80 FR 69652 - Notification of a Public Teleconference of the Science Advisory Board Hydraulic Fracturing Research Advisory Panel

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 217 (November 10, 2015)

Page Range		69652-69653
FR Document		2015-28663

The EPA Science Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office announces a public teleconference of the SAB Hydraulic Fracturing Research Advisory Panel as part of the peer review of the EPA draft report, Assessment of the Potential Impacts of Hydraulic Fracturing for Oil and Gas on Drinking Water Resources, (May, 2015 External Review Draft, EPA/600/R- 15/047). The teleconference will serve to complete agenda items from the October 28-30, 2015 Panel meeting, namely to develop preliminary key points in response to charge questions on the agency's draft assessment.

Federal Register, Volume 80 Issue 217 (Tuesday, November 10, 2015)

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 217 (Tuesday, November 10, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69652-69653]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-28663]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-9936-92-OA]


Notification of a Public Teleconference of the Science Advisory 
Board Hydraulic Fracturing Research Advisory Panel

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The EPA Science Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office announces a 
public teleconference of the SAB Hydraulic Fracturing Research Advisory 
Panel as part of the peer review of the EPA draft report, Assessment of 
the Potential Impacts of Hydraulic Fracturing for Oil and Gas on 
Drinking Water Resources, (May, 2015 External Review Draft, EPA/600/R-
15/047). The teleconference will serve to complete agenda items from 
the October 28-30, 2015 Panel meeting, namely to develop preliminary 
key points in response to charge questions on the agency's draft 
assessment.

DATES: The public teleconference will be held on Thursday, December 3, 
2015, from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. (Eastern Time).

ADDRESSES: The 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 may 
contact Edward Hanlon, Designated Federal Officer, by telephone: (202) 
564-2134 or email at [email protected]. The SAB mailing address is: 
U.S. EPA Science Advisory Board (1400R), U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20460. General 
information about the SAB, including information concerning the SAB 
meeting and teleconferences announced in this notice, may be found on 
the SAB Web site at http://www.epa.gov/sab.
    Technical Contact for EPA's Draft Report: Any technical questions 
concerning EPA's draft report should be directed to Dr. Jeffrey 
Frithsen, National Center for Environmental Assessment, Office of 
Research and Development, U.S. EPA, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Mail 
Code 8601P, Washington, DC 20460, telephone (703) 347-8623 or via email 
at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Background: The SAB was established pursuant to the Environmental 
Research, Development, and Demonstration Authorization Act (ERDDAA), 
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 Hydraulic Fracturing 
Research Advisory Panel will hold a public teleconference as part of 
the peer review of the EPA draft report, Assessment of the Potential 
Impacts of Hydraulic Fracturing for Oil and Gas on Drinking Water 
Resources, (May, 2015 External Review Draft, EPA/600/R-15/047).
    The EPA's Office of Research and Development (ORD) has developed a 
draft assessment report concerning the relationship between hydraulic 
fracturing and drinking water in the United States. The purpose of the 
report, Assessment of the Potential Impacts of Hydraulic Fracturing for 
Oil and Gas on Drinking Water Resources, (May, 2015 External Review 
Draft, EPA/600/R-15/047), is to synthesize available scientific 
literature and data to assess the potential for hydraulic fracturing 
for oil and gas to impact the quality or quantity of drinking water 
resources, and identify factors affecting the frequency or severity of 
any potential impacts. As noticed in 80 FR 32111-32113, the SAB 
Hydraulic Fracturing Research Advisory Panel held a face-to-face 
meeting on October 28-30, 2015, to conduct a peer review of the 
agency's draft report.
    The purpose of the December 3, 2015, public teleconference is for 
the SAB Hydraulic Fracturing Research Advisory Panel to complete agenda 
items from the October 28-30, 2015 Panel meeting, namely to develop 
preliminary key points in response to charge questions on the agency's 
draft assessment.
    Availability of Meeting Materials: Additional background on this 
SAB activity, the teleconference agenda, and other materials for the 
teleconference will be posted on the SAB Web site at http://yosemite.epa.gov/sab/sabproduct.nsf/02ad90b136fc21ef85256eba00436459/f7a9db9abbac015785257e540052dd54!OpenDocument&Highlight=0,hydraulic,fracturing in advance of the teleconference.
    Procedures for Providing Public Input: 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, 
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 provides specific scientific or technical 
information or analysis for SAB committees and panels to consider or if 
it relates to the clarity or accuracy of the technical information. 
Throughout the Panel review process, there will be opportunities for 
the public to provide comments. For example, the public was invited to 
provide comments to the Docket on the draft EPA report and will have an 
opportunity to provide comments to the Docket on the SAB Panel's draft 
report, provide oral statements to the Panel during the Panel 
teleconferences and meeting, and provide comments in preparation for 
quality review of the SAB Panel's draft report by the Chartered SAB. 
Members of the public wishing to provide written comments may submit 
them to the EPA Docket electronically via www.regulations.gov, by 
email, by mail, by facsimile, or by hand delivery/courier. Please 
follow the detailed instructions provided in the written statements 
section of this notice. Members of the public wishing to

[[Page 69653]]

provide oral statements to the SAB Panel should contact the DFO 
directly.
    Oral Statements: In general, individuals or groups requesting to 
present an oral statement at a public teleconference will be limited to 
three minutes per speaker. To be placed on the public speaker list for 
the December 3, 2015 teleconference, interested parties should notify 
Mr. Edward Hanlon, DFO, by email no later than November 25, 2015.
    Written Statements: Written statements for the December 3, 2015, 
teleconference should be received in the EPA Docket by November 25, 
2015, so that the information may be made available to the SAB Panel 
sufficiently in advance of the teleconference for the Panel's 
consideration.
    Written statements should be identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OA-
2015-0245 and submitted to the Docket at www.regulations.gov by one of 
the following methods:
     www.regulations.gov: Follow the on-line instructions for 
submitting comments.
     Email: [email protected]: Include the docket number in 
the subject line of the message.
     Mail: Office of Environmental Information (OEI) Docket 
(Mail Code: 28221T), Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OA-2015-0245, U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., 
Washington, DC 20460. The phone number is (202) 566-1752.
     Hand Delivery: The OEI Docket is located in the EPA 
headquarters Docket Center, Room 3334, EPA West Building, 1301 
Constitution Ave. NW., Washington, DC. The EPA Docket Center 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.
     Fax: (202) 566-9744.
    Public comments submitted after November 25, 2015 will be marked 
late, and should be submitted to the Docket by email, mail, hand 
delivery or fax (see detailed instructions above). Consistent with SAB 
Staff Office general practice, comments received after November 25, 
2015 will be made available to the SAB Panel as soon as practicable. It 
is EPA's policy to include all comments received in the public docket 
without change and to make the comments available on-line at 
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 www.regulations.gov or email. The 
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 directly 
to EPA without going through 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 comments due to 
technical difficulties and cannot contact you for clarification, the 
SAB Panel may not be able to consider your comments. Electronic files 
should avoid the use of special characters and 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 
www.epa.gov/epahome/dockets.htm.
    Documents in the docket are listed in the 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 material, such as copyrighted 
material will be publicly available only in hard copy. Publicly 
available docket materials are available either electronically at 
www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at the OEI Docket in the EPA 
Headquarters Docket Center.
    Accessibility: For information on access or services for 
individuals with disabilities, please contact Mr. Edward Hanlon at the 
phone number or email 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: November 3, 2015.
Thomas H. Brennan,
Deputy Director, EPA Science Advisory Board Staff Office.
[FR Doc. 2015-28663 Filed 11-9-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P

69652 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 217 / Tuesday, November 10, 2015 / Notices

Filed Date: 11/2/15. from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. (Eastern available scientific literature and data to
Accession Number: 20151102–5258. Time). assess the potential for hydraulic
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 11/16/15. fracturing for oil and gas to impact the
ADDRESSES: The teleconference will be
Docket Numbers: RP16–137–001. conducted by telephone only. quality or quantity of drinking water
Applicants: Tallgrass Interstate Gas resources, and identify factors affecting
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Transmission, L. the frequency or severity of any
Description: Tariff Amendment: Members of the public who wish to
potential impacts. As noticed in 80 FR
Amendment to RP16–137 to be effective obtain further information regarding this
32111–32113, the SAB Hydraulic
12/1/2015. public teleconference may contact
Fracturing Research Advisory Panel
Filed Date: 11/2/15. Edward Hanlon, Designated Federal
held a face-to-face meeting on October
Accession Number: 20151102–5259. Officer, by telephone: (202) 564–2134 or
28–30, 2015, to conduct a peer review
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 11/12/15. email at hanlon.edward@epa.gov. The
of the agency’s draft report.
Any person desiring to protest in any SAB mailing address is: U.S. EPA
The purpose of the December 3, 2015,
of the above proceedings must file in Science Advisory Board (1400R), U.S.
public teleconference is for the SAB
accordance with Rule 211 of the Environmental Protection Agency, 1200
Hydraulic Fracturing Research Advisory
Commission’s Regulations (18 CFR Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington,
Panel to complete agenda items from the
385.211) on or before 5:00 p.m. Eastern DC 20460. General information about October 28–30, 2015 Panel meeting,
time on the specified comment date. the SAB, including information namely to develop preliminary key
The filings are accessible in the concerning the SAB meeting and points in response to charge questions
Commission’s eLibrary system by teleconferences announced in this on the agency’s draft assessment.
clicking on the links or querying the notice, may be found on the SAB Web Availability of Meeting Materials:
docket number. site at http://www.epa.gov/sab. Additional background on this SAB
eFiling is encouraged. More detailed Technical Contact for EPA's Draft activity, the teleconference agenda, and
information relating to filing Report: Any technical questions other materials for the teleconference
requirements, interventions, protests, concerning EPA’s draft report should be will be posted on the SAB Web site at
service, and qualifying facilities filings directed to Dr. Jeffrey Frithsen, National http://yosemite.epa.gov/sab/sabproduct.
can be found at: http://www.ferc.gov/ Center for Environmental Assessment, nsf/02ad90b136fc21ef85256
docs-filing/efiling/filing-req.pdf. For Office of Research and Development, eba00436459/f7a9db9abbac015785257
other information, call (866) 208–3676 U.S. EPA, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue e540052dd54!OpenDocument&
(toll free). For TTY, call (202) 502–8659. NW., Mail Code 8601P, Washington, DC Highlight=0,hydraulic,fracturing in
20460, telephone (703) 347–8623 or via advance of the teleconference.
Dated: November 3, 2015.
email at frithsen.jeff@epa.gov. Procedures for Providing Public Input:
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Federal advisory committees and
Deputy Secretary. Background: The SAB was panels, including scientific advisory
[FR Doc. 2015–28523 Filed 11–9–15; 8:45 am] established pursuant to the committees, provide independent
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P Environmental Research, Development, advice to the EPA. Interested members
and Demonstration Authorization Act of the public may submit relevant
(ERDDAA), codified at 42 U.S.C. 4365, information on the topic of this advisory
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION to provide independent scientific and activity, and/or the group conducting
AGENCY technical advice to the Administrator on the activity, for the SAB to consider
the technical basis for Agency positions during the advisory process. Input from
[FRL–9936–92–OA]
and regulations. The SAB is a Federal the public to the SAB will have the most
Notification of a Public Teleconference Advisory Committee chartered under impact if it provides specific scientific
of the Science Advisory Board the Federal Advisory Committee Act or technical information or analysis for
Hydraulic Fracturing Research (FACA), 5 U.S.C., App. 2. The SAB will SAB committees and panels to consider
Advisory Panel comply with the provisions of FACA or if it relates to the clarity or accuracy
and all appropriate SAB Staff Office of the technical information.
AGENCY: Environmental Protection procedural policies. Pursuant to FACA Throughout the Panel review process,
Agency (EPA). and EPA policy, notice is hereby given there will be opportunities for the
ACTION: Notice. that the SAB Hydraulic Fracturing public to provide comments. For
Research Advisory Panel will hold a example, the public was invited to
SUMMARY: The EPA Science Advisory public teleconference as part of the peer provide comments to the Docket on the
Board (SAB) Staff Office announces a review of the EPA draft report, draft EPA report and will have an
public teleconference of the SAB Assessment of the Potential Impacts of opportunity to provide comments to the
Hydraulic Fracturing Research Advisory Hydraulic Fracturing for Oil and Gas on Docket on the SAB Panel’s draft report,
Panel as part of the peer review of the Drinking Water Resources, (May, 2015 provide oral statements to the Panel
EPA draft report, Assessment of the External Review Draft, EPA/600/R±15/ during the Panel teleconferences and
Potential Impacts of Hydraulic 047). meeting, and provide comments in
Fracturing for Oil and Gas on Drinking The EPA’s Office of Research and preparation for quality review of the
Water Resources, (May, 2015 External Development (ORD) has developed a SAB Panel’s draft report by the
Review Draft, EPA/600/R±15/047). The draft assessment report concerning the Chartered SAB. Members of the public
asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES

teleconference will serve to complete relationship between hydraulic wishing to provide written comments
agenda items from the October 28–30, fracturing and drinking water in the may submit them to the EPA Docket
2015 Panel meeting, namely to develop United States. The purpose of the electronically via www.regulations.gov,
preliminary key points in response to report, Assessment of the Potential by email, by mail, by facsimile, or by
charge questions on the agency’s draft Impacts of Hydraulic Fracturing for Oil hand delivery/courier. Please follow the
assessment. and Gas on Drinking Water Resources, detailed instructions provided in the
DATES: The public teleconference will (May, 2015 External Review Draft, EPA/ written statements section of this notice.
be held on Thursday, December 3, 2015, 600/R±15/047), is to synthesize Members of the public wishing to

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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 217 / Tuesday, November 10, 2015 / Notices 69653

provide oral statements to the SAB (CBI) or other information whose ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
Panel should contact the DFO directly. disclosure is restricted by statute. Do AGENCY
Oral Statements: In general, not submit information that you
individuals or groups requesting to [EPA–HQ–OW–2015–0668; FRL–9936–78–
consider to be CBI or otherwise OW]
present an oral statement at a public protected through www.regulations.gov
teleconference will be limited to three or email. The www.regulations.gov Web Notice of Opportunity To Provide
minutes per speaker. To be placed on site is an ‘‘anonymous access’’ system, Information on Existing Programs That
the public speaker list for the December which means EPA will not know your Protect Water Quality From Forest
3, 2015 teleconference, interested Road Discharges
identity or contact information unless
parties should notify Mr. Edward
you provide it in the body of your
Hanlon, DFO, by email no later than AGENCY: Environmental Protection
November 25, 2015. comment. If you send an email directly
Agency (EPA).
Written Statements: Written to EPA without going through
ACTION: Notice.
statements for the December 3, 2015, www.regulations.gov, your email
teleconference should be received in the address will be automatically captured SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection
EPA Docket by November 25, 2015, so and included as part of the comment Agency (EPA) solicits public input and
that the information may be made that is placed in the public docket and information on existing public and
available to the SAB Panel sufficiently made available on the Internet. If you private sector programs that address
in advance of the teleconference for the submit an electronic comment, EPA stormwater discharges from forest roads.
Panel’s consideration. recommends that you include your This information will assist EPA in
Written statements should be name and other contact information in responding to the remand in
identified by Docket ID No. EPA–HQ– the body of your comment and with any Environmental Defense Center, Inc. v.
OA–2015–0245 and submitted to the disk or CD–ROM you submit. If EPA U.S. EPA, 344 F.2d 832 (9th Cir. 2003)
Docket at www.regulations.gov by one of cannot read your comments due to that requires EPA to consider whether
the following methods: technical difficulties and cannot contact the Clean Water Act requires the Agency
• www.regulations.gov: Follow the you for clarification, the SAB Panel may to regulate forest roads. This notice does
on-line instructions for submitting not be able to consider your comments. not imply that EPA has made any
comments. Electronic files should avoid the use of decision to do so. EPA is considering
• Email: Docket_OEI@epa.gov: the implementation, effectiveness, and
Include the docket number in the special characters and any form of
encryption and be free of any defects or scope of existing programs in addressing
subject line of the message. water quality impacts attributable to
• Mail: Office of Environmental viruses. For additional information
about EPA’s public docket, visit the EPA stormwater discharges from forest roads
Information (OEI) Docket (Mail Code: prior to making any decision. The
28221T), Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–OA– Docket Center homepage at
Agency plans to assess a variety of
2015–0245, U.S. Environmental www.epa.gov/epahome/dockets.htm.
existing programs, including federal,
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Documents in the docket are listed in state, local, tribal, third party
Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460. The the www.regulations.gov index. certifications, and combinations of these
phone number is (202) 566–1752. Although listed in the index, some approaches, as well as voluntary best
• Hand Delivery: The OEI Docket is information is not publicly available, management practices (BMP)-based
located in the EPA headquarters Docket e.g., CBI or other information whose approaches. In preparing its response to
Center, Room 3334, EPA West Building, disclosure is restricted by statute. the remand, EPA is coordinating with
1301 Constitution Ave. NW., other federal agencies, and will assess
Certain other material, such as
Washington, DC. The EPA Docket whether any additional stormwater
copyrighted material will be publicly
Center Public Reading Room is open controls are called for, consistent with
from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday available only in hard copy. Publicly
available docket materials are available federal law, including the recent 2014
through Friday, excluding legal amendments to the Clean Water Act.
holidays. The telephone number for the either electronically at
Public Reading Room is (202) 566–1744. www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at DATES: Comments must be received on
Deliveries are only accepted during the the OEI Docket in the EPA Headquarters or before January 11, 2016.
docket’s normal hours of operation, and Docket Center. ADDRESSES: Submit your comments,
special arrangements should be made Accessibility: For information on identified by Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–
for deliveries of boxed information. access or services for individuals with OW–2015–0668, to the Federal
• Fax: (202) 566–9744. disabilities, please contact Mr. Edward eRulemaking Portal: http://
Public comments submitted after Hanlon at the phone number or email www.regulations.gov. Follow the online
November 25, 2015 will be marked late, address noted above, preferably at least instructions for submitting comments.
and should be submitted to the Docket Once submitted, comments cannot be
ten days prior to the meeting to give
by email, mail, hand delivery or fax (see edited or removed from Regulations.gov.
EPA as much time as possible to process
detailed instructions above). Consistent EPA may publish any comment received
your request.
with SAB Staff Office general practice, to its public docket. Do not submit
comments received after November 25, Dated: November 3, 2015. electronically any information you
2015 will be made available to the SAB consider to be Confidential Business
asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES

Thomas H. Brennan,
Panel as soon as practicable. It is EPA’s Deputy Director, EPA Science Advisory Board Information (CBI) or other information
policy to include all comments received Staff Office. whose disclosure is restricted by statute.
in the public docket without change and [FR Doc. 2015–28663 Filed 11–9–15; 8:45 am] Multimedia submissions (audio, video,
to make the comments available on-line etc.) must be accompanied by a written
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
at www.regulations.gov, including any comment. The written comment is
personal information provided, unless a considered the official comment and
comment includes information claimed should include discussion of all points
to be Confidential Business Information you wish to make. EPA will generally

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Document Created: 2018-03-01 11:25:34
Document Modified: 2018-03-01 11:25:34

Category		Regulatory Information
Collection		Federal Register
sudoc Class		AE 2.7: GS 4.107: AE 2.106:
Publisher		Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
Section		Notices
Action		Notice.
Dates		The public teleconference will be held on Thursday, December 3, 2015, from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. (Eastern Time).
Contact		Members of the public who wish to obtain further information regarding this public teleconference may contact Edward Hanlon, Designated Federal Officer, by telephone: (202)
FR Citation		80 FR 69652