[Federal Register: August 5, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 149)]
[Notices]               
[Page 39075-39076]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr05au09-68]                         

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-8940-4]

 
EPA Science Advisory Board Staff Office; Notification of Two 
Public Teleconferences of the Chartered Science Advisory Board: 
Additional Information

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In a Federal Register notice dated July 15, 2009, the EPA 
Science Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office announced a public 
teleconference on August 28, 2009 for a chartered SAB quality review of 
its draft report on the Agency's Expert Elicitation White Paper. That 
teleconference will occur as announced, but will include the addition 
of a briefing on the SAB Integrated Nitrogen Committee draft report. 
The briefing will provide information in preparation for a future 
quality review of the Integrated Nitrogen Committee report to be 
announced in a future Federal Register notice. This corrected notice 
announces the addition of the Integrated Nitrogen Committee.

DATES: The public teleconference date will be Friday, August 28, 2009 
from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. (all times are Eastern Time).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Thomas Miller, Designated Federal 
Officer (DFO), EPA Science Advisory Board (1400F), (202) 343-9982.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The EPA published a document in the Federal 
Register notice dated July 15, 2009, FR Doc. E9-16842, on pages 34348-
34349, the EPA Science Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office announced a 
public teleconference on August 28, 2009 for a chartered SAB quality 
review of its draft report on the Agency's Expert Elicitation White 
Paper. Background (c) as follows is being added for discussion at the 
meeting.
    (c) Briefing To Prepare for the Quality Review of the SAB's Draft 
Integrated Nitrogen Research Report: During this teleconference, the 
SAB will also receive a briefing to help Board members prepare for a 
future quality review of a draft SAB Integrated Nitrogen Committee 
draft report. The SAB quality review will occur at a future public 
meeting or teleconference yet to be announced. The briefing will 
summarize the Committee's original study on reactive nitrogen. Reactive 
nitrogen, a form of nitrogen consisting mainly of ammonium and nitrate, 
is ``fixed'' by natural or human-driven processes or recycled from 
decaying organic matter. Increasing quantities of reactive nitrogen 
released by human activities, such as the production and use of 
synthetic fertilizers, burning of fossil fuel, and planting of 
nitrogen-fixing crops currently surpasses the amount of nitrogen fixed 
by natural processes (e.g., microbial activities, wildfire). Adverse 
environmental effects may occur when reactive nitrogen occurs in 
amounts that exceed what the ecosystem can normally use or recycle. 
Adverse effects may include

[[Page 39076]]

degradation of air and water quality, harmful algae blooms, hypoxia, 
fish kills, loss of drinking water supplies, loss of biodiversity, 
forest declines, and human health effects.
    The SAB Integrated Nitrogen Committee undertook this study to 
assess linkages among the environmental effects of reactive nitrogen 
and to explore their implications for nitrogen research and risk 
management. The study recommends a more integrated approach to reactive 
nitrogen research and identifies opportunities for integrated 
approaches for nitrogen management.
    Information about the work of the SAB Integrated Nitrogen Committee 
is available on the SAB Web site at http://yosemite.epa.gov/sab/
sabproduct.nsf/fedrgstr_activites/Nitrogen%20Project?OpenDocument.

    Dated: July 30, 2009.
Anthony Maciorowski,
Deputy Director, EPA Science Advisory Board Staff Office.
[FR Doc. E9-18697 Filed 8-4-09; 8:45 am]

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