Request for Nominations of Candidates to the EPA's Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) and EPA's Science Advisory Board (SAB), 21922-21923 [2014-08923]

Agencies

• ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 75 (Friday, April 18, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21922-21923]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-08923]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-9909-74-OA]


Request for Nominations of Candidates to the EPA's Clean Air 
Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) and EPA's Science Advisory Board 
(SAB)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) invites 
nominations of scientific experts from a diverse range of disciplines 
to be considered for appointment to the Clean Air Scientific Advisory 
Committee (CASAC), the Science Advisory Board (SAB) and four SAB 
committees described in this notice. Appointments are anticipated to be 
filled by the start of Fiscal Year 2015 (October 2015).

DATES: Nominations should be submitted in time to arrive no later than 
May 19, 2014.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nominators unable to submit 
nominations electronically as described below may submit a paper copy 
to the Designated Federal Officers for the committees, as identified 
below. General inquiries regarding the work of the CASAC and SAB or SAB 
committees may also be directed to the designated DFOs.
    Background: Established by statute, the CASAC (42 U.S.C. 7409) and 
SAB (42 U.S.C. 4365) are chartered Federal Advisory Committees that 
provide independent scientific and technical peer review, consultation, 
advice and recommendations directly to the EPA Administrator on the 
scientific bases for EPA's actions and programs. Members of the CASAC 
and the SAB constitute distinguished bodies of non-EPA scientists, 
engineers, economists, and behavioral and social scientists who are 
nationally and internationally recognized experts in their respective 
fields. Members are appointed by the EPA Administrator for a three-year 
term.
    Expertise Sought for CASAC: Established in 1977 under the Clean Air 
Act (CAA) Amendments, the chartered CASAC reviews and offers scientific 
advice to the EPA Administrator on technical aspects of national 
ambient air quality standards for criteria pollutants (ozone; 
particulate matter; carbon monoxide; nitrogen oxides; sulfur dioxide; 
and lead). As required under the CAA section 109(d), CASAC is composed 
of seven members, with at least one member of the National Academy of 
Sciences, one physician, and one person representing state air 
pollution control agencies. Accordingly, the SAB Staff Office is 
seeking nominations of experts to serve on the CASAC who are members of 
the National Academy of Sciences as well as physicians who have a 
special expertise in health effects of air pollution. The SAB Staff 
Office is also seeking nominations of experts who have demonstrated 
experience in the following science related to air pollution: 
Atmospheric sciences; ecological and welfare effects; engineering; 
health sciences; medicine; public health; modeling; and/or risk 
assessment.
    The SAB Staff Office is especially interested in scientists with 
expertise described above who have knowledge and experience in air 
quality relating to criteria pollutants. For further information about 
the CASAC membership appointment process and schedule, please contact 
Mr. Aaron Yeow, DFO, by telephone at 202-564-2050 or by email at 
yeow.aaron@epa,gov.
    Expertise Sought for the SAB: The SAB was established in 1978 by 
the Environmental Research, Development and Demonstration Authorization 
Act to provide independent advice to the Administrator on scientific 
and technical matters underlying the agency's policies and actions. The 
chartered SAB provides strategic advice to the EPA Administrator on a 
variety of EPA science and research programs. All the work of SAB 
committees and panels is under the direction of the chartered SAB. The 
chartered SAB reviews all SAB committee and panel draft reports and 
determines whether they are appropriate to send to the EPA 
Administrator.
    The SAB Staff Office is seeking nominations of experts to serve on 
the chartered SAB in the following disciplines as they relate to the 
human health and the environment: Analytical chemistry; ecological 
sciences and ecological assessment; economics; engineering; 
geochemistry, health disparities; health sciences; hydrology; 
hydrogeology; medicine; microbiology; modeling; pediatrics; public 
health; risk assessment; social, behavioral and decision sciences; and 
statistics. The SAB Staff Office is especially interested in scientists 
with expertise described above who have knowledge and experience in air 
quality; agricultural sciences; climate change; drinking water; energy 
and the environment; water quality; water quantity; water re-use; 
ecosystem services; community environmental health; sustainability; 
chemical safety; green chemistry; human health risk assessment; 
homeland security; and waste and waste management. For further 
information about the SAB membership appointment process and schedule, 
please contact Dr. Angela Nugent, DFO, by telephone at 202-564-2218 or 
by email at nugent.angela@epa.gov.
    The SAB Staff Office is also seeking nominations for experts for 
four SAB committees: The Chemical Assessment Advisory Committee; the 
Drinking Water Committee; the Ecological Processes and Effects 
Committee; and, the Radiation Advisory Committee.

[[Page 21923]]

    (1) The SAB Chemical Assessment Advisory Committee (CAAC) provides 
advice through the chartered SAB regarding selected toxicological 
reviews of environmental chemicals available on EPA's Integrated Risk 
Information System (IRIS). The SAB Staff Office is seeking nominations 
of experts with experience in chemical assessments. Members should have 
expertise in one or more of the following disciplines: Public health; 
epidemiology; toxicology; modeling; biostatistics; risk assessment; and 
health disparities. For further information about the CAAC membership 
appointment process and schedule, please contact Dr. Suhair Shallal, 
DFO, by telephone at 202-564-2057 or by email at 
shallal.suhair@epa.gov.
    (2) The SAB Drinking Water Committee (DWC) provides advice on the 
scientific and technical aspects of EPA's national drinking water 
program. The SAB Staff Office is seeking nominations of experts with 
experience on drinking water issues. Members should have one or more of 
the following disciplines: Environmental chemistry; environmental 
engineering, epidemiology; microbiology; public health; risk 
assessment; and toxicology. For further information about the DWC 
membership appointment process and schedule, please contact Mr. Thomas 
Carpenter, DFO, by telephone at 202-564-4885 or by email at 
carpenter.thomas@epa.gov.
    (3) The SAB Ecological Processes and Effects Committee (EPEC) 
provides advice on science and research to assess, protect and restore 
the health of ecosystems. The SAB Staff Office is seeking nominations 
of experts with demonstrated expertise in the following disciplines: 
Aquatic ecology; landscape ecology; terrestrial ecology; systems 
ecology; ecotoxicology; and ecological risk assessment. For further 
information about the EPEC membership appointment process and schedule, 
please contact Dr. Thomas Armitage, DFO, by telephone at 202-564-2155 
or by email at armitage.thomas@epa.gov.
    (4) The Radiation Advisory Committee (RAC) provides advice on 
radiation protection, radiation science, and radiation risk assessment. 
The SAB Staff Office is seeking nominations of experts to serve on the 
RAC with demonstrated expertise in the following disciplines: Fate and 
transport of radionuclides; radiation carcinogenesis; radiation 
exposure; radiation worker health and safety; radiological emergency 
response; radiological risk assessment; and radon exposure. For further 
information about the RAC membership appointment process and schedule, 
please contact Mr. Edward Hanlon, DFO, by telephone at 202-564-2134 or 
by email at hanlon.edward@epa.gov.
    Selection Criteria for the CASAC, SAB and Four SAB Committees 
Includes:
--Demonstrated scientific credentials and disciplinary expertise in 
relevant fields;
--Willingness to commit time to the committee and demonstrated ability 
to work constructively and effectively on committees;
--Background and experiences that would help members contribute to the 
diversity of perspectives on the committee, e.g., geographic, economic, 
social, cultural, educational backgrounds, professional affiliations; 
and other considerations; and
--For the committee as a whole, consideration of the collective breadth 
and depth of scientific expertise; and a balance of scientific 
perspectives.

As these committees undertake specific advisory activities, the SAB 
Staff Office will consider two additional criteria for each new 
activity: absence of financial conflicts of interest and absence of an 
appearance of a loss of impartiality.
    How to Submit Nominations: Any interested person or organization 
may nominate qualified persons to be considered for appointment to 
these advisory committees. Individuals may self-nominate. Nominations 
should be submitted in electronic format (preferred) following the 
instructions for ``Nominating Experts for Annual Membership'' provided 
on the SAB Web site. The form can be accessed through the ``Nomination 
of Experts'' link on the blue navigational bar on the SAB Web site at 
https://www.epa.gov/sab. To be considered, all nominations should 
include the information requested. EPA values and welcomes diversity. 
In an effort to obtain nominations of diverse candidates, EPA 
encourages nominations of women and men of all racial and ethnic 
groups.
    Nominators are asked to identify the specific committee for which 
nominees are to be considered. The following information should be 
provided on the nomination form: contact information for the person 
making the nomination; contact information for the nominee; the 
disciplinary and specific areas of expertise of the nominee; the 
nominee's curriculum vitae; a biographical sketch of the nominee 
indicating current position, educational background; research 
activities; sources of research funding for the last two years; and 
recent service on other national advisory committees or national 
professional organizations. To help the agency evaluate the 
effectiveness of its outreach efforts, please indicate how you learned 
of this nomination opportunity. Persons having questions about the 
nomination process or the public comment process described below, or 
who are unable to submit nominations through the SAB Web site, should 
contact the Designated Federal Officer for the committee, as identified 
above. The DFO will acknowledge receipt of nominations and in that 
acknowledgement will invite the nominee to provide any additional 
information that the nominee feels would be useful in considering the 
nomination, such as: Availability to participate as a member of the 
committee; how the nominee's background, skills and experience would 
contribute to the diversity of the committee; and any questions the 
nominee has regarding membership. The names and biosketches of 
qualified nominees identified by respondents to this Federal Register 
notice, and additional experts identified by the SAB Staff, will be 
posted in a List of Candidates on the SAB Web site at https://www.epa.gov/sab. Public comments on this List of Candidates will be 
accepted for 21 days from the date the list is posted. The public will 
be requested to provide relevant information or other documentation on 
nominees that the SAB Staff Office should consider in evaluating 
candidates.
    Candidates invited to serve will be asked to submit the 
``Confidential Financial Disclosure Form for Special Government 
Employees Serving on Federal Advisory Committees at the U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency'' (EPA Form 3110-48). This confidential 
form allows EPA to determine whether there is a statutory conflict 
between that person's public responsibilities as a Special Government 
Employee and private interests and activities, or the appearance of a 
loss of impartiality, as defined by Federal regulation. The form may be 
viewed and downloaded through the ``Ethics Requirements for Advisors'' 
link on the blue navigational bar on the SAB Web site at https://www.epa.gov/sab.

    Dated: April 14, 2014.
Thomas H. Brennan,
Deputy Director, EPA Science Advisory Board Staff Office.
[FR Doc. 2014-08923 Filed 4-17-14; 8:45 am]
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