Federal Register Notice

Natural Resources Conservation Service
Task Force on Agricultural Air Quality

Agency: Natural Resources Conservation Service

Action: Notice of meeting

Summary: The Task Force on Agricultural Air Quality will meet to discuss the relationship between agricultural production and air quality. The meeting is open to the public.

Date: The meeting will convene Wednesday, April 8, 1998 at 8:30 a.m. and continue until 5:00 p.m. The meeting will resume Thursday, April 9, 1998 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Written material and requests to make oral presentations should reach the Natural Resources Conservation Service on or before April 3, 1998.

Addresses: The meeting will be held April 8 at the Texas A&M University Agricultural Research and Extension Center, 6500 Amarillo Boulevard West, Amarillo, Texas 79106, telephone (806) 359-5401. On April 9 the meeting will be held at the Ambassador Hotel, 3100 I-40 West, Amarillo, TX, 79102, telephone (806) 358-6161. Written material and requests to make oral presentations should be sent to George Bluhm, University of California, Land, Air, Water Resources, 151 Hoagland Hall, Davis, CA 95616-6827.

For Further Information Contact: George Bluhm, Designated Federal Official, telephone (916) 752-1018, fax (916) 752-1552.

Supplementary Information: Notice of this meeting is given under the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. App. 2. Additional information about the Task Force on Agricultural Air Quality, including any revised agendas for the April 8-9, 1998 meeting that may appear after this Federal Register Notice is published, may be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.nhq.nrcs.usda.gov/faca/aaqtf

.html.

Draft Agenda of the April 8-9, 1998 Meeting:

1. Wednesday, April 8
   1. Opening Remarks
      1. Call meeting to order - George Bluhm, DFO
      2. Introduce new chair person and Chief of NRCS - Pearlie Reed
      3. Welcome to Texas research - John Sweeten and Calvin Parnell, Jr.
      4. Welcome to Texas operations - John Burt, NRCS State Conservationist, Texas
      5. Agricultural Air Quality Management in Texas - Dr. John Baker, Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commissioner
   2. Past Actions
      1. Past agricultural air quality research efforts - Doug Holy
      2. ARS agricultural air quality research - Dick Amerman
      3. CSREES agricultural air quality research - Berlie Schmidt
      4. EPA air research relative to agriculture - Sally Shaver
      5. Air quality research needs subcommittee - Jim Trotter
   3. Status Reports
      1. Agricultural burning subcommittee - Robert Quinn
      2. MOU between USDA and EPA - Sally Shaver
      3. California MOU with NRCS - Dennis Tristao and Manuel Cunha
      4. Health effects - Victor Chavez and Sally Shaver
      5. Air quality research needs subcommittee - Jim Trotter
      6. NRCS Air Resource Action Plan - George Bluhm
   4. Public Input
      
      
2. Thursday, April 9
   1. Call Meeting to Order - George Bluhm
   2. Opening Remarks - Pearlie Reed
   3. Status Reports, continued
      1. Odorants - John Sweeten
      2. PM research issues - Manuel Cunha, Robert Flocchini, Keith Saxton
      3. Ozone research issues - Joe Miller
      4. Monitoring issues - Calvin Parnell, Jr.
      5. Haze Criteria - Sally Shaver
      6. Washington state CRP
   4. Public Input
   5. New Issues
      1. Conservation application and carbon sequestration in the CRP - Dr. Ted Elliot, Colorado State University
      2. Emerging issues - George Bluhm
      3. Ozone research issues - Joe Miller
      4. Monitoring issues - Calvin Parnell, Jr.
      5. Haze Criteria
      6. Washington state CRP - Keith Saxton
   6. Set Date and Location for Next Meeting
   7. Public Input

Procedural

This meeting is open to the public. At the discretion of the Chair, members of the public may present oral presentations during the April 8-9 meeting. Persons wishing to make oral presentations should notify George Bluhm no later than April 3, 1998. If a person submitting material would like a copy distributed to each member of the committee in advance of the meeting, that person should submit 25 copies to George Bluhm no later than April 3, 1998.

Information on Services for Individuals With Disabilities

For information on facilities or services for individuals with disabilities or to request special assistance at the meeting, contact George Bluhm as soon as possible.

Notice modified on 4/6/98