[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 189 (Monday, September 29, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56578-56579]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-22791]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-8722-6]
Science Advisory Board Staff Office; Notification of a Public
Teleconference of the Homeland Security Advisory Committee
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 teleconference for
the Agency and its federal partners to brief the Homeland Security
Advisory Committee (HSAC) on their progress in developing the
Environmental Response Technical Assistance Document for Bacillus
anthracis Terrorism Incidents (ERTAD).
DATES: The public teleconference will be held on Wednesday, October 15,
2008, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. (Eastern time).
Location: The public teleconference will be conducted by telephone
only.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Members of the public who wish to
obtain further information regarding this public teleconference meeting
should contact Ms. Vivian Turner, Designated Federal Officer, by
telephone: (202) 343-9697 or e-mail at [email protected]. The SAB
mailing address is U.S. EPA Science Advisory Board (1400F), U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW.,
Washington, DC 20460. General information about the SAB as well as any
updates concerning this request for nominations may be found on the SAB
Web site at http://www.epa.gov/sab.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The SAB was established by 42 U.S.C. 4365 to
provide independent scientific and technical advice to the EPA
Administrator on the technical basis for Agency policies and
regulations. The SAB is a Federal Advisory Committee chartered under
the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), as amended, 5 U.S.C., App.
The SAB will comply with the provisions of FACA and all appropriate SAB
Staff Office procedural policies. The SAB HSAC provides scientific and
technical advice to the EPA Administrator through the chartered SAB on
scientific matters pertaining to EPA's mission in protecting against
the environmental and health consequences of terrorism.
EPA's Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER) is
charged with preserving and restoring the land by using innovative
waste management practices and cleaning up contaminated properties to
reduce risks posed by harmful substances. EPA has a major role in
reducing the risk to human health and the environment posed by
accidental or intentional releases of harmful substances. For emergency
preparedness, response and homeland security, EPA works closely with
sixteen other federal agencies on the Federal Government National
Response Team (NRT). The NRT has asked OSWER to request consultative
advice from the SAB HSAC on the Environmental Response Technical
Assistance Document for Bacillus anthracis Terrorism Incidents (ERTAD)
(Formerly known as the Draft Federal Inter-Agency Anthrax Technical
Assistance Document (TAD)). The TAD was initially an interim technical
resource document developed in
[[Page 56579]]
response to the 2001 anthrax incidents (Draft Federal Inter-Agency
Anthrax Technical Assistance Document). The NRT requested the Weapons
of Mass Destruction (WMD) Subcommittee to the Science and Technology
Committee to revise the TAD based on consultative advice from the SAB.
In response to OSWER's request, the SAB Staff Office solicited public
nominations (73 FR no 61, page 16679-80) of experts with specific
experience in the microbiology of anthrax to augment the SAB Homeland
Security Advisory Committee (HSAC), who will conduct the consultation.
The purpose of the teleconference is for the NRT to brief the HSAC on
the ERTAD.
Availability of Meeting Materials: EPA's background materials for
this briefing will be posted on a link on the front page of National
Response Team Web site at http://www.nrt.org--under the Hot Topics
Section.
The EPA technical contact for the ERTAD is Captain Colleen F.
Petullo, USPHS, detailed to EPA's Office of Solid Waste and Emergency
Response. Captain Petullo may be contacted by telephone at (702) 784-
8004 or via e-mail at [email protected]. The agenda and other
briefing materials for the upcoming public meeting will be posted on
the SAB Web site at http://www.epa.gov/sab.
Procedures for Providing Public Input: Interested members of the
public may submit relevant written or oral information for the SAB
Committee to consider on the topics under review. Oral Statements: In
general, individuals or groups requesting an oral presentation at a
public conference call will be limited to three minutes per speaker,
with no more than a total of one half hour for all speakers. Interested
parties should contact Ms. Turner, DFO, in writing (preferably via e-
mail) at the contact information noted above, by October 10, 2008 to be
placed on a list of public speakers for the meeting. Written
Statements: Written statements should be received in the SAB Staff
Office by October 10, 2008 so that the information may be made
available to the SAB Panel members for their consideration. Written
statements should be supplied to the DFO in the following formats: one
hard copy with original signature, and one electronic copy via e-mail
(acceptable file format: Adobe Acrobat PDF, WordPerfect, MS Word, MS
PowerPoint, or Rich Text files in IBM-PC/Windows 98/2000/XP format).
Accessibility: For information on access or services for
individuals with disabilities, please contact Ms. Turner at the phone
number or e-mail address noted above, preferably at least ten days
prior to the meeting to give EPA as much time as possible to process
your request.
Dated: September 24, 2008.
Vanessa T. Vu,
Director, EPA Science Advisory Board Staff Office.
[FR Doc. E8-22791 Filed 9-26-08; 8:45 am]
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