Environmental Protection Agency January 7, 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, Public Law 92- 463 as amended (5 U.S.C., App. 2), notification is hereby given that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development (ORD) will hold a public conference call meeting of the HICCAC. This public conference call meeting is a follow-up to the public meeting that was held on October 15-16, 2007 (72 FR 52877, September 17, 2007). The U.S. District Court for the District of Northern California has ordered the interagency U.S. Climate Change Science Program (CCSP) to produce the periodic scientific assessment of climate change required by the Global Change Research Act of 1990 by May 31, 2008 (Center for Biological Diversity v. Brennan, et al., 2007 WL 2408901 [No. 06-7062, Aug. 21, 2007]). Synthesis and Assessment Product 4.6, which is being reviewed by the HICCAC, is an integral component of this assessment. The CCSP has directed EPA to complete and submit a final draft of Product 4.6 to the CCSP by January 31, 2008. To meet this deadline, the HICCAC is holding this conference call meeting to review its final report on this product. This notice is being published less than 15 days before the teleconference. Product 4.6 is a large document that has been developed under an unusually short time frame, with impacts on the authors' and committee members' schedules. January 14 is the only date that the Committee is available to hold this conference call meeting. Since EPA will likely have to make changes to the document following the teleconference, delaying this meeting would cause EPA to be late in submitting this product to the CCSP. Participants will discuss the revisions to the document that were a result of the public meeting in October. The CCSP expects to release the draft scientific assessment in April 2008. Interested parties will have an opportunity to review and comment on the entire scientific assessment, including Product 4.6, when it is released to the public. Public Participation: Members of the public may submit written comments to Joanna Foellmer, Designated Federal Official, HICCAC (see the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section below). In addition, members of the public may call into the conference call meeting as observers, and there will be a limited time for comments from the public. Please contact Joanna Foellmer no later than COB January 10, 2008, if you wish to make oral comments during the conference call meeting. Requests to make oral comments must be in writing (via e-mail, fax or ground mail). Please send a copy of your presentation to Joanna Foellmer by January 12, 2008. Information on services for the disabled may be obtained by contacting Joanna Foellmer. Agenda: The proposed agenda for the conference call includes, but is not limited to, a review of the revised Synthesis and Assessment Product (SAP 4.6) that analyzes the impacts of global change on human health, human settlements, and human welfare. The HICCAC will respond to the changes made to the final report based on the review of an earlier draft of the report. There will be a discussion by the HICCAC panel with respect to their individual and collective assessment of the revised SAP 4.6 report. A draft agenda may be obtained from Joanna Foellmer (see the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section below).

EPA is granting Michigan final authorization of the changes to its hazardous waste program under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). EPA published a proposed rule on October 9, 2007 at 72 FR 57258 and provided for public comment. The public comment period ended on November 8, 2007. We received no comments. No further opportunity for comment will be provided. EPA has determined that these changes satisfy all requirements needed to qualify for final authorization and is authorizing the State's changes through this final action.