Notice2026-05693
Renewal of Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
March 24, 2026
Issuing agencies
Energy Department
Abstract
Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act and following consultation with the Committee Management Secretariat of the General Services Administration (GSA), notice is hereby given that the Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB or Board) will be renewed for a two-year period. The Board will provide advice and recommendations from a community perspective to the Department of Energy's (DOE) Environmental Management (EM) program's Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management or Field Managers on a continuing basis.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 56 (Tuesday, March 24, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 56 (Tuesday, March 24, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14010-14011]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-05693]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Renewal of Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board
AGENCY: Office of Environmental Management, Department of Energy.
ACTION: Notice of renewal.
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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act and following
consultation with the Committee Management Secretariat of the General
Services Administration (GSA), notice is hereby given that the
Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB or
Board) will be renewed for a two-year period. The Board will provide
advice and recommendations from a community perspective to the
Department of Energy's (DOE) Environmental Management (EM) program's
Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management or Field Managers on a
continuing basis.
DATES: The projected renewal date is April 7, 2026.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kelly Snyder at 702-918-6715; email:
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#0e656b626277207d60776a6b7c4e6b63206a616b20696178"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="157e7079796c3b667b6c7170675570783b717a703b727a63">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The majority of Board members live and/or
work near EM cleanup sites. At the request of the Assistant Secretary,
Field Managers, or the Designated Federal Officer (DFO), the Board may
provide community-based advice and recommendations concerning any EM
program activities, such as clean-up activities and environmental
restoration; waste management and disposition; excess facilities;
future land use and long-term stewardship; communications; and budget
priorities. Membership and representation of all interests are
determined in accordance with the requirements of the Federal Advisory
Committee Act and implementing regulations. The renewal of the Board
has been deemed essential to the DOE's business and in the public
interest in conjunction with the
[[Page 14011]]
performance of duties imposed upon the DOE, by law and agreement.
Public Interest Determination: Pursuant to 41 CFR 102-3.65(a), DOE
is providing a written public interest determination approved by the
Secretary of Energy detailing why this committee is essential to the
conduct of agency business and that the information to be obtained is
not already available through another advisory committee or source
within the Federal Government.
1. Annual budget: Approximately $2.9 million (M) (includes costs
for the eight field site chapters)
a. Federal personnel on a full-time equivalent (FTE) basis--the
estimated annual person years of Federal support required is 4 FTE, at
an estimated annual cost of $563,000.
b. Other Federal internal costs--the estimate for other Federal
internal costs, which include Federal travel, meeting/administrative
expenses, and contractor costs, is $2.27M.
c. Proposed payments to members--$0.
d. Proposed number of members--approximately 160 members.
e. Reimbursable costs--the estimate for reimbursable costs,
including members' travel expenses, is $89,000.
2. Total dollar value of grants expected to be recommended during
the Fiscal Year: not applicable.
3. Criteria for selecting members to ensure the committee has the
necessary expertise and fairly balanced membership: The majority of EM
SSAB members live or work in counties near eight EM sites located
throughout the United States (U.S.) where environmental cleanup is
underway to address the legacy resulting from historic nuclear weapons
development and testing. Recruitment and outreach for local chapters
are conducted by associated EM field offices after an analysis is
completed to achieve a balance of community viewpoints. No expertise is
needed for Board membership.
4. Other DOE Federal advisory committees:
21st Century Energy Workforce Advisory Board
Advisory Committee for Nuclear Security
Appliance Standards and Rulemaking Federal Advisory Committee
Biomass Research and Development Technical Advisory Committee
Carbon Dioxide Capture, Utilization, and Sequestration Federal Lands
Permitting Task Force
Carbon Dioxide Capture, Utilization, and Sequestration Non-Federal
Lands Permitting Task Force
Electricity Advisory Committee
Electric Vehicle Working Group
Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technical Advisory Committee
Isotope Research & Development and Production Advisory Committee
Industrial Technology Innovation Advisory Committee
Methane Hydrate Advisory Committee
National Coal Council
National Petroleum Council
National Quantum Initiative Advisory Committee
President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology
Office of Science Advisory Committee
Secretary of Energy Advisory Board
State Energy Advisory Board
Technical Panel on Magnetic Fusion
5. Justification that the information or advice provided by the
Federal advisory committee is not available from another Federal
advisory committee, another Federal Government source, or any other
more cost-effective and less burdensome source: The EM SSAB is an
established mechanism for members of the public to provide community-
based recommendations to DOE, which is responsible for cleaning up
contamination from nuclear weapons development and testing near the
communities the members represent. The EM SSAB is the only viable
mechanism DOE has to obtain recommendations from uncompensated
community representatives to help satisfy public participation
requirements. Obtaining similar recommendations from community
representatives located throughout the U.S. using other means, such as
grants, would cost taxpayers more than the already established EM SSAB,
and require additional administrative actions and resources.
6. Summary of the previous accomplishments of the committee and the
reasons it needs to continue: Since 1994, the EM SSAB has provided
nearly 1,830 recommendations to DOE, of which 84 percent have been
accepted or partially accepted, resulting in cost-savings, gained
efficiencies, streamlining, and process improvement. During the past
two years, the EM SSAB provided DOE with 42 recommendations, of which
90 percent were either fully or partially implemented.
The recommendations have expedited cleanup at DOE sites throughout
the U.S. For DOE sites that have already achieved closure, such as
Rocky Flats in Colorado and Fernald in Ohio, the EM SSAB played a vital
part in obtaining stakeholder, intergovernmental, and public support,
which helped facilitate completion of the cleanup. The model used for
those sites is being used at the other locations that are working
toward closure.
7. Explanation of why the committee is essential to the conduct of
agency business: The EM SSAB helps satisfy public participation
requirements outlined in the Comprehensive Environmental Response,
Compensation, and Liability Act; Resource Conservation and Recovery
Act; six Federal Facility Agreements and Consent Orders (signed by the
states of Washington, Idaho, Kentucky, Nevada, South Carolina, and
Tennessee, and by the Environmental Protection Agency, DOE Office of
Legacy Management, the National Nuclear Security Administration, and
the Department of Defense); one Consent Decree (Ohio); and one
Settlement Agreement (New Mexico).
Signing Authority
This document of the Department of Energy was signed on March 19,
2026, by David Borak, Committee Management Officer, pursuant to
delegated authority from the Secretary of Energy. That document with
the original signature and date is maintained by DOE. For
administrative purposes only, and in compliance with requirements of
the Office of the Federal Register, the undersigned DOE Federal
Register Liaison Officer has been authorized to sign and submit the
document in electronic format for publication, as an official document
of the Department of Energy. This administrative process in no way
alters the legal effect of this document upon publication in the
Federal Register.
Signed in Washington, DC, on March 20, 2026.
Jennifer Hartzell,
Alternate Federal Register Liaison Officer, U.S. Department of Energy.
[FR Doc. 2026-05693 Filed 3-23-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P
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