Notification of a Public Meeting of the Science Advisory Board; Lake Erie Phosphorus Objectives Review Panel, 31936 [2016-11973]

Agencies

• ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 98 (Friday, May 20, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Page 31936]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-11973]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-9946-73-OA]


Notification of a Public Meeting of the Science Advisory Board; 
Lake Erie Phosphorus Objectives Review Panel

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or Agency) Science 
Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office announces a public meeting of the SAB 
Lake Erie Phosphorus Objectives Review Panel to provide advice on the 
development of phosphorus loading targets for Lake Erie.

DATES: The public meeting will be held on June 21, 2016 from 9:00 a.m. 
to 5:00 p.m. (Central Time) and on June 22, 2016, from 8:30 a.m. to 
2:00 p.m. (Central Time).

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held at the Palmer House Hilton 
Hotel, 17 East Monroe Street, Chicago, Illinois 60603.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Any member of the public who wants 
further information concerning this public meeting may contact Dr. 
Thomas Armitage, Designated Federal Officer (DFO), EPA Science Advisory 
Board Staff Office (1400R), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 
Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20460; by telephone at (202) 
564-2155 or via email at armitage.thomas@epa.gov. General information 
concerning the SAB can be found at https://www.epa.gov/sab.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Background: The SAB was established pursuant to the Environmental 
Research, Development, and Demonstration Authorization Act (ERDAA), 
codified at 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), 5 U.S.C. 
App. 2. The SAB will comply with the provisions of FACA and all 
appropriate SAB Staff Office procedural policies. Pursuant to FACA and 
EPA policy, notice is hereby given that the SAB Lake Erie Phosphorus 
Objectives Review Panel will hold a public meeting to provide advice to 
the EPA on the development of phosphorus loading targets for Lake Erie. 
The Panel will provide advice to the Administrator through the 
chartered SAB. The Panel previously met in 2014 to develop advice on 
modeling approaches to meet the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement 
(GLWQA) Lake Ecosystem Objectives (79 FR 68441-68442).
    EPA Region 5 is co-leading a binational workgroup to develop and 
implement the Nutrients Annex (``Annex 4'') of the 2012 GLWQA in 
accordance with Article 3(b)(i) of the GLWQA. Under Annex 4, the United 
States and Canada were charged with establishing binational Substance 
Objectives for phosphorus concentrations, loading targets, and 
allocations for the nearshore and offshore waters of Lake Erie. The EPA 
Region 5 Water Division has requested that the SAB review modeling 
results that informed the development of the binational phosphorus 
reduction targets. The EPA has also requested advice on future work to 
support implementation and evaluation of nutrient reduction goals for 
Lake Erie. The SAB Panel will review the documents titled Annex 4 
Ensemble Modeling Report and Appendix B, and Recommended Phosphorus 
Loading Targets for Lake Erie. Additional information about this SAB 
advisory activity can be found at the following URL https://yosemite.epa.gov/sab/sabproduct.nsf/fedrgstr_activites/GLWQA%20Annex%204?OpenDocument.
    Technical Contacts: Any technical questions concerning work 
conducted under the GLWQA Annex 4 and the documents to be reviewed by 
the SAB should be directed to Ms. Santina Wortman, Water Division, U.S. 
EPA Region 5, 77 West Jackson Boulevard (WW-15J), Chicago, Illinois 
60604, by telephone at (312) 353-8319 or via email at 
wortman.santina@epa.gov.
    Availability of the meeting materials: Prior to the meeting, the 
review documents, meeting agenda and other materials will be accessible 
on the meeting page on the SAB Web site at https://www.epa.gov/sab.
    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 the EPA. 
Interested members of the public may submit relevant information on the 
topic of this advisory activity, including the charge to the panel and 
the EPA review documents, and/or the group conducting the activity, for 
the SAB to consider during the advisory process. Input from the public 
to the SAB will have the most impact if it consists of comments that 
provide specific scientific or technical information or analysis for 
the SAB panel to consider or if it relates to the clarity or accuracy 
of the technical information. Members of the public wishing to provide 
comment should contact the DFO directly.
    Oral Statements: In general, individuals or groups requesting an 
oral presentation at the meeting will be limited to five minutes per 
speaker. Interested parties should contact Dr. Thomas Armitage, DFO, in 
writing (preferably via email), at the contact information noted above, 
by June 14, 2016 to be placed on the list of public speakers for the 
meeting.
    Written Statements: Written statements will be accepted throughout 
the advisory process; however, for timely consideration by Panel 
members, statements should be supplied to the DFO (preferably via 
email) at the contact information noted above by June 14, 2016. It is 
the SAB Staff Office general policy to post written comments on the Web 
page for advisory meetings. Submitters are requested to provide an 
unsigned version of each document because the SAB Staff Office does not 
publish documents with signatures on its Web sites. Members of the 
public should be aware that their personal contact information, if 
included in any written comments, may be posted to the SAB Web site. 
Copyrighted material will not be posted without explicit permission of 
the copyright holder.
    Accessibility: For information on access or services for 
individuals with disabilities, please contact Dr. Armitage at the 
contact information provided above. To request accommodation of a 
disability, please contact Dr. Armitage preferably at least ten days 
prior to the meeting, to give EPA as much time as possible to process 
your request.

    Dated: May 13, 2016.
Thomas H. Brennan,
Deputy Director, EPA Science Advisory Board Staff Office.
[FR Doc. 2016-11973 Filed 5-19-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P