[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 35 (Wednesday, February 23, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8803-8804]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-3449]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-7876-3]


EPA Science Advisory Board Staff Office; Request for Nominations 
of Experts for the Arsenic Review Panel

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Requesting the nomination of experts for the Science Advisory 
Board (SAB) Arsenic Review Panel.

DATES: Nominations should be submitted by March 16, 2005, per 
instructions below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Any member of the public wishing 
further information regarding this Request for Nominations may contact 
Ms. Vivian Turner, Designated Federal Officer (DFO), SAB Staff Office, 
by telephone/voice mail at (202) 343-9697; by fax at (202) 233-0643; or 
via e-mail at [email protected]. General information concerning the 
EPA Science Advisory Board can be found on the EPA SAB Web site at: 
http://www.epa.gov/sab.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Background: Inorganic arsenic is found naturally in the environment 
and it is typically present in soil and water at some determinate 
level. Sources of human exposure to inorganic arsenic include drinking 
water, diet, air and anthropogenic sources such as wood preservatives 
and industrial wastes. Additionally, humans are exposed to organic 
arsenicals when they are used as pesticides (e.g., monomethylarsenic 
acid and dimethylarsenic acid or cacodylic acid). The EPA is currently 
completing its draft assessment of potential human health effects 
associated with arsenic compounds. EPA's Office of Research and 
Development (ORD) has requested the EPA Science Advisory Board (SAB) to 
conduct a review of this assessment.
    The EPA Science Advisory Board (SAB) was established by 42 U.S.C. 
4365 to provide independent scientific and technical advice, 
consultation, and recommendations to the EPA Administrator on the 
technical basis for Agency positions and regulations. The SAB and the 
Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act Scientific Advisory 
Panel (FIFRA SAP) will establish a panel to conduct a review of the 
Agency's risk assessment for arsenic. The review panel will be formed 
from members of the Science Advisory Board, the EPA FIFRA SAP, and 
other experts as determined to be necessary. This panel will comply 
with the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) and 
all appropriate SAB procedural policies. Upon completion, the panel's 
report will be submitted to the SAB for final approval for transmittal 
to the EPA Administrator.
    Availability of the Review Materials: The EPA draft assessment to 
be reviewed by the SAB Panel will be made available by the Office of 
Research and Development. For questions and information concerning the 
review materials, please contact Dr. Reeder Sams, at (919) 541-0661, or 
[email protected].
    Request for Nominations: The SAB Staff Office is requesting 
nominations of recognized experts with one or more of the following 
areas of expertise, especially with respect to the potential human 
health effects of arsenic and arsenic compounds: human physiology and 
exposure; epidemiology; toxicology, including mechanisms of toxicity 
for cancer; metabolism; pharmacokinetics and modeling; dose-response 
assessment; analytical chemistry as applied to living organisms and 
environmental media; risk assessment; and biostatistics.
    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 Arsenic Review 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 March 16, 2005. Any questions 
concerning either this process or any other aspects of this

[[Page 8804]]

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/ec02010.pdf.
    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 expertise and 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 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 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.
    Prospective 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: February 14, 2005.
Vanessa T. Vu,
Director, EPA Science Advisory Board Staff Office.
[FR Doc. 05-3449 Filed 2-22-05; 8:45 am]
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