TSCA Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals; Request for Nominations, 16094-16095 [2020-05827]

Download as PDF jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with NOTICES 16094 Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 55 / Friday, March 20, 2020 / Notices (Second External Review Draft—June 2018). Technical contacts: Any technical questions concerning EPA’s Integrated Science Assessment for Oxides of Nitrogen, Oxides of Sulfur, and Particulate Matter—Ecological Criteria (Second External Review Draft—June 2018) should be directed to Dr. Tara Greaver (greaver.tara@epa.gov). Availability of meeting materials: Prior to the meeting, the review documents, agenda and other materials will be accessible through the calendar link on the blue navigation bar at https:// www.epa.gov/casac/. Procedures for providing public input: Public comment for consideration by EPA’s federal advisory committees and panels has a different purpose from public comment provided to EPA program offices. Therefore, the process for submitting comments to a federal advisory committee is different from the process used to submit comments to an EPA program office. Federal advisory committees and panels, including scientific advisory committees, provide independent advice to EPA. Members of the public can submit relevant comments on the topic of this advisory activity, including the charge to the CASAC and the EPA review documents, and/or the group conducting the activity, for the CASAC to consider as it develops advice for EPA. Input from the public to the CASAC will have the most impact if it provides specific scientific or technical information or analysis for CASAC to consider or if it relates to the clarity or accuracy of the technical information. Members of the public wishing to provide comment should follow the instructions below to submit comments. Oral statements: Individuals or groups requesting an oral presentation during the public meeting will be limited to three minutes. Each person making an oral statement should consider providing written comments as well as their oral statement so that the points presented orally can be expanded upon in writing. Interested parties should contact Mr. Aaron Yeow, DFO, in writing (preferably via email) at the contact information noted above by April 20, 2020, to be placed on the list of public speakers. Written statements: Written statements will be accepted throughout the advisory process; however, for timely consideration by CASAC members, statements should be supplied to the DFO (preferably via email) at the contact information noted above by April 20, 2020. It is the SAB Staff Office general policy to post written comments on the web page for VerDate Sep<11>2014 19:01 Mar 19, 2020 Jkt 250001 the advisory meeting or teleconference. Submitters are requested to provide an unsigned version of each document because the SAB Staff Office does not publish documents with signatures on its websites. Members of the public should be aware that their personal contact information, if included in any written comments, may be posted to the CASAC website. Copyrighted material will not be posted without explicit permission of the copyright holder. Accessibility: For information on access or services for individuals with disabilities, please contact Mr. Aaron Yeow at (202) 564–2050 or yeow.aaron@ epa.gov. To request accommodation of a disability, please contact Mr. Yeow preferably at least ten days prior to each meeting to give EPA as much time as possible to process your request. V. Khanna Johnston, Deputy Director, EPA Science Advisory Staff Office. [FR Doc. 2020–05918 Filed 3–19–20; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6560–50–P ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [EPA–HQ–OPPT–2020–0135; FRL–10006– 50] TSCA Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals; Request for Nominations Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) invites the public to nominate scientific experts from a diverse range of disciplines to be considered for appointment to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals (SACC). The purpose of the SACC is to provide independent advice and expert consultation, at the request of the EPA Administrator, with respect to the scientific and technical aspects of issues relating to implementation of TSCA. EPA anticipates appointing multiple SACC members over the next year. Sources in addition to this Federal Register Notice may be utilized to solicit nominations and identify candidates. Nominations of candidates to be considered for appointment to the SACC must be received on or before April 20, 2020. ADDRESSES: Submit your nominations, identified by docket identification (ID) number EPA–HQ–OPPT–2020–0135, by one of the following methods: DATES: PO 00000 Frm 00048 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 • Electronically (preferred): By email to knott.steven@epa.gov. • Mail: Steven M. Knott, MS, Designated Federal Officer (DFO), Office of Science Coordination and Policy (7201M), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20460. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steven M. Knott, MS, DFO, telephone number: (202) 564–0103; email address: knott.steven@epa.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. General Information A. Does this action apply to me? This action is directed to the public in general. This action may, however, be of interest to those involved in the manufacture, processing, distribution, disposal of chemical substances and mixtures, and/or those interested in the assessment of risks involving chemical substances and mixtures. Since other entities may also be interested, the Agency has not attempted to describe all the specific entities that may be affected by this action. If you have questions regarding the applicability of this action to a particular entity, consult the DFO listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. B. How can I get copies of this document and other related information? The docket for this action, identified by docket identification (ID) number EPA–HQ–OPPT–2020–0135, is available at https://www.regulations.gov or at the Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics Regulatory Public Docket (OPPT Docket) in the Environmental Protection Agency Docket Center (EPA/DC), West William Jefferson Clinton Building, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20460–0001. The Public Reading Room is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The telephone number for the Public Reading Room is (202) 566–1744, and the telephone number for the OPPT Docket is (202) 566–0280. Please review the visitor instructions and additional information about the docket available at https://www.epa.gov/dockets. II. Background The SACC is a federal advisory committee, established in December 2016 pursuant to TSCA section 2625(o), and chartered under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), 5 U.S.C. Appendix 2. EPA established the SACC to provide independent advice and recommendations to the EPA Administrator on the scientific basis for risk assessments, methodologies, and E:\FR\FM\20MRN1.SGM 20MRN1 Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 55 / Friday, March 20, 2020 / Notices jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with NOTICES approaches relating to implementation of TSCA. The SACC members serve as Special Government Employees (SGEs) or Regular Government Employees (RGEs). The SACC expects to meet approximately 4 to 6 times per year, or as needed and approved by the DFO. Meetings will be held in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area. In January 2017, the EPA Administrator appointed 18 members to the SACC. After further consideration of the objectives and scope of SACC activities, EPA decided to increase the membership of the SACC, and in March 2018, completed additional appointments resulting in a total of 26 members. Subsequently, some SACC members either resigned or declined to serve extended appointments. Currently, there are 19 SACC members, all with membership terms that will expire over the next year. To date, SACC members and ad hoc reviewers have provided their expertise and knowledge on the first draft chemical risk evaluations. These individuals have dedicated an incredible amount of time to provide EPA with thoughtful and important recommendations for improving the risk evaluations. At times, SACC members were working on multiple chemical evaluations while also preparing for and participating in peer review meetings and writing reports. EPA greatly appreciates the dedication and commitment to service of the SACC members. Given the foundation provided by the SACC recommendations from these first reviews, EPA is exploring different ways to use the SACC’s expertise for providing independent advice and expert consultation after the peer reviews of the first 10 chemical risk evaluations are completed. The Agency is considering requesting that the SACC review significant, cross-cutting science issues on exposure, risk, and modeling, similar to how the Agency uses the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), Scientific Advisory Panel (SAP) for health and safety issues related to pesticides. Therefore, EPA may not ask the SACC to peer review every single draft risk evaluation for the next 20 high priority chemicals. With this prospective change in the scope of SACC activities, EPA anticipates appointing approximately 15 members to the SACC by March 2021. III. Nominations EPA values and welcomes diversity and encourages nominations of women and men of all racial and ethnic groups. Any interested person or organization may nominate qualified persons to be VerDate Sep<11>2014 19:01 Mar 19, 2020 Jkt 250001 considered for appointment to this advisory committee. Individuals also may self-nominate. Nominations may be submitted in electronic format (preferred) or mailed in accordance with the instructions under ADDRESSES. Nominations should include candidates who have demonstrated high levels of competence, knowledge, and expertise in scientific/technical fields relevant to chemical safety and risk assessment. In particular, the nominees should include representation of the following disciplines, including, but not limited to: Human health and ecological risk assessment, biostatistics, epidemiology, pediatrics, physiologically-based pharmacokinetics (PBPK), toxicology and pathology (including neurotoxicology, developmental/reproductive toxicology, and carcinogenesis), and the relationship of chemical exposures to women, children, and other potentially exposed or susceptible subpopulations. To be considered, all nominations should include the following information: Current contact information for the nominee (including the nominee’s name, organization, current business address, email address, and daytime telephone number); the disciplinary and specific areas of expertise of the nominee; the nominee’s curriculum vitae; and a biographical sketch of the nominee indicating current position, educational background, research activities, and recent service on other federal advisory committees and national or international professional organizations. Persons having questions about the nomination process should contact the DFO listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. The DFO will acknowledge receipt of nominations. Sources in addition to respondents to this Federal Register Notice may be utilized to solicit nominations and identify candidates. The names and biographical sketches of all interested and available candidates will be posted in a List of Candidates in the docket at https://www.regulations.gov and on the SACC website at https:// www.epa.gov/tsca-peer-review. The availability of the list also will be announced through the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP)’s listservs. You may subscribe to these listservs at the following website: https:// public.govdelivery.com/accounts/ USAEPAOPPT/subscriber/new?topic_ id=USAEPAOPPT_101. Public comments on the 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 PO 00000 Frm 00049 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 16095 nominees that the EPA should consider in evaluating candidates. IV. Selection Criteria In addition to scientific expertise, in selecting members, EPA will consider the differing perspectives and the breadth of collective experience needed to address EPA’s charge to the SACC, as well as the following: • Background and experiences that would contribute to the diversity of scientific viewpoints on the committee, including professional experiences in government, labor, public health, public interest, animal protection, industry, and other groups, as the EPA Administrator determines to be advisable (e.g., geographical location; social and cultural backgrounds; and professional affiliations); • Skills and experience working on committees and advisory panels including demonstrated ability to work constructively and effectively in a committee setting; • Absence of financial conflicts of interest or the appearance of a loss of impartiality; • Willingness to commit adequate time for the thorough review of materials provided to the committee; and • Availability to participate in committee meetings. (Authority: 15 U.S.C. 2625 et seq.; 5 U.S.C. Appendix 2 et seq.) Dated: March 13, 2020. Hayley Hughes, Director, Office of Science Coordination and Policy. [FR Doc. 2020–05827 Filed 3–19–20; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6560–50–P ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [FRL–10005–99–Region 6] Clean Air Act Operating Permit Program; Petitions for Objection to State Operating Permit for Dow Chemical Company, Dow Salt Dome Operations, Brazoria County, Texas Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice of final Order on Petition for objection to Clean Air Act title V operating permit. AGENCY: SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator signed an Order dated February 18, 2020, granting a Petition dated August 31, 2015 from the Environmental Integrity Project and Sierra Club. The Petition requested that the EPA object to a Clean Air Act (CAA) E:\FR\FM\20MRN1.SGM 20MRN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 55 (Friday, March 20, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16094-16095]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-05827]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OPPT-2020-0135; FRL-10006-50]


TSCA Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals; Request for 
Nominations

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) invites the public 
to nominate scientific experts from a diverse range of disciplines to 
be considered for appointment to the Toxic Substances Control Act 
(TSCA), Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals (SACC). The purpose of 
the SACC is to provide independent advice and expert consultation, at 
the request of the EPA Administrator, with respect to the scientific 
and technical aspects of issues relating to implementation of TSCA. EPA 
anticipates appointing multiple SACC members over the next year. 
Sources in addition to this Federal Register Notice may be utilized to 
solicit nominations and identify candidates.

DATES: Nominations of candidates to be considered for appointment to 
the SACC must be received on or before April 20, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Submit your nominations, identified by docket identification 
(ID) number EPA-HQ-OPPT-2020-0135, by one of the following methods:
     Electronically (preferred): By email to 
[email protected].
     Mail: Steven M. Knott, MS, Designated Federal Officer 
(DFO), Office of Science Coordination and Policy (7201M), Environmental 
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20460.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steven M. Knott, MS, DFO, telephone 
number: (202) 564-0103; email address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. General Information

A. Does this action apply to me?

    This action is directed to the public in general. This action may, 
however, be of interest to those involved in the manufacture, 
processing, distribution, disposal of chemical substances and mixtures, 
and/or those interested in the assessment of risks involving chemical 
substances and mixtures. Since other entities may also be interested, 
the Agency has not attempted to describe all the specific entities that 
may be affected by this action. If you have questions regarding the 
applicability of this action to a particular entity, consult the DFO 
listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

B. How can I get copies of this document and other related information?

    The docket for this action, identified by docket identification 
(ID) number EPA-HQ-OPPT-2020-0135, is available at https://www.regulations.gov or at the Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics 
Regulatory Public Docket (OPPT Docket) in the Environmental Protection 
Agency Docket Center (EPA/DC), West William Jefferson Clinton Building, 
Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20460-0001. The 
Public Reading Room is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through 
Friday, excluding legal holidays. The telephone number for the Public 
Reading Room is (202) 566-1744, and the telephone number for the OPPT 
Docket is (202) 566-0280. Please review the visitor instructions and 
additional information about the docket available at https://www.epa.gov/dockets.

II. Background

    The SACC is a federal advisory committee, established in December 
2016 pursuant to TSCA section 2625(o), and chartered under the Federal 
Advisory Committee Act (FACA), 5 U.S.C. Appendix 2. EPA established the 
SACC to provide independent advice and recommendations to the EPA 
Administrator on the scientific basis for risk assessments, 
methodologies, and

[[Page 16095]]

approaches relating to implementation of TSCA. The SACC members serve 
as Special Government Employees (SGEs) or Regular Government Employees 
(RGEs). The SACC expects to meet approximately 4 to 6 times per year, 
or as needed and approved by the DFO. Meetings will be held in the 
Washington, DC, metropolitan area.
    In January 2017, the EPA Administrator appointed 18 members to the 
SACC. After further consideration of the objectives and scope of SACC 
activities, EPA decided to increase the membership of the SACC, and in 
March 2018, completed additional appointments resulting in a total of 
26 members. Subsequently, some SACC members either resigned or declined 
to serve extended appointments. Currently, there are 19 SACC members, 
all with membership terms that will expire over the next year.
    To date, SACC members and ad hoc reviewers have provided their 
expertise and knowledge on the first draft chemical risk evaluations. 
These individuals have dedicated an incredible amount of time to 
provide EPA with thoughtful and important recommendations for improving 
the risk evaluations. At times, SACC members were working on multiple 
chemical evaluations while also preparing for and participating in peer 
review meetings and writing reports. EPA greatly appreciates the 
dedication and commitment to service of the SACC members.
    Given the foundation provided by the SACC recommendations from 
these first reviews, EPA is exploring different ways to use the SACC's 
expertise for providing independent advice and expert consultation 
after the peer reviews of the first 10 chemical risk evaluations are 
completed. The Agency is considering requesting that the SACC review 
significant, cross-cutting science issues on exposure, risk, and 
modeling, similar to how the Agency uses the Federal Insecticide, 
Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), Scientific Advisory Panel (SAP) 
for health and safety issues related to pesticides. Therefore, EPA may 
not ask the SACC to peer review every single draft risk evaluation for 
the next 20 high priority chemicals. With this prospective change in 
the scope of SACC activities, EPA anticipates appointing approximately 
15 members to the SACC by March 2021.

III. Nominations

    EPA values and welcomes diversity and encourages nominations of 
women and men of all racial and ethnic groups. Any interested person or 
organization may nominate qualified persons to be considered for 
appointment to this advisory committee. Individuals also may self-
nominate. Nominations may be submitted in electronic format (preferred) 
or mailed in accordance with the instructions under ADDRESSES.
    Nominations should include candidates who have demonstrated high 
levels of competence, knowledge, and expertise in scientific/technical 
fields relevant to chemical safety and risk assessment. In particular, 
the nominees should include representation of the following 
disciplines, including, but not limited to: Human health and ecological 
risk assessment, biostatistics, epidemiology, pediatrics, 
physiologically-based pharmacokinetics (PBPK), toxicology and pathology 
(including neurotoxicology, developmental/reproductive toxicology, and 
carcinogenesis), and the relationship of chemical exposures to women, 
children, and other potentially exposed or susceptible subpopulations.
    To be considered, all nominations should include the following 
information: Current contact information for the nominee (including the 
nominee's name, organization, current business address, email address, 
and daytime telephone number); the disciplinary and specific areas of 
expertise of the nominee; the nominee's curriculum vitae; and a 
biographical sketch of the nominee indicating current position, 
educational background, research activities, and recent service on 
other federal advisory committees and national or international 
professional organizations. Persons having questions about the 
nomination process should contact the DFO listed under FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT.
    The DFO will acknowledge receipt of nominations. Sources in 
addition to respondents to this Federal Register Notice may be utilized 
to solicit nominations and identify candidates. The names and 
biographical sketches of all interested and available candidates will 
be posted in a List of Candidates in the docket at https://www.regulations.gov and on the SACC website at https://www.epa.gov/tsca-peer-review. The availability of the list also will be announced 
through the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention 
(OCSPP)'s listservs. You may subscribe to these listservs at the 
following website: https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USAEPAOPPT/subscriber/new?topic_id=USAEPAOPPT_101. Public comments on the 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 EPA should consider in 
evaluating candidates.

IV. Selection Criteria

    In addition to scientific expertise, in selecting members, EPA will 
consider the differing perspectives and the breadth of collective 
experience needed to address EPA's charge to the SACC, as well as the 
following:
     Background and experiences that would contribute to the 
diversity of scientific viewpoints on the committee, including 
professional experiences in government, labor, public health, public 
interest, animal protection, industry, and other groups, as the EPA 
Administrator determines to be advisable (e.g., geographical location; 
social and cultural backgrounds; and professional affiliations);
     Skills and experience working on committees and advisory 
panels including demonstrated ability to work constructively and 
effectively in a committee setting;
     Absence of financial conflicts of interest or the 
appearance of a loss of impartiality;
     Willingness to commit adequate time for the thorough 
review of materials provided to the committee; and
     Availability to participate in committee meetings.

(Authority: 15 U.S.C. 2625 et seq.; 5 U.S.C. Appendix 2 et seq.)

    Dated: March 13, 2020.
Hayley Hughes,
Director, Office of Science Coordination and Policy.
[FR Doc. 2020-05827 Filed 3-19-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
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