[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 146 (Tuesday, July 30, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49336-49337]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-19225]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-7252-6]


EPA Science Advisory Board, Contaminated Sediments Science Plan 
Panel; Request for Nominations

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

ACTION: Notice; request for nominations to serve on the Contaminated 
Sediments Science Plan Panel of the U. S. Environmental Protection 
Agency's Science Advisory Board.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (Agency, EPA) 
Science Advisory Board (SAB) is announcing the formation of a 
Contaminated Sediments Science Plan Panel and its solicitation of 
nominations of qualified individuals to serve on this Panel.
    The SAB provides independent scientific and technical advice to the 
EPA Administrator on Agency positions; in this case, the SAB will 
advise on a Contaminated Sediments Science Plan that the Agency will 
use to develop and coordinate Agency-wide science activities in the 
area of contaminated sediments. Those selected to serve on the SAB's 
Contaminated Sediments Science Plan Panel will review the Science Plan 
in the Autumn of 2002.
    The approved policy under which the EPA Science Advisory Board 
selects review panels is described in a recent SAB Commentary [EPA 
Science Advisory Board (SAB) Panel Formation Process: Immediate Steps 
to Improve Policies and Procedures--An SAB Commentary (EPA-SAB-EC-COM-
002-003), which can be found on the SAB website (http://www.epa.gov/sab) at http://www.epa.gov/sab/ecm02003.pdf.]
    Any interested person or organization may nominate qualified 
individuals for membership on the Panel. Nominations (preferably in 
electronic format) must include the individual's name, occupation, 
position, qualifications to address the issue, and contact information 
(i.e., telephone number, fax number, mailing address, email, and/or 
Website). To be considered, all nominations must include a current bio, 
CV or resume (preferably electronic in MSWord or WordPerfect) providing 
information on the nominee's background, experience, and qualifications 
for this Panel.
    The SAB staff asks that nominations be provided in the following 
way:
    1. Send the nomination by e-mail to: [email protected].
    2. Use one email per person being nominated.
    3. Please use ``contaminated sediments'' in the subject field, 
followed by the last name of the candidate you are nominating. (For 
example, ``Contaminated Sediments: Smith).
    4. Attach supporting information in MS Word or WordPerfect files 
ending in ``.doc'' or ``.wpd''.
    5. In a separate file from the bio, CV or resume, please provide 
the following information in the order shown:

For the Nominating Individual:
    First Name:
    Last Name:
    Email Address:
    Organization Title:
    Mailing Address:
    Work Phone:
    Work Fax:
For the Candidate being nominated:
    First Name:
    Last Name:
    Professional Title:
    Department:
    School or Unit:
    University or Organization:
    Mailing Address:
    Work Phone:
    Fax Work Phone:
    Email Address:
    Website for CV (if one exists):

    Nominator's Assessment of Expertise: The following areas of 
expertise will be useful in this review. Please indicate the areas of 
expertise the candidate could contribute:

 Human health effects assessment (particularly in persistent, 
bioaccumulative & toxic materials, e.g. PCBs)
 Ecological effects assessment (particularly in persistent, 
bioaccumulative and toxic materials, e.g. PCBs)
 Physico-chemical nature of sediments
 Soil contamination remediation technologies
 Baseline and post remediation site monitoring
 Risk communication to the public
 Information data management systems
 Ecological fate and transport modeling of contaminants in 
surface waters and sediments
 Exposure assessment
 Cost-benefit valuation

    Background: The Contaminated Sediments Science Plan is a mechanism 
for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop and 
coordinate Agency-wide science activities in the contaminated sediments 
area. Along with the EPA's contaminated sediments science activities 
database, this plan provides an analysis of the current Agency science 
activities in this area, identifies and evaluates the science gaps, and 
provides a strategy for filling these gaps.
    The Contaminated Sediments Science Plan has three goals to promote 
the vision of providing a strong scientific basis for addressing 
contaminated sediments: (1) To develop and disseminate the tools and 
science necessary to address the management of contaminated sediments; 
(2) To enhance the level of coordination and communication of science 
activities dealing with contaminated sediments across the EPA's Progam 
and Regional Offices and the Office of Research and Development; and 
(3) To develop an effective, cost-efficient strategy to promote these 
scientific activities and research.
    To allow interested parties to view the Draft Contaminated 
Sediments Science Plan, which is receiving public comment, the July 22, 
2002 Federal Register (Volume 67, Number 140, Notices, Pages 47798-
47800) announced the following Internet Web addresses for viewing the 
Plan: http://www.epa.gov/superfund/action/guidance/cssp.pdf and http://www.epa.gov/superfund/action/guidance/cssp-appendix.pdf.
    For technical inquiries, you may contact Lee Hofmann, Office of 
Solid Waste and Emergency Response, Mail Code 5103T, U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460 at 
telephone number 202-566-1928, or by e-mail at: [email protected].
    Charge to the Panel: Details of the Charge may change as a result 
of discussions between the Agency and the Panel. Updates will be posted 
on the SAB Website: (www.epa.gov/sab).
    The EPA solicits comments from the U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency's

[[Page 49337]]

Science Advisory Board on all aspects of the draft science plan. In 
particular, the EPA requests comments and information on the following 
questions contained in the current draft charge to the SAB panel:
    1. The Contaminated Sediments Science Plan (Science Plan) is the 
first official Agency science plan of its kind designed to address a 
significant cross-agency environmental issue in a systematic and 
integrated fashion. Does the Science Plan adequately convey the need 
for such a strategic planning document, i.e., are the goals and 
objectives of the plan understandable and appropriate to the subject?
    2. Are the major areas of contaminated sediments science (sediment 
site characterization, exposure assessment, human health effects and 
risk assessment, ecological effects and risk assessment, sediment 
remediation, baseline and post-remediation monitoring, risk 
communication, and information management and exchange activities) 
appropriately addressed? Are any major areas missing?
    3. Are the key recommendations clearly defined and appropriate to 
resolve the science needs discussed in Chapter 3?
    4. Are there other issues or key recommendations which should be 
considered in this Science Plan?

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nominations in electronic format 
should be submitted to [email protected]. Anyone unable to submit 
in electronic format should send the nomination paperwork to Mr. 
Lawrence Martin, Designated Federal Official (DFO), EPA Science 
Advisory Board, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (1400A), 1200 
Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460, telephone (202) 564-
6497; FAX (202) 501-0323. Nominations should arrive no later than 
August 14, 2002. The SAB will not formally acknowledge or respond to 
nominations.
    The nominations received through this solicitation will be combined 
with other sources; e.g., the Agency, SAB members, and external 
outreach. From this larger group of nominees (termed the ``WIDECAST''), 
a smaller subset (the ``Short List'') will be identified for more 
detailed consideration. The Short List will include the names of 
candidates, a short biosketch of each candidate, and the names of those 
who nominated them. The Short List will be posted on the SAB Website 
(http://www.epa.gov/sab/fiscal02.htm) and public comments accepted on 
the expertise, conflict-of-interest, and apparent lack of impartiality 
(as defined by federal regulation) of individual candidates as well as 
on the overall balance of views represented on the Panel. At the SAB, a 
balanced panel is characterized by inclusion of the necessary domains 
of knowledge, the relevant scientific perspectives (which, among other 
factors can be influenced by work history and affiliation), and the 
collective breadth of experience to address the charge adequately.
    Public reaction to the Short List candidates will be considered in 
the selection of the Panel, along with information provided by 
candidates and information gathered by SAB Staff independently on the 
background of each candidate. Criteria to be used in evaluating an 
individual panelist include: (a) Expertise, knowledge, and experience 
(primary factors); (b) Availability and willingness to serve; (c) 
Scientific credibility and impartiality; and (d) Skills working in 
committees and advisory panels.
    Panel members will be asked to attend at least one public face-to-
face meeting and, probably, several public conference call meetings 
over the anticipated 3-month course of the activity. The Executive 
Committee (EC) of the SAB will review the Panel's report in a public 
meeting and reach a judgment about its transmittal to the 
Administrator.
    General Information--Additional information concerning the Science 
Advisory Board, its structure, function, and composition, may be found 
on the SAB Website (http://www.epa.gov/sab) and in the EPA Science 
Advisory Board FY2001 Annual Staff Report which is available from the 
SAB Publications Staff at (202) 564-4533 or via fax at (202) 501-0256, 
or at http://www.epa.gov/sab/annreport01.pdf.

    Dated: July 24, 2002.
A. Robert Flaak,
Acting Deputy Director, EPA Science Advisory Board.
[FR Doc. 02-19225 Filed 7-29-02; 8:45 am]
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