[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 103 (Tuesday, May 31, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30946-30947]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-10677]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-7918-7]


EPA Science Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office; Request for 
Nominations of Experts for the SAB Advisory Panel for Polychlorinated 
Biphenyl (PCB) Risks Associated With Establishing an Artificial Reef

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Science Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office is requesting 
the nomination of experts for a SAB Advisory Panel for PCB risks 
associated with an artificial reef established from a former United 
States Navy ship.

DATES: Nominations should be submitted by June 21, 2005, per 
instructions below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Any member of the public wishing 
further information regarding this Notice and Request for Nominations 
may contact Dr. Sue Shallal, Designated Federal Officer (DFO), SAB 
Staff Office, by telephone/voice mail at (202) 343-9977; 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.
    Technical contact: The U.S. Navy's draft assessment that is the 
subject of this advisory activity will be available from the U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Region 4. For questions and 
information concerning these materials, please contact Craig Brown at 
(404) 562-8990 or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Background: The U.S. Navy and the State of Florida are planning to 
deploy the ex-Oriskany, a World War II era aircraft carrier, as an 
artificial reef in the Gulf of Mexico. In accordance with the Toxic 
Substances Control Act (TSCA) and its implementing Federal PCB 
regulations (40 CFR Part 761), the U.S. Navy has applied for and must 
obtain a risk-based PCB disposal approval prior to sinking the vessel 
with non-liquid PCBs onboard. The EPA may approve such an application 
if it finds the disposal action will not pose an unreasonable risk of 
injury to human health or the environment. To evaluate the potential 
transfer of non-liquid PCBs to the marine environment and the 
subsequent risk that they might pose to human and ecological receptors 
using the artificial reef, the Navy performed leaching studies of 
different on-board PCB containing materials followed by fate and 
transport modeling of the leaching results to evaluate how released 
chemicals might behave in the near-reef marine environment. The U.S. 
Navy has also developed a fate and transport model known as the 
Prospective Risk Assessment Model (PRAM). EPA Region 4 has requested 
that the SAB conduct a consultation followed by an advisory on the U.S. 
Navy's assessment of potential human health and environmental risks 
from PCBs released from the ex-Oriskany following deployment as an 
artificial reef. The focus of the SAB consultation and advisory 
includes the leaching studies, the PRAM, and characterization of 
potential risks.
    The SAB was established by 42 U.S.C. 4365 to provide independent 
scientific

[[Page 30947]]

and technical advice, consultation, and recommendations to the EPA 
Administrator on the technical basis for Agency positions and 
regulations. A SAB panel composed of current members will conduct a 
consultation. The purpose of a consultation is to provide non-
consensus, oral advice on the preliminary assessment. Following the 
consultation, the SAB will conduct an advisory to provide consensus 
written advice on the U.S. Navy's revised assessment. The advisory will 
be conducted by a panel consisting of current SAB members and 
additional outside experts. These panels will comply with the 
provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) and all 
appropriate SAB procedural policies. As such, all public meetings will 
be announced in the Federal Register at least 15 days prior to their 
scheduled times. Upon completion, the advisory panel's report will be 
submitted to the Chartered SAB for final approval prior to transmittal 
to the EPA Administrator.
    Request for Nominations: The SAB Staff Office is seeking public 
nominations of recognized experts to serve on the advisory panel. The 
nominees should have expertise in one or more of the following areas: 
PCB chemistry; fate and transport modeling; exposure assessment; and 
PCB toxicity to human health and aquatic ecosystems.
    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 Artificial Reef PCB 
Risk Advisory Panel. Nominations should be submitted in electronic 
format through the SAB Nomination Form which can be accessed through a 
link on the blue navigational bar on the SAB Web site at: http://www.epa.gov/sab/sab_panel_form.htm. 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 June 21, 2005. 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/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 during the 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 complete and 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.

    Dated: May 23, 2005.
Vanessa T. Vu,
Director, EPA Science Advisory Board Staff Office.
[FR Doc. 05-10677 Filed 5-27-05; 8:45 am]
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