2014-29709. Notification of a Closed Teleconference of the Chartered Science Advisory Board

AGENCY:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA), Science Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office is announcing a teleconference of the Chartered SAB to conduct a review of two draft reports of recommendations regarding the agency's 2013 and 2014 Scientific and Technological Achievement Awards (STAA). The Chartered SAB teleconference will be closed to the public.

DATES:

The Chartered SAB teleconference date is Monday, January 26, 2015, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. (Eastern Time).

ADDRESSES:

The Chartered SAB closed teleconference will take place via telephone only. General information about the SAB may be found on the SAB Web site at http://www.epa.gov/​sab.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Members of the public who wish to obtain further information regarding this announcement may contact Angela Nugent, Designated Federal Officer, by telephone: [phone] or email at [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Pursuant to section 10(d) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), 5 U.S.C. App. 2, and section (c)(6) of the Government in the Sunshine Act, 5 U.S.C. 552b(c)(6), the EPA has determined that the chartered SAB quality review teleconference will be closed to the public. The purpose of the teleconference is for the chartered SAB to conduct a review of two draft reports of recommendations regarding the agency's 2013 and 2014 STAA. The Chartered SAB teleconference will be closed to the public.

Quality review is a key function of the chartered SAB. Draft reports prepared by SAB committees, panels, or work groups must be reviewed and approved by the chartered SAB before transmittal to the EPA Administrator. The chartered SAB makes a determination in a meeting consistent with FACA about all draft reports and determines whether the report is ready to be transmitted to the EPA Administrator.

At the teleconference, the chartered SAB will conduct reviews for two draft reports developed by an SAB committee charged with developing recommendations regarding the agency's STAA. The first draft report focuses on review of additional agency recommendations for the 2013 awards. Although the chartered SAB reviewed the agency's 2013 STAA nominations and provided advice regarding those nominations in January 2014 (for more information, see http://yosemite.epa.gov/​sab/​sabproduct.nsf/​fedrgstr_​activites/​2013%20STAA%20Review?​OpenDocument), the agency later identified additional nominations for SAB review. The second draft report focuses on the agency's 2014 STAA nominations (for more information, see http://yosemite.epa.gov/​sab/​sabproduct.nsf/​fedrgstr_​activites/​2014%20STAA%20Review?​OpenDocument).

The STAA awards are established to honor and recognize EPA employees who have made outstanding contributions in the advancement of science and technology through their research and development activities, as exhibited in publication of their results in peer reviewed journals. I have determined that the Chartered SAB quality review teleconference will be closed to the public because it is concerned with recommending employees deserving of awards. In making these draft recommendations, the EPA requires full and frank advice from the SAB. This advice will involve professional judgments on the relative merits of various employees and their respective work. Such personnel matters involve the discussion of information that is of a personal nature, the disclosure of which would be a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy and, therefore, is protected from disclosure by section (c)(6) of the Government in the Sunshine Act, 5 U.S.C. 552b(c)(6). Minutes of the Chartered SAB teleconference will be certified by the chair and retained in the public record.

Dated: December 11, 2014.

Gina McCarthy,

Administrator.