[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 55 (Wednesday, March 22, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14509-14510]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-2775]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-8048-6]


Science Advisory Board Staff Office; Request for Nominations of 
Experts To Serve on the Science Advisory Panel on the Distribution of 
Persistent Chemicals in Wastewater Treatment

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 SAB panel known as the Science Advisory Board 
Advisory Panel on the Distribution of Persistent Chemicals in 
Wastewater Treatment, and is soliciting nominations for members of the 
Panel.

DATES: Nominations should be submitted by April 12, 2006 per the 
instructions below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Any member of the public wishing 
further information regarding this Request for Nominations may contact 
Mr. Ron Josephson, Designated Federal Officer (DFO), via telephone/
voice mail at (202) 343-9986; 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. Please direct any 
technical inquiries related to the study to Dr. David Macarus, who may 
be reached at (312) 353-5814 or by e-mail at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Background: The City of Chicago operates the Claumet Water 
Reclamation Plant (CWRP), a large Publicly Owned Treatment Works 
(POTW). The CWRP is the largest POTW in the city, draining an area of 
approximately 300 square miles. The city and EPA Region V are studying 
the distribution of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), persistent toxic 
substances (PTS) and other chemicals in the wastewater influent, 
treatment plant, effluent, and sludges.
    Persistent toxic substances enter the wastewater stream via 
atmospheric deposition and runoff into urban storm drains, commercial 
and residential wastewater, or industrial effluent. Some PTSs may also 
be formed in the wastewater treatment plant. Recent studies indicate 
the presence of elevated concentrations of mercury, polybrominated 
diethyl ethers, aklylphenolethoxylates, pharmaceutical compounds, and 
personal care products in the wastewater treatment plant effluent and 
receiving waters are the result of high usage or resistance to 
degradation and removal during treatment. EPA's Region V requested that 
the Science Advisory Board (SAB) review and advise on their study of 
the distribution of PTSs within the wastewater treatment plant.
    The panel will consider the CWRP study and provide advice and 
recommendations on sampling design, uncertainties inherent in the 
investigation, and interpretations of the results. Future studies of 
fate, emissions, and transport of PTSs will be undertaken, and the 
panel will provide advice and recommendations on the future design and 
direction of such studies.
    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

[[Page 14510]]

SAB Staff Office is forming an expert panel, to be known as the Science 
Advisory Board Advisory Panel on the Distribution of Persistent 
Chemicals in Wastewater Treatment, to provide early advice in the form 
of an advisory panel on Region V's proposed wastewater treatment 
persistent toxics analysis methodology. The SAB panel will comply with 
the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) and all 
appropriate SAB procedural policies. Members of the panel will be drawn 
from experts nominated in response to this notice and other sources. 
The work of the panel includes reviewing background material, 
participating in a few public teleconferences, and attending one or 
more public face-to-face meetings.
    Request for Nominations: The SAB Staff Office is requesting 
nominations for nationally and internationally recognized non-EPA 
scientists with demonstrated research and applied scientific experience 
and expertise with respect to chemistry, fate, transport, treatment, 
and removal of PCBs, PTSs, and other chemicals in wastewater treatment 
in the following areas: POTWs, plant operations; wastewater systems 
flow analysis; chemical fate and transport, wastewater and sludge 
sampling and analysis methods; statistical design and analysis of 
complex studies; modeling; and handling of sludges.
    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 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 April 12, 2006. 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.
    The SAB Staff Office will acknowledge receipt of the nomination and 
inform nominees of the panel for which they have been nominated. From 
the nominees identified by respondents to this Federal Register notice 
(termed the ``Widecast'') and other sources, 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 Panels.
    For the SAB, 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 
panels, 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: March 16, 2006.
Anthony F. Maciorowski,
Associated Director for Science, EPA Science Advisory Board Staff 
Office.
[FR Doc. 06-2775 Filed 3-21-06; 8:45 am]
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