Environmental Management Advisory Board Renewal

Content

ACTION:

Notice of renewal.

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: kelly.snyder@em.doe.gov.

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

  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.

1. Total dollar value of grants expected to be recommended during the Fiscal Year: not applicable.

2. 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.

3. 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

1. 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.

2. 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.

1. 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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