[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 19 (Monday, January 31, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4846-4847]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-1716]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL -7865-4]


Science Advisory Board Staff Office; EPI Suite Review Panel of 
the Science Advisory Board; Request for Nominations

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or Agency) 
Science Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office (hereinafter, the ``Staff 
Office'') is announcing the formation of a new SAB review panel known 
as the EPI Suite Review Panel of the Science Advisory Board 
(hereinafter, the ``Panel'') and is hereby soliciting nominations for 
this Panel.

DATES: Nominations should be submitted by February 22, 2005, per the 
instructions below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Any member of the public wishing 
further information regarding this Request for Nominations may contact 
Ms. Kathleen White, Designated Federal Officer (DFO), EPA Science 
Advisory Board Staff, at telephone/voice mail: (202) 343-9878; or via 
e-mail at: [email protected]. General information concerning the 
SAB can be found on the EPA Web site at: http://www.epa.gov/sab.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Background: A mission of the U.S. EPA's Office of Pollution 
Prevention and Toxics (OPPT) is to evaluate potential risks of 
commercial chemical substances that are or will be released to the 
environment. OPPT also has the primary responsibility for implementing 
Agency policy on pollution prevention (P2), and in this role is a 
critical provider of information and guidance to risk assessors and 
risk managers. The understanding of and ability to predict the behavior 
of a chemical substance in a biological or environmental system depends 
upon knowledge of the physical, chemical and environmental properties 
of that substance. Accordingly, OPPT has supported the development of 
software for estimating these properties from chemical structure known 
as the Estimation Programs Interface (EPI) suite. EPI Suite is 
routinely used in evaluating new chemicals under EPA's Premanufacture 
Notices (PMNs) for new chemicals under section 5 of the Toxic 
Substances Control Act, and is widely used for predicting physical/
chemical properties and environmental fate and transport properties for 
chemicals already in commerce. Further information about EPI Suite and 
its applications can be found at: http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/exposure/docs/episuite.htm. OPPT has requested that the EPA Science Advisory 
Board (SAB) review the supporting science, functionality, and 
appropriate use of EPI Suite.
    The SAB's mission, as established by 42 U.S.C. 4365, is to provide 
independent scientific and technical advice, consultation, and 
recommendations to the EPA Administrator on the technical bases for EPA 
policies and regulations. In response to OPPT's request, the SAB will 
form a review panel to conduct a review of the EPI Suite. The EPI Suite 
Review Panel will provide advice through the chartered SAB. The Panel 
will provide advice regarding the comprehensiveness and soundness of 
the science supporting EPI Suite including method validation, 
alternative estimation methods, completeness of the software, 
documentation, and appropriateness of its current applications. The 
Panel will consider both appropriate use in the PMN program and other 
uses in screening level assessments. The work of this panel is expected 
to continue until the review is complete. The EPI Suite Review Panel 
will comply with the openness provisions of the Federal Advisory 
Committee Act (FACA) 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.
    Request for Nominations: The SAB Staff Office is requesting 
nominations of recognized scientists and engineers with expertise in 
one or more of the following areas:
    (1) Environmental chemistry and engineering;
    (2) Pollution prevention, especially experience deciding whether or 
not to go into production with a chemical;
    (3) Development of estimation models, such as QSARs that predict 
properties, effects and fate of chemicals from structure; and
    (4) Application of EPI Suite or similar tools.
    Process and Deadline for Submitting Nominations: Any interested 
person or organization may nominate individuals qualified in any of the 
areas of expertise described above to serve on the Panel. 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 electronically using 
this form, or who has questions concerning the nomination process may 
contact Ms. Kathleen White, DFO, as indicated

[[Page 4847]]

above in this notice. Nominations should be submitted in time to arrive 
no later than February 22, 2005. Any questions concerning either this 
process or any other aspects of this notice should be directed to the 
DFO.
    To be considered, all nominations must include: (a) A current 
biography, curriculum vitae (C.V.) or resume, which provides the 
nominee's background, experience and qualifications for the Committee; 
and (b) a brief biographical sketch (``biosketch''). The biosketch 
should be no longer than one page and must contain the following 
information for the nominee:
    (i) Current professional affiliations and positions held;
    (ii) Area(s) of expertise, and research activities and interests;
    (iii) Leadership positions in national associations or professional 
publications or other significant distinctions;
    (iv) Educational background, especially advanced degrees, including 
when and from which institutions these were granted;
    (v) Service on other advisory committees, professional societies, 
especially those associated with issues under discussion in this 
review; and
    (vi) Sources of recent (i.e., within the preceding two years) grant 
and/or other contract support, from government, industry, academia, 
etc., including the topic area of the funded activity. Please note that 
even if there is no responsive information (e.g., no recent grant or 
contract funding), this must be indicated on the biosketch (by ``N/A'' 
or ``None''). Incomplete biosketches will result in nomination packages 
not being accepted.
    The EPA SAB Staff Office will acknowledge receipt of the 
nomination. After considering the nominees (termed the ``Widecast''), 
the SAB Staff Office will identify a subset (known as the ``Short 
List'') for more detailed consideration. Criteria used by the Staff 
Office 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 the nominees' names and 
their biosketches. Public comments will be accepted for 21 calendar 
days on the Short List. During this comment period, the public may 
provide information, analysis or other documentation on nominees that 
the Staff Office should consider in evaluating candidates for the 
Panel.
    For the EPA SAB Staff Office, a balanced 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 independently-gathered by the SAB Staff Office 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 Panel member include: (a) Scientific and/or technical 
expertise, knowledge, and experience (primary factors); (b) 
availability and willingness to serve; (c) absence of financial 
conflicts of interest; (d) scientific credibility and impartiality; and 
(e) skills working in advisory committees, subcommittees and review 
panels.
    Short List candidates must 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 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: January 21, 2005.
Vanessa T. Vu,
Director, EPA Science Advisory Board Staff Office.
[FR Doc. 05-1716 Filed 1-28-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P