[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 146 (Friday, July 30, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45706-45707]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-17377]


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

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-7795-3]


Science Advisory Board Staff Office; Request for Nominations for 
the Science Advisory Board's Consultation on EPA's Regional 
Vulnerability Assessment Methods for Multi-Scale Decision-Making

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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

SUMMARY: The EPA Science Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office is 
requesting nominations to augment expertise on the SAB Ecological 
Processes and Effects Committee for a panel to provide consultation to 
EPA on the Regional Vulnerability Assessment (ReVA) integration tool 
and underlying methods for multi-scale decision making. ReVA is an 
approach to conducting comprehensive regional-scale environmental 
assessments that can inform decision-makers about anticipated 
environmental vulnerabilities. A suite of predictive tools and methods 
is incorporated into ReVA.

DATES: Nominations should be submitted by August 20, 2004 per the 
instructions below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Any member of the public wishing 
further information regarding this Request for Nominations may contact 
Dr. Thomas Armitage, Designated Federal Officer (DFO), via telephone/
voice mail at (202) 343-9995; 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 in the SAB web site at http://www.epa.gov/sab.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    The EPA Office of Research and Development has requested a 
consultation with the SAB to review the methods and predictive tools 
used in ReVA, and the effectiveness of the ReVA integration toolkit 
(the ReVA web-based Environmental Decision Toolkit or EDT) for 
communicating risk and uncertainty to clients and users. EPA's ReVA 
Program develops approaches to conducting comprehensive, regional-scale 
environmental assessments that can inform decision-makers about the 
magnitude, extent, distribution, and uncertainty of current and 
anticipated environmental vulnerabilities. In the context of ReVA, 
environmental vulnerabilities are risks of serious degradation of 
ecological goods and services that are valued by society. ReVA 
approaches make use of existing spatial data to depict: (1) The current 
patterns of condition and distribution of resources and human 
demographics, (2) variability in sensitivity of resources and human 
populations to various stresses, and (3) estimated spatial distribution 
of stressors. Future vulnerability estimates derived by ReVA include 
syntheses of: (1) modeled estimates of ecological drivers of change 
(i.e. changes in pollution and pollutants, resource extraction, spread 
of non-indigenous species, land use change, and climate change) and 
resulting changes in stressor patterns; and (2) changes in resource 
sensitivity and projected changes in human demographics. The predictive 
tools in ReVA provide decision-makers with information about current 
and future cumulative stresses and spatially-explicit identification of 
anticipated environmental problems. These predictive tools can also be 
used to illustrate the trade-offs associated with alternative 
environmental and economic policies in the context of dynamic 
stakeholder values. ReVA relies heavily on the use of geographic 
information system technologies and quantitative integration and 
assessment methods to develop useful measures of a suite of decision-
criteria for decision-makers at multiple scales.
    The Science Advisory Board is a chartered Federal advisory 
committee, which reports directly to the EPA Administrator. The panel 
being formed will provide advice to the Agency, asa part of the SAB's 
mission to provide independent scientific and technical advice, 
consultation, and recommendations to the EPA Administrator on the 
technical bases for EPA positions and regulations. The Panel will 
provide advice to the EPA through the Chartered SAB. The Panel will 
comply with the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act and 
all appropriate SAB procedural policies, including the SAB process for 
panel formation described in the Overview of the Panel Formation 
Process at the Environmental Protection Agency Science Advisory Board, 
which can be found on the SAB's Web site at: http://www.epa.gov/sab/pdf/ec0210.pdf. The work of this panel includes reviewing background 
material, and participating in a two-day face-to-face meeting for the 
consultation.

Tentative Charge to the Panel

    EPA's Office of Research and Development seeks the opportunity for 
a consultation with the SAB to receive comments on: (1) The scientific 
validity of the methods and predictive tools used in ReVA, (2) the 
effectiveness of the ReVA integration toolkit for communicating risk 
and uncertainty to users and clients, and (3) the applicability of ReVA 
tools and methods for targeting current and future environmental 
vulnerabilities and making decisions at local and regional scales.

Request for Nominations

    The SAB Staff Office is requesting nominations to augment expertise 
on the SAB Ecological Processes and Effects Committee to form an SAB 
panel for a consultation on the ReVA methods for multi-scale decision 
making. To augment expertise on the Ecological Processes and Effects 
Committee, the SAB Staff Office is seeking individuals who have 
expertise in one or more of the following areas: (a) Decision science 
and environmental decision-making; (b) landscape ecology; (c) analysis 
of land use change; (d) ecology and the use of geographic information 
system technology to analyze environmental stressors and effects; (e) 
ecological risk

[[Page 45707]]

assessment; and (f) environmental statistics.

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 
Subcommittee. 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, http://www.epa.gov/sab. 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 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 August 20, 2004. Any 
questions concerning either this process or any other aspects of this 
notice should be directed to the DFO.
    The SAB 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 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 should consider in evaluating candidates 
for the Panel.
    For the 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 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 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 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.
    In addition to reviewing background material, Panel members will be 
asked to attend one public face-to-face meeting over the anticipated 
course of the advisory activity.

    Dated: July 26, 2004.
Vanessa T. Vu,
Director, EPA Science Advisory Board Staff Office.
[FR Doc. 04-17377 Filed 7-29-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P