Request for Nominations of Candidates for the EPA's Science Advisory Board (SAB) and SAB Standing Committees: Extension of Nomination Period, 49650-49651 [2020-17742]

Agencies

• ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 158 (Friday, August 14, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49650-49651]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-17742]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-10013-61-OA]


Request for Nominations of Candidates for the EPA's Science 
Advisory Board (SAB) and SAB Standing Committees: Extension of 
Nomination Period

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Request for nominations; extension of nomination period.

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SUMMARY: On April 1, 2020, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 
(EPA) invited nominations of scientific experts from a diverse range of 
disciplines to be considered for appointment to the EPA Science 
Advisory Board (SAB) and four SAB standing committees described in this 
notice. On April 15, a federal district court vacated the grants policy 
articulated in EPA's 2017 federal advisory committee membership 
directive. In light of that intervening decision, the EPA is extending 
the nomination period until August 31, 2020. Appointments will be 
announced by the Administrator and are anticipated to be filled by the 
start of Fiscal Year 2021 (October 2020).

DATES: Nominations should be submitted in time to arrive no later than 
August 31, 2020.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Background: The SAB is a chartered Federal Advisory Committee, 
established in 1978, under the authority of the Environmental Research, 
Development and Demonstration Authorization Act (ERDDAA), codified at 
42 U.S.C. 4365, to provide independent scientific and technical peer 
review, consultation, advice and recommendations to the EPA 
Administrator. Members of the SAB constitute distinguished bodies of 
non-EPA scientists, engineers, and economists who are nationally and 
internationally recognized experts in their respective fields. Members 
are appointed by the EPA Administrator for a three-year term and serve 
as Special Government Employees who provide independent expert advice 
to the agency. Additional information about the SAB is available at 
https://www.epa.gov/sab.
    On April 15, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of 
New York (SDNY) vacated Section 1 of EPA's 2017 federal advisory 
committee membership directive (2017 Directive), which announced ``a 
requirement that no member of an EPA federal advisory committee be 
currently in receipt of EPA grants.'' As a result of the vacatur, 
Section 1 is no longer in effect and EPA is following the relevant 
policies as they existed before the 2017 Directive. However, because 
the SAB was still seeking nominations when the SDNY vacated Section 1, 
EPA is reopening the SAB's membership solicitations and accepting 
further nominations.
    Expertise Sought for the SAB: The chartered SAB provides scientific 
advice to the EPA Administrator on a variety of EPA science and 
research. All the work of SAB standing committees and ad-hoc panels is 
conducted under the auspices of the chartered SAB. The chartered SAB 
reviews all SAB standing committee and ad-hoc panel draft reports and 
determines whether each is of a high enough quality to deliver to the 
EPA Administrator. The SAB Staff Office invites nominations to serve on 
the chartered SAB in the following scientific disciplines as they 
relate to human health and the environment: Analytical chemistry; 
benefit-cost analysis; causal inference; complex systems; ecological 
sciences and ecological assessment; economics; engineering; forestry 
geochemistry; health sciences; hydrology; hydrogeology; medicine; 
microbiology; modeling; pediatrics; public health; risk assessment; 
social, behavioral and decision sciences; statistics; toxicology; 
epidemiology; and uncertainty analysis.
    The SAB Staff Office is especially interested in scientists in the 
disciplines described above who have knowledge and experience in air 
quality; agricultural sciences; atmospheric sciences; benefit-cost 
analysis; complex systems; drinking water; energy and the environment; 
epidemiology; dose-response, exposure, and physiologically based 
pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling; water quality; water quantity and 
reuse; ecosystem services; community environmental health; 
sustainability; and waste management. For further information about the 
chartered SAB membership appointment process and schedule, please 
contact Dr. Thomas Armitage, DFO, by telephone at (202) 564-2155 or by 
email at [email protected].
    The SAB Staff Office is also seeking nominations of experts for 
possible vacancies on four SAB standing committees: The Agricultural 
Science Committee, the Chemical Assessment Advisory Committee; the 
Drinking Water Committee; and the Radiation Advisory Committee.
    (1) The SAB Agricultural Science Committee (ASC) provides advice to 
the chartered SAB on matters that have been determined to have a 
significant direct impact on farming and agriculture-related 
industries. The SAB Staff Office invites the nomination of scientists 
with expertise in one or more of the following disciplines: 
Agricultural science; agricultural economics, including the valuation 
of ecosystem goods and services; agricultural chemistry; agricultural 
engineering; agronomy and soil science; animal science; aquaculture 
science; biofuel engineering; biotechnology; crop science and 
phytopathology; environmental chemistry; forestry; and hydrology. For 
further information about the ASC membership appointment process and 
schedule, please contact Dr. Shaunta Hill-Hammond, DFO, by telephone at 
(202) 564-3343 or by email at [email protected].
    (2) The SAB Chemical Assessment Advisory Committee (CAAC) provides 
advice through the chartered SAB regarding selected toxicological 
reviews of environmental chemicals. The SAB Staff Office invites the 
nomination of scientists with experience in chemical assessments and 
expertise in one or more of the following disciplines: Toxicology, 
including, developmental/reproductive toxicology, and inhalation 
toxicology; carcinogenesis; dose-response, exposure, and 
physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling; biostatistics; 
uncertainty analysis; epidemiology and risk assessment. 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 [email protected].
    (3) 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 expertise in 
one or more of the following disciplines: Environmental engineering; 
epidemiology; microbiology; public health; toxicology, including new 
and

[[Page 49651]]

emerging contaminants; uncertainty analysis; and risk assessment. For 
further information about the DWC membership appointment process and 
schedule, please contact Dr. Bryan Bloomer, DFO, by telephone at (202) 
564- 4222 or by email at [email protected].
    (4) The Radiation Advisory Committee (RAC) provides advice on 
radiation protection, radiation science, and radiation risk assessment. 
The SAB Staff Office invites the nomination of experts to serve on the 
RAC with demonstrated expertise in the following disciplines: Radiation 
carcinogenesis; radiochemistry; radiation dosimetry; radiation 
epidemiology; radiation exposure; radiation health and safety; 
radiological risk assessment; uncertainty analysis; and radionuclide 
fate and transport. For further information about the RAC membership 
appointment process and schedule, please contact Dr. Diana Wong, DFO, 
by telephone at (202) 564-2049 or by email at [email protected].
    Selection Criteria for the SAB and the SAB Standing 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., geographical, social, 
cultural, educational backgrounds, professional affiliations; and other 
considerations; and
-- For the committee as a whole, the collective breadth and depth of 
scientific expertise is considered.

    As the SAB and its standing committees and ad-hoc panels 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) using the online 
nomination form under the ``Nomination of Experts'' category at the 
bottom of the SAB home page at https://www.epa.gov/sab. To be 
considered, all nominations should include the information requested 
below. EPA values and welcomes diversity. All qualified candidates are 
encouraged to apply regardless of gender, race, disability or 
ethnicity.
    Nominators are asked to identify the specific committee for which 
nominee is 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; and 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 website, should 
contact the DFO 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 any additional 
experts identified by the SAB Staff Office, will be posted in a List of 
Candidates on the SAB website at https://www.epa.gov/sab. Public 
comments on each 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 SAB home page at https://www.epa.gov/sab. This form should 
not be submitted as part of a nomination.

V. Khanna Johnston,
Deputy Director, EPA Science Advisory Board Staff Office.
[FR Doc. 2020-17742 Filed 8-13-20; 8:45 am]
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