Board of Scientific Counselors, Executive Committee Meeting

AGENCY:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION:

Notice of meeting.

SUMMARY:

Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, Pub. L. 92-463, the Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development (ORD), gives notice of an Executive Committee Meeting of the Board of Scientific Counselors (BOSC).

DATES:

The meeting will be held on Thursday, May 13, 2004, from 8:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and on Friday, May 14, 2004, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. All times noted are eastern time. The meeting may adjourn early on Friday if all business is finished.

ADDRESSES:

The meeting will be held at the EPA Research Triangle Park (RTP) Campus, in Room C-113, located at 109 T.W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711.

Document Availability

Any member of the public interested in receiving a draft BOSC agenda or making a presentation at the meeting should contact Lorelei Kowalski, Designated Federal Officer, by mail at Office of Research and Development (Mail Code 8104-R), 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460, by e-mail at kowalski.lorelei@epa.gov, or by telephone at (202) 564-3408. In general, each individual making an oral presentation will be limited to a total of three minutes. Requests for the draft agenda or for making oral presentations at the meeting will be accepted up to 1 business day before the meeting date. The draft agenda can also be viewed through EDOCKET, as provided in Unit I.A. of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section.

Submitting Comments

Comments may be submitted electronically, by mail, or through hand delivery/courier. Follow the detailed instructions as provided in Unit I.B. of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section. Written comments will be accepted up to 1 business day before the meeting date.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Lorelei Kowalski, Designated Federal Officer, Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Office of Science Policy (Mail Code 8104-R), 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460 at (202) 564-3408.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. General Information

Proposed agenda items for the meeting include, but are not limited to: Briefings on ORD's numerical modeling/grid computing, the Council on Regulatory and Environmental Modeling (CREM), and Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART); update on review committees for mercury, computational toxicology, endocrine disruptors, and global change; discussion of ORD's Biotechnology Research Strategy; update on EPA's Science Advisory Board activities; and discussion of BOSC future issues and plans (including risk assessment, public health outcomes, interagency relationships, and homeland security). The meeting is open to the public.

Information on Services for the Handicapped: Individuals requiring special accommodations at this meeting should contact Lorelei Kowalski, Designated Federal Officer, at (202) 564-3408, at least five business days prior to the meeting so that appropriate arrangements can be made to facilitate their participation.

A. How Can I Get Copies of Related Information?

1. Docket. EPA has established an official public docket for this action under Docket ID No. ORD-2004-0006. The official public docket consists of the documents specifically referenced in this action, any public comments received, and other information related to this action. Documents in the official public docket are listed in the index list in EPA's electronic public docket and comment system, EDOCKET. Documents may be available either electronically or in hard copy. Electronic documents may be viewed through EDOCKET. Hard copy of the draft agenda may be viewed at Board of Scientific Counselors, Executive Committee Meeting Docket in the EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA West, Room B102, 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, and the telephone number for the ORD Docket is (202) 566-1752.

2. Electronic Access. You may access this Federal Register document electronically through the EPA Internet under the Federal Register listings at http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/.

An electronic version of the public docket is available through EDOCKET. You may use EDOCKET at http://www.epa.gov/edocket/ to submit or view public comments, access the index listing of the contents of the official public docket, and to access those documents in the public docket that are available electronically. Once in the system, select “search,” then key in the appropriate docket identification number.

For public commenters, it is important to note that EPA's policy is that public comments, whether submitted electronically or in paper, will be made available for public viewing in EPA's electronic public docket as EPA receives them and without change, unless the comment contains copyrighted material, CBI, or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. When EPA identifies a comment containing copyrighted material, EPA will provide a reference to that material in the version of the comment that is placed in EPA's electronic public docket. The entire printed comment, including the copyrighted material, will be available in the public docket.

Public comments submitted on computer disks that are mailed or delivered to the docket will be transferred to EPA's electronic public docket. Public comments that are mailed or delivered to the Docket will be scanned and placed in EPA's electronic public docket.

B. How and to Whom Do I Submit Comments?

You may submit comments electronically, by mail, or through hand delivery/courier. To ensure proper receipt by EPA, identify the appropriate docket identification number in the subject line on the first page of your comment. Please ensure that your comments are submitted within the specified comment period.

1. Electronically. If you submit an electronic comment as prescribed below, EPA recommends that you include your name, mailing address, and an e-mail address or other contact information in the body of your comment. Also include this contact information on the outside of any disk or CD ROM you submit, and in any cover letter accompanying the disk or CD ROM. This ensures that you can be identified as the submitter of the comment and allows EPA to contact you in case EPA cannot read your comment due to technical difficulties or needs further information on the substance of your comment. EPA's policy is that EPA will not edit your comment, and any identifying or contact information provided in the body of a comment will be included as part of the comment that is placed in the official public docket, and made available in EPA's electronic public docket. If EPA cannot read your comment due to technical difficulties and cannot contact you for clarification, EPA may not be able to consider your comment.

i. EDOCKET. Your use of EPA's electronic public docket to submit comments to EPA electronically is EPA's preferred method for receiving comments. Go directly to EDOCKET at http://www.epa.gov/edocket , and follow the online instructions for submitting comments. To access EPA's electronic public docket from the EPA Internet Home Page, select “Information Sources,” “Dockets,” and “EDOCKET. Once in the system, select “search,” and then key in Docket ID No. ORD-2004-0006. The system is an “anonymous access” system, which means EPA will not know your identity, e-mail address, or other contact information unless you provide it in the body of your comment.

ii. E-mail. Comments may be sent by electronic mail (e-mail) to ORD.Docket@epa.gov, Attention Docket ID No. ORD-2004-0006. In contrast to EPA's electronic public docket, EPA's e-mail system is not an “anonymous access” system. If you send an e-mail comment directly to the Docket without going through EPA's electronic public docket, EPA's e-mail system automatically captures your e-mail address. E-mail addresses that are automatically captured by EPA's e-mail system are included as part of the comment that is placed in the official public docket, and made available in EPA's electronic public docket.

iii. Disk or CD ROM. You may submit comments on a disk or CD ROM that you mail to the mailing address identified in Unit I.B.2. These electronic submissions will be accepted in WordPerfect or ASCII file format. Avoid the use of special characters and any form of encryption.

2. By Mail. Send your comments to: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, ORD Docket, EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), Mailcode: 28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC, 20460, Attention Docket ID No. ORD-2004-0006.

3. By Hand Delivery or Courier. Deliver your comments to: EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), Room B102, EPA West Building, 1301 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC, Attention Docket ID No. ORD-2004-0006 (Note: this is not a mailing address). Such deliveries are only accepted during the Docket's normal hours of operation as identified in Unit I.A.1.