[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 131 (Friday, July 9, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41474-41475]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-15615]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-7785-5]


Science Advisory Board Staff Office Request for Nominations for 
the Science Advisory Board Second Generation Model Advisory Panel

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The EPA Science Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office announces 
the formation of a new advisory panel known as the SAB Second 
Generation Model (SGM) Advisory Panel, and is soliciting nominations 
for members of the Panel.

DATES: Nominations should be submitted by July 30, 2004, per the 
instructions below.

ADDRESSES: Any member of the public wishing further information 
regarding this Request for Nominations may contact Dr. Holly 
Stallworth, Designated Federal Officer (DFO), via telephone/voice mail 
at (202) 343-9867; via e-mail at [email protected] or at the 
U.S. EPA Science Advisory Board (1400F), 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., 
Washington, DC 20460. General information about the SAB can be found on 
the SAB Web site at: http://www.epa.gov/sab.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact Dr. Holly Stallworth at (202) 
343-9867.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background: EPA's Office of Atmospheric 
Programs (OAP) requested that the SAB provide advice on a computable 
general equilibrium (CGE) model known as the Second Generation Model 
(SGM). This regionally disaggregated model of the global economy is a 
computer program that uses input-output relationships and simultaneous 
equations to simulate activities in multiple markets (e.g., labor 
markets, energy fuels markets, and final goods markets) in the economy. 
These models consider major economic actors (households, government, 
and firms) as well as other important aspects of the economy, including 
demographics, resources, energy supply, and capital flows. The SGM is a 
14 region, 22 sector CGE model that can be used to project greenhouse 
gas emissions and determine the costs of various options for reducing 
greenhouse gas emissions (e.g. carbon fees or charges, allowance 
trading, accelerated energy conservation).
    The SAB is a chartered Federal Advisory Committee, 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 policies and actions. The SAB SGM Advisory 
Panel will provide advice through the chartered SAB and will comply 
with the openness provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act 
(FACA) and all appropriate SAB procedural policies. The work of this 
panel includes reviewing background material, participating in a few 
public teleconferences, and attending one or more public face-to-face 
meetings, until the advisory is complete.
    Tentative Charge to the SAB Panel: EPA's OAP requested that the SAB 
provide comments on the appropriateness and usefulness of the SGM model 
for estimating the economic effects of climate policies. Proposed 
specific charge questions to the SAB SGM Advisory Panel are as follows.
    1. Are the model's structure and fundamental assumptions consistent 
with economic theory?
    2. Are the parameter values employed in the model (e.g., 
elasticities of substitution and of demand, price and income) within 
the range of values in the literature?
    3. Are the model's parameterizations of physical phenomena logical, 
and are its projections of future energy use and efficiency reasonable, 
given fundamental physical constraints and rates of technological 
change?
    4. Are the model's outputs and projections for short-, medium-, and 
long-term analyses reasonable and within the range of expert opinion?
    5. In what areas is the model most in need of further development 
and refinement?
    EPA Technical Contact: An extensive and detailed documentation of 
SGM's structure, parameters and assumptions, as well as a shorter 
overview paper, will be available on EPA's OAP's Web site. Mr. Michael 
Leifman of OAP is the EPA technical contact and may be contacted at 
(202) 343-9380 or at [email protected].
    Request for Nominations: The SAB Staff Office is requesting 
nominations of recognized experts with one or more of the following 
expertise to serve on the SAB SGM Advisory Panel: (a) Energy economics; 
(b) environmental economics; (c) economic modeling of climate options; 
(d) computable general equilibrium modeling; (e) technological change 
and diffusion; and (f) climate science.
    Process and Deadline for Submitting Nominations: Any interested 
person or organization may nominate individuals qualified in the areas 
of expertise described above to serve on the SAB SGM Advisory Panel. 
Nominations should be submitted in electronic format through the Form 
for Nominating Individuals to Panels of the EPA Science Advisory Board 
which can be accessed through a link on the blue navigational bar on 
the SAB Web site at: http://www.epa.gov/sab. To be considered, all 
nominations must include the information requested 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 
the DFO, as indicated above in this notice. Nominations should be 
submitted in time to arrive no later than July 30, 2004. Any questions 
concerning either this process or any other aspects of this notice 
should be directed to the DFO. The process for forming a SAB panel is 
described in the Overview of the Panel Formation Process at the 
Environmental Protection Agency, Science Advisory Board (EPA-SAB-EC-
COM-02-010), on the SAB Web site at: http://www.epa.gov/sab/pdf/ecm02010.pdf.
    The SAB Staff Office 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''), the SAB Staff Office will develop a smaller subset 
(known as the ``Short List'') for more detailed consideration. 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 on the Short List will be accepted for 21 
calendar days. During this comment period, the public will be requested 
to provide information, analysis or other documentation on nominees 
that the SAB Staff Office should consider in evaluating candidates for 
the Panel.
    For the SAB, a balanced 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

[[Page 41475]]

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 SAB 
Staff independently of 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 evaluation of an individual Panel 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 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 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.

    Dated: June 29, 2004.
Vanessa T. Vu,
Director, EPA Science Advisory Board Staff Office.
[FR Doc. 04-15615 Filed 7-8-04; 8:45 am]
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