing date of September 1, 2009 will be shared with the external 
peer review panel for their consideration. Comments received after the 
close of the comment period may be considered by EPA when it finalizes 
the document. These draft interim papers do not represent and should 
not be construed to represent any EPA policy, viewpoint, or 
determination. Members of the public may obtain the draft documents 
from https://www.regulations.gov; or https://www.epa.gov/raf/prawhitepaper; or from Gary Bangs via the contact information below.
    EPA will convene a panel of invited experts to review the draft 
document. The external expert peer review will be conducted by letter 
and closed teleconference in the May 2009 time frame. The panel may 
consider public comments received in the official public docket for 
this activity under docket ID number EPA-HQ-ORD-2009-NNNN. The draft 
documents and peer-review charge are available at https://www.epa.gov/raf/prawhitepaper. In preparing a final document, EPA will consider the 
public comments submitted to EPA's docket during the public comment 
period as well as the comments and recommendations from the external 
peer-reviewers.
    EPA is releasing these draft documents solely for the purpose of 
pre-dissemination peer review under applicable information quality 
guidelines. These documents have not been formally disseminated by the 
EPA. They do not represent and should not be construed to represent any 
Agency policy or determination.

DATES: All comments received by September 1, 2009 will be shared with 
the external peer review panel for their consideration. Comments 
received beyond that time may be considered by EPA when it finalizes 
the documents.

ADDRESSES: The draft documents are available electronically through the 
EPA Office of the Science Advisor's Web site at: https://www.epa.gov/raf/prawhitepaper.
    Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-2009-
NNNN, by one of the following methods:
     Online at: https://www.regulations.gov; Follow the on-line 
instructions for submitting comments.
     E-mail: ORD.Docket@epa.gov.
     Mail: ORD Docket, Environmental Protection Agency, 
Mailcode: 28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460.
     Hand Delivery: EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), Room 3334, EPA 
West Building, 1301 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460, 
Attention Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-2009-NNNN. Deliveries are only 
accepted from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding 
legal holidays. Special arrangements should be made for deliveries of 
boxed information.

[[Page 41696]]

    Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-
2009-NNNN. EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included 
in the public docket without change and may be made available online at 
https://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information 
provided, unless the comment includes information claimed to be 
Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose 
disclosure is restricted by statute. Do not submit information that you 
consider to be CBI or otherwise protected by statute through https://www.regulations.gov or e-mail. The https://www.regulations.gov Web site 
is an ``anonymous access'' system, which means EPA will not know your 
identity or contact information unless you provide it in the body of 
your comment. If you send an e-mail comment directly to EPA, without 
going through https://www.regulations.gov, your e-mail address will be 
automatically captured and included as part of the comment that is 
placed in the public docket and made available on the Internet. If you 
submit an electronic comment, EPA recommends that you include your name 
and other contact information in the body of your comment and with any 
disk or CD-ROM you submit. If EPA cannot read your comment due to 
technical difficulties and cannot contact you for clarification, EPA 
may not be able to consider your comment. Electronic files should avoid 
the use of special characters, any form of encryption, and be free of 
any defects or viruses.
    Docket: All documents in the docket are listed in the https://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 https://www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at the ORD 
Docket, EPA/DC, EPAWest, 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 ORD Docket is (202) 566-1752.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gary Bangs, Risk Assessment Forum, 
Mail Code 8105R, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania 
Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (202) 564-6667; 
fax number: (202) 564-2070, E-mail: bangs.gary@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Various stakeholders, inside and outside the 
Agency, have called for a more comprehensive characterization of risks, 
including uncertainties, in protecting more sensitive or vulnerable 
populations and life stages. Therefore, the Office of the Science 
Advisor of the EPA, together with EPA's Science Policy Council and 
members of EPA's Risk Assessment Forum (RAF), identified a need to 
examine the use of probabilistic approaches in Agency risk assessment 
and risk management. An RAF Technical Panel developed this paper and 
the manager's summary to provide a general overview of the value of 
probabilistic analyses and similar or related methods, and some 
examples of current applications across the Agency. The purpose of 
these papers is not only to describe potential and actual uses of these 
tools in the risk decision process, but also to encourage their further 
implementation in human, ecological and environmental risk analysis and 
related decision making. The enhanced use of probabilistic analyses to 
characterize uncertainty in assessments would not only reflect external 
scientific advice on how to further advance EPA risk assessment 
science, but will also help to address specific challenges faced by 
managers and improve confidence in Agency decisions. The draft document 
was prepared by the Probabilistic Risk Analysis Technical Panel of 
EPA's Risk Assessment Forum and has undergone internal peer review.

    Dated: August 4, 2009.
Kevin Teichman,
Acting EPA Science Advisor.
[FR Doc. E9-19755 Filed 8-17-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
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