BASINS and WEPP Climate Assessment Tools: Case Study Guide to Potential Applications, 71341-71342 [2011-29749]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 222 / Thursday, November 17, 2011 / Notices Are there changes in the estimates from the last approval? There is no in increase of the total estimated respondent burden compared with that identified in the ICR currently approved by OMB. This reflects EPA’s and the SBEAP’s desire to make useful data available to the public. The trend among government agencies is toward outcome measures; in the past the data collected through this ICR was of limited use in providing measures of this type. Therefore, the EPA, in consultation with representatives from the state programs, has decided that an increase in the hours would not provide improved data quality and usefulness. What is the next step in the process for this ICR? EPA will consider the comments received and amend the ICR as appropriate. The final ICR package will then be submitted to OMB for review and approval pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.12. At that time, EPA will issue another Federal Register notice pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.5(a)(1)(iv) to announce the submission of the ICR to OMB and the opportunity to submit additional comments to OMB. If you have any questions about this ICR or the approval process, please contact the technical person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. Dated: November 10, 2011. Kimberly Patrick, Acting Director, Office of Small Business Programs. [FR Doc. 2011–29758 Filed 11–16–11; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6560–50–P ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [FRL–9494–4; Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–ORD– 2011–0914] BASINS and WEPP Climate Assessment Tools: Case Study Guide to Potential Applications Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice of public comment period and letter peer-review. AGENCY: EPA is announcing a 30-day public comment period for the draft document titled, BASINS and WEPP Climate Assessment Tools (CAT): Case Study Guide to Potential Applications (EPA/600/R–11/123A). EPA also is announcing that an EPA contractor for external scientific peer review will select an independent group of experts to conduct a letter peer-review of the draft document. The document was jlentini on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES SUMMARY: VerDate Mar<15>2010 17:25 Nov 16, 2011 Jkt 226001 prepared by the National Center for Environmental Assessment within EPA’s Office of Research and Development, and is intended to support application of two recently developed water modeling tools, the BASINS and WEPP climate assessment tools. The report presents a series of short case studies designed to illustrate the capabilities of these tools for conducting scenario based assessments of the potential future effects of climate, land use, and management change on water resources. EPA intends to forward the public comments that are submitted in accordance with this notice to the external peer-reviewers for their consideration during the letter review. When finalizing the draft document, EPA intends to consider any public comments received in accordance with this notice. EPA is releasing this draft assessment for the purposes of public comment and peer review. This draft assessment is not final as described in EPA’s information quality guidelines, and it does not represent and should not be construed to represent Agency policy or views. The draft document is available via the Internet on the NCEA home page under the Recent Additions and the Data and Publications menus at https:// www.epa.gov/ncea. DATES: The 30-day public comment period begins November 17, 2011, and ends December 19, 2011. Technical comments should be in writing and must be received by EPA by December 19, 2011. ADDRESSES: The draft document, BASINS and WEPP Climate Assessment Tools: Case Study Guide to Potential Applications, is available primarily via the Internet on the National Center for Environmental Assessment’s home page under the Recent Additions and the Data and Publications menus at https:// www.epa.gov/ncea. A limited number of paper copies are available from the Information Management Team, NCEA; telephone: (703) 347–8561; facsimile: (703) 347–8691. If you are requesting a paper copy, please provide your name, mailing address, and the document title. Comments may be submitted electronically via https:// www.regulations.gov, by mail, by facsimile, or by hand delivery/courier. Please follow the detailed instructions provided in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this notice. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on the public comment period, contact the Office of Environmental Information Docket; telephone: (202) 566–1752; facsimile: PO 00000 Frm 00035 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 71341 (202) 566–1753; or email: ORD.Docket@epa.gov. For technical information, contact Thomas Johnson, NCEA; telephone: (703) 347–8618; facsimile: (703) 347– 8694; or email: johnson.thomas@epa.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Information About the Project/ Document There is growing concern about the potential effects of climate change on water resources. U.S. EPA and partners have developed two assessment tools, the BASINS Climate Assessment Tool (BASINS CAT) and the Water Erosion Prediction Project Climate Assessment Tool (WEPPCAT), that facilitate application of existing simulation models for conducting scenario-based assessments of potential climate change impacts on water. This report presents a series of short case studies using the BASINS and WEPP climate assessment tools. The case studies are designed to illustrate the capabilities of these tools for conducting assessments of the potential future effects of climate, land use, and management change on water resources. Climate change scenarios are created based on model projections as well as historical data and past events. Land use change and management scenarios are also included to address questions related to the relative effects of land use versus climate change, and the effectiveness of management practices for reducing impacts. This report is technical in nature. It is of interest to modeling professionals including water and watershed managers, urban or regional planners, government officials, and scientists and engineers interested in using the BASINS or WEPP water models to assess the potential implications of climate change on water resources. II. How To Submit Technical Comments to the Docket at www.regulations.gov Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–ORD 2011– 0914, by one of the following methods: • www.regulations.gov: Follow the on-line instructions for submitting comments; • Email: ORD.Docket@epa.gov; • Fax: (202)–566–9744; • Mail: Office of Environmental Information (OEI) Docket (Mail Code: 28221T), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460. The phone number is (202) 566–1752. If you provide comments by mail, please submit one unbound original with pages E:\FR\FM\17NON1.SGM 17NON1 jlentini on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES 71342 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 222 / Thursday, November 17, 2011 / Notices numbered consecutively and three copies of the comments. For attachments, provide an index, number pages consecutively with the comments, and submit an unbound original and three copies; or • Hand Delivery: The OEI Docket is located in the EPA Headquarters Docket Center, EPA West Building, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC. The EPA Docket Center’s 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. Deliveries are only accepted during the docket’s normal hours of operation, and special arrangements should be made for deliveries of boxed information. If you provide comments by hand delivery, please submit one unbound original with pages numbered consecutively and three copies of the comments. For attachments, provide an index, number pages consecutively with the comments, and submit an unbound original and three copies. Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–ORD–2011– 0914. Please ensure that your comments are submitted within the specified comment period. Comments received after the closing date will be marked ‘‘late,’’ and may only be considered if time permits. It is EPA’s policy to include all comments it receives in the public docket without change and to make the comments available online at https://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided, unless a 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 through https:// www.regulations.gov or email. 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 email comment directly to EPA without going through https:// www.regulations.gov, your email 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 VerDate Mar<15>2010 17:25 Nov 16, 2011 Jkt 226001 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. For additional information about EPA’s public docket visit the EPA Docket Center homepage at https:// www.epa.gov/epahome/dockets.htm. Docket: 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 materials, such as copyrighted material, are publicly available only in hard copy. Publicly available docket materials are available either electronically at https:// www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at the OEI Docket in the EPA Headquarters Docket Center. Dated: November 10, 2011. Darrell A. Winner, Acting Director, National Center for Environmental Assessment. [FR Doc. 2011–29749 Filed 11–16–11; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6560–50–P ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [FRL–9493–4] Proposed CERCLA Administrative Cost Recovery Settlement; River Forest Dry Cleaners Site, River Forest, Cook County, IL Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice; request for public comment. AGENCY: In accordance with Section 122(i) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, as amended (‘‘CERCLA’’), 42 U.S.C. 9622(i), notice is hereby given of a proposed administrative settlement for recovery of past response costs concerning the River Forest Dry Cleaners site in River Forest, Cook County, Illinois with the following settling party: Edward Ditchfield. The settlement requires the Settling Party to pay $39,926, plus any interest accrued between the date of receipt of notice by the Settling Party that EPA has signed the CERCLA 122(h), 42 U.S.C. 9622(h) Settlement Agreement (Agreement) and the Effective Date of the Agreement, to the Hazardous Substance Superfund through an escrow account to be established by the Settling Party. The settlement includes a covenant not to sue the Settling Party pursuant to SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00036 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Section 107(a) of CERCLA, 42 U.S.C. 9607(a), and contribution protection for the Settling Party pursuant to Sections 113(f)(2) and 122(h)(4) of CERCLA, 42 U.S.C. 9613(f)(2) and 9622(h)(4). For thirty (30) days following the date of publication of this notice, the Agency will receive written comments relating to the settlement. The Agency will consider all comments received and may modify or withdraw its consent to the settlement if comments received disclose facts or considerations which indicate that the settlement is inappropriate, improper, or inadequate. The Agency’s response to any comments received will be available for public inspection at the EPA, Region 5, Records Center, 77 W. Jackson Blvd., 7th Fl., and Chicago, Illinois 60604. Comments must be submitted on or before December 19, 2011. DATES: The proposed settlement is available for public inspection at the EPA, Region 5, Records Center, 77 W. Jackson Blvd., 7th Fl., Chicago, Illinois 60604. A copy of the proposed settlement may be obtained from Peter Felitti, Assoc. Regional Counsel, EPA, Office of Regional Counsel, Region 5, 77 W. Jackson Blvd., mail code: C–14J, Chicago, Illinois 60604. Comments should reference the River Forest Dry Cleaners Site, River Forest, Cook County, Illinois and EPA Docket No. and should be addressed to Peter Felitti, Assoc. Regional Counsel, EPA, Office of Regional Counsel, Region 5, 77 W. Jackson Blvd., mail code: C–14J, Chicago, Illinois 60604. ADDRESSES: FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Peter Felitti, Assoc. Regional Counsel, EPA, Office of Regional Counsel, Region 5, 77 W. Jackson Blvd., mail code: C– 14J, Chicago, Illinois 60604. The River Forest Dry Cleaners Superfund Site is located in River Forest, Cook County, Illinois. After EPA received an email from a concerned teacher, U.S. EPA conducted indoor air and sub-slab samples in facilities around the Site in November 2009, February 2010 and March 2010. The results did not indicate any level of contamination that warranted a removal action. The removal assessment was completed in March 2010. U.S. EPA issued a Demand Letter to the Settling Party in September 2010. Between September 2010 and July 2011, EPA and the Settling Party negotiated the present proposed Administrative Settlement. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: E:\FR\FM\17NON1.SGM 17NON1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 222 (Thursday, November 17, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71341-71342]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-29749]


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

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-9494-4; Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-2011-0914]


BASINS and WEPP Climate Assessment Tools: Case Study Guide to 
Potential Applications

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of public comment period and letter peer-review.

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

SUMMARY: EPA is announcing a 30-day public comment period for the draft 
document titled, BASINS and WEPP Climate Assessment Tools (CAT): Case 
Study Guide to Potential Applications (EPA/600/R-11/123A). EPA also is 
announcing that an EPA contractor for external scientific peer review 
will select an independent group of experts to conduct a letter peer-
review of the draft document. The document was prepared by the National 
Center for Environmental Assessment within EPA's Office of Research and 
Development, and is intended to support application of two recently 
developed water modeling tools, the BASINS and WEPP climate assessment 
tools. The report presents a series of short case studies designed to 
illustrate the capabilities of these tools for conducting scenario 
based assessments of the potential future effects of climate, land use, 
and management change on water resources.
    EPA intends to forward the public comments that are submitted in 
accordance with this notice to the external peer-reviewers for their 
consideration during the letter review. When finalizing the draft 
document, EPA intends to consider any public comments received in 
accordance with this notice. EPA is releasing this draft assessment for 
the purposes of public comment and peer review. This draft assessment 
is not final as described in EPA's information quality guidelines, and 
it does not represent and should not be construed to represent Agency 
policy or views.
    The draft document is available via the Internet on the NCEA home 
page under the Recent Additions and the Data and Publications menus at 
https://www.epa.gov/ncea.

DATES: The 30-day public comment period begins November 17, 2011, and 
ends December 19, 2011. Technical comments should be in writing and 
must be received by EPA by December 19, 2011.

ADDRESSES: The draft document, BASINS and WEPP Climate Assessment 
Tools: Case Study Guide to Potential Applications, is available 
primarily via the Internet on the National Center for Environmental 
Assessment's home page under the Recent Additions and the Data and 
Publications menus at https://www.epa.gov/ncea. A limited number of 
paper copies are available from the Information Management Team, NCEA; 
telephone: (703) 347-8561; facsimile: (703) 347-8691. If you are 
requesting a paper copy, please provide your name, mailing address, and 
the document title.
    Comments may be submitted electronically via https://www.regulations.gov, by mail, by facsimile, or by hand delivery/
courier. Please follow the detailed instructions provided in the 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this notice.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on the public comment 
period, contact the Office of Environmental Information Docket; 
telephone: (202) 566-1752; facsimile: (202) 566-1753; or email: 
ORD.Docket@epa.gov.
    For technical information, contact Thomas Johnson, NCEA; telephone: 
(703) 347-8618; facsimile: (703) 347-8694; or email: 
johnson.thomas@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Information About the Project/Document

    There is growing concern about the potential effects of climate 
change on water resources. U.S. EPA and partners have developed two 
assessment tools, the BASINS Climate Assessment Tool (BASINS CAT) and 
the Water Erosion Prediction Project Climate Assessment Tool (WEPPCAT), 
that facilitate application of existing simulation models for 
conducting scenario-based assessments of potential climate change 
impacts on water.
    This report presents a series of short case studies using the 
BASINS and WEPP climate assessment tools. The case studies are designed 
to illustrate the capabilities of these tools for conducting 
assessments of the potential future effects of climate, land use, and 
management change on water resources. Climate change scenarios are 
created based on model projections as well as historical data and past 
events. Land use change and management scenarios are also included to 
address questions related to the relative effects of land use versus 
climate change, and the effectiveness of management practices for 
reducing impacts.
    This report is technical in nature. It is of interest to modeling 
professionals including water and watershed managers, urban or regional 
planners, government officials, and scientists and engineers interested 
in using the BASINS or WEPP water models to assess the potential 
implications of climate change on water resources.

II. How To Submit Technical Comments to the Docket at 
www.regulations.gov

    Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD 2011-
0914, by one of the following methods:
     www.regulations.gov: Follow the on-line instructions for 
submitting comments;
     Email: ORD.Docket@epa.gov;
     Fax: (202)-566-9744;
     Mail: Office of Environmental Information (OEI) Docket 
(Mail Code: 28221T), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 
Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460. The phone number is 
(202) 566-1752. If you provide comments by mail, please submit one 
unbound original with pages

[[Page 71342]]

numbered consecutively and three copies of the comments. For 
attachments, provide an index, number pages consecutively with the 
comments, and submit an unbound original and three copies; or
     Hand Delivery: The OEI Docket is located in the EPA 
Headquarters Docket Center, EPA West Building, Room 3334, 1301 
Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC. The EPA Docket Center's 
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. Deliveries are only accepted during the 
docket's normal hours of operation, and special arrangements should be 
made for deliveries of boxed information. If you provide comments by 
hand delivery, please submit one unbound original with pages numbered 
consecutively and three copies of the comments. For attachments, 
provide an index, number pages consecutively with the comments, and 
submit an unbound original and three copies.
    Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-
2011-0914. Please ensure that your comments are submitted within the 
specified comment period. Comments received after the closing date will 
be marked ``late,'' and may only be considered if time permits. It is 
EPA's policy to include all comments it receives in the public docket 
without change and to make the comments available online at https://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided, 
unless a 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 through https://www.regulations.gov or 
email. 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 email comment directly to EPA without going through https://www.regulations.gov, your email 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. For additional information about EPA's public docket visit the 
EPA Docket Center homepage at https://www.epa.gov/epahome/dockets.htm.
    Docket: 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 materials, 
such as copyrighted material, are publicly available only in hard copy. 
Publicly available docket materials are available either electronically 
at https://www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at the OEI Docket in the 
EPA Headquarters Docket Center.

    Dated: November 10, 2011.
Darrell A. Winner,
Acting Director, National Center for Environmental Assessment.
[FR Doc. 2011-29749 Filed 11-16-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.