81 FR 30535 - Notification of Two Public Teleconferences of the Science Advisory Board; Environmental Economics Advisory Committee

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 95 (May 17, 2016)

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Science Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office announces two public teleconferences of the Environmental Economics Advisory Committee (EEAC) to review its draft report regarding the EPA's proposed methodology for updating its mortality risk valuation estimates for policy analysis.

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 95 (Tuesday, May 17, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30535-30536]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-11622]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-9946-44-OA]


Notification of Two Public Teleconferences of the Science 
Advisory Board; Environmental Economics Advisory Committee

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Science Advisory 
Board (SAB) Staff Office announces two public teleconferences of the 
Environmental Economics Advisory Committee (EEAC) to review its draft 
report regarding the EPA's proposed methodology for updating its 
mortality risk valuation estimates for policy analysis.

DATES: The SAB Environmental Economics Advisory Committee will conduct 
public teleconferences on June 16 and June 17, 2016. Each of the 
teleconferences will begin at 1:00 p.m. and end at 5:00 p.m. (Eastern 
Time).

ADDRESSES: The teleconferences will be conducted by telephone only.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Any member of the public who wants 
further information concerning the public teleconferences 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 [email protected]. 
General information concerning the EPA SAB can be found at http://www.epa.gov/sab.

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 Environmental Economics 
Advisory Committee will hold two public teleconferences to discuss its 
draft report on the EPA's methodology for updating its mortality risk 
valuation estimates for policy analysis. The committee will provide 
advice to the Administrator through the chartered SAB.
    The EPA's Office of Policy requested advice on proposed 
improvements to the Agency's methodology for estimating benefits 
associated with reduced risk of mortality. This methodology takes into 
account the amounts that individuals are willing to pay for reductions 
in mortality risk. The resulting values are combined into an estimate 
known as the value of statistical life (VSL) which is used in 
regulatory benefit-cost analysis. The EPA also requested that the SAB 
review options for accounting for changes in the VSL over time as real 
income grows, known as income elasticity of willingness to pay. The EPA 
submitted the following documents to the SAB for review: (1) Valuing 
Mortality Risk for Policy: A Meta-analytic Approach, a white paper 
prepared by the EPA Office of Policy to describe the Agency's 
interpretation and application of SAB recommendations received in July 
2011 regarding updates to the EPA's estimates of mortality risk 
valuation; (2) The Effect of Income on the Value of Mortality and 
Morbidity Risk Reductions, a report prepared for the EPA's Office of 
Air and Radiation on options for updating the Agency's recommended 
estimate for the income elasticity of the value of statistical life; 
and (3) Recommended Income Elasticity and Income Growth Estimates: 
Technical Memorandum, an EPA memorandum providing supplementary 
information to the report. The SAB Environmental Economics Advisory 
Committee met on March 7-8, 2016, to receive agency briefings, hear 
public comments, and deliberate on responses to the EPA charge 
questions (81 FR 4296-4297). The purpose of the teleconferences 
described in this notice is to discuss the committee's draft report 
with responses to the charge questions. The two committee 
teleconferences will be conducted as one complete meeting beginning on 
June 16, 2016 and continuing on June 17, 2016, if needed to complete 
agenda items. Additional information about this SAB advisory activity 
can be found at the following URL: http://yosemite.epa.gov/sab/sabproduct.nsf/fedrgstr_activites/Valuing%20fatal%20risk%20for%20policy?OpenDocument.
    Technical Contacts: Any technical questions concerning the EPA 
documents reviewed by the SAB should be directed to Dr. Nathalie Simon 
in the EPA's National Center for Environmental Economics, by telephone 
at (202) 566-2347 or by email at [email protected].
    Availability of Meeting Materials: Prior to the meeting, the 
teleconference agenda, draft committee report, and other materials will 
be available on the SAB Web site at http://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

[[Page 30536]]

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. 
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 teleconference will be limited to three 
minutes. Interested parties wishing to provide comments should contact 
Dr. Armitage, DFO, in writing (preferably via email) at the contact 
information noted above by June 9, 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 committee members, statements should be supplied to 
the DFO (preferably via email) at the contact information noted above 
by June 9, 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 9, 2016.
Thomas H. Brennan,
Deputy Director, EPA Science Advisory Board Staff Office.
[FR Doc. 2016-11622 Filed 5-16-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P