[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 83 (Wednesday, April 30, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23132-23133]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-10660]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-7490-8]


Science Advisory Board; Air Toxics Research Strategy/Multi-Year 
Research Plan (MYP) Review Panel Request for Nominations for Expertise

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency Science Advisory Board 
(SAB) announces the formation of a new ``Air Toxics Research Strategy/
Multi-Year Plan (ATRS/MYP) Review Panel'' and is seeking nominations 
for members of the panel.

DATES: Nominations should be submitted by May 21, 2003. The 
consultation by the panel is planned for the summer of 2003 
(tentatively mid-July) the meeting will be held in Research Triangle 
Park, NC.

ADDRESSES: Nominations should be submitted in electronic format through 
the Form for Nominating Individuals to Panels of the EPA Science 
Advisory Board provided on the SAB Web site. The form can be accessed 
through a link on the blue navigational bar on the SAB Web site, http://www.epa.gov/sab. To be considered, all nominations must include the 
information required on that form. Anyone who is unable to submit 
nominations via this form may contact Dr. James Rowe, Designated 
Federal Officer, (DFO) as indicated below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Any member of the public wishing 
further information regarding this Request for Nomination may contact 
Dr. James Rowe, Designated Federal Officer, by telephone/voice mail at 
(202) 564-6488, by fax at (202) 501-0323; or via e-mail at 
[email protected]. General information about the SAB may be found in 
the SAB Web site at http://www.epa.gov/sab gov/sab.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    1. Summary: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or 
Agency) Science Advisory Board is requesting nominations of expertise 
for a review panel to comment on the EPA ATRS/MYP developed by the 
Office of Research and Development (ORD) which addresses the scope and 
magnitude of air toxics.
    This Panel is being formed to provide advice to the Agency as part 
of the EPA SAB mission, established by 42 U.S.C. 4365, to provide 
independent scientific and technical advice, consultation, and 
recommendations to the EPA Administrator on the technical bases for EPA 
positions and regulations.
    This project is intended as a review of the ATRS/MYP; the 
background for the effort and the charge to the Panel is described 
below. The Board is a chartered Federal Advisory Committee, which 
reports directly to the Administrator.
    Members of the Panel will provide advice to the Agency, through the 
SAB's Executive Committee. The Panel will comply with the provisions of 
FACA and all appropriate procedural policies, including the SAB process 
for panel formation described in the EPA Science Advisory Board (SAB) 
Panel Formation Process: Immediate Steps to Improve Policies and 
Procedures--An SAB Commentary (EPA-SAB-EC-COM-002-

[[Page 23133]]

003), http://www.epa.gov/sab/ecm02003.pdf.
    2. Background: The EPA's Office of Air and Radiation (OAR) 
implements numerous requirements within section 112 of the Clean Air 
Act (CAA) to protect the public and the environment from hazardous air 
pollutants (HAPs). The CAA list 188 HAPs and there are thousands of 
other potentially toxic chemicals that find their way into the 
environment. There are concerns for the potential human health risks 
associated with exposures to the large number of chemicals and sources 
and the complexity of effects, exposure scenarios, and mitigation 
practices which need to be addressed.
    The EPA's Office of Research and Development (ORD) has developed an 
air toxics research strategy (ATRS) and an air toxics multi-year plan 
(MYP) in consultation with the OAR to address the scope and magnitude 
of air toxics research. The ATRS provides a framework and strategic 
principles as the basis for ORD's research directions and priorities. 
The MYP implements the framework by developing specific yearly 
performance goals and performance measures of research that must be 
achieved in order to meet regulatory-based long term goals in air 
toxics research. The research strategy and multi-year plan will be 
posted on the ORD Web site at a later date. Information on the general 
research planning process may be obtained at the following Web site: 
http://www.epa.gov/ord/htm/researchstrategies.htm htm; http://www.epa.gov/osp/myp.htm htm.
    3. Tentative Charge to the Review Panel. Specific and detailed 
charge questions are still under development, but the charge will 
encompass sufficiency of the regulatory and research context, 
comprehensiveness of key questions, strategic principles and research 
needs in addressing the important research to be undertaken, 
appropriateness of grouping air toxics, appropriateness of long-term 
goals for the MYP and measurability of annual performance goals and 
measures to accomplish priority needs of the air program. The charge 
will be available at a later date on the SAB Web site at http://www/
epa/sab.gov.
    4. SAB Request for Nominations: The EPA SAB is requesting 
nominations of individuals who are recognized, national-level experts 
in one or more of the following disciplines necessary to contribute to 
the charge questions to be addressed by the Review Panel for the review 
of the ATRS/MYP:
    (a) Emissions estimation;
    (b) Air quality modeling;
    (c) Exposure modeling related to air pollution;
    (d) Health effects of air pollutants;
    (e) Air pollution epidemiology;
    (f) Risk assessment of air pollutants;
    (g) Uncertainty analysis and statistical probability;
    (h) Pharmacokinetics/metabolism of air pollutants; and
    (i) Risk management/risk reduction of air pollutants
    5. Process and Deadline for Submitting Nominations: Any interested 
persons or organization may nominate qualified individuals to add 
expertise to the Panel in the above areas. Nominations should be 
submitted in electronic format through the Form for Nominating 
Individuals to Panels of the EPA Science Advisory Board provided on the 
SAB Web site. The form can be accessed through a link on the blue 
navigation bar on the SAB Web site, http://www.epa.gov/sab. To be 
considered, all nominations must include the information required on 
that form.
    Anyone who is unable to submit nominations using this form, and any 
questions concerning any aspects of the nomination process may contact 
Dr. James Rowe as indicated above in this FR notice. Nominations should 
be submitted in time to arrive no later than May 21, 2003.
    The EPA Science Advisory Board will acknowledge receipt of the 
nomination and inform nominators of the panel selected. From the 
nominees identified by respondents to this Federal Register notice 
(termed the ``Widecast''), SAB Staff will develop a smaller subset 
(known as the ``Short List'') for more detailed consideration. Criteria 
used by the SAB Staff in developing this Short List are given at the 
end of the following paragraph. The Short List will be posted on the 
SAB Web site at http://www.epa.gov/sab, and will include, for each 
candidate, the nominee's name and biosketch. Public comments will be 
accepted for 21 calendar days on the Short List. During this comment 
period, the public will be requested to provide information, analysis 
or other documentation that the SAB Staff should consider in evaluating 
candidates for the Panel.
    For the EPA SAB, a balanced review panel (i.e., committee, 
subcommittee, or panel) is characterized by inclusion of candidates who 
possess 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 
adequately address the charge. Public responses to the Short List 
candidates will be considered in the selection of the panel, along with 
information provided by candidates and information gathered by EPA SAB 
Staff independently on the background of each candidate (e.g., 
financial disclosure information and computer searches to evaluate a 
nominee's prior involvement with the topic under review). Specific 
criteria to be used in evaluating an individual subcommittee member 
include: (a) Scientific and/or technical expertise, knowledge, and 
experience (primary factors); (b) absence of financial conflicts of 
interest; (c) scientific credibility and impartiality; (d) availability 
and willingness to serve; and (e) ability to work constructively and 
effectively in committees.
    Short List candidates will also be required to fill-out 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, which is submitted by EPA SAB Members and Consultants, allows 
Government officials to determine whether there is a statutory conflict 
between that person's public responsibilities (which includes 
membership on an EPA Federal advisory committee) and private interests 
and activities, or the appearance of a lack of impartiality, as defined 
by Federal regulation. The form may be viewed and downloaded from the 
following URL address: http://www.epa.gov/sab/pdf/epaform3110-48.pdf. Subcommittee members will likely be asked to attend at least 
one public face-to-face meeting and several public conference call 
meetings over the anticipated course of the advisory activity.

    Dated: April 25, 2003.
Angela Nugent,
Acting Office Director, EPA Science Advisory Board Staff Office.
[FR Doc. 03-10660 Filed 4-29-03; 8:45 am]
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