[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 162 (Tuesday, August 22, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48926-48927]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-13864]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-8212-4]


Science Advisory Board Staff Office; Request for Nominations for 
the Science Advisory Board Asbestos Expert Panel

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 SAB Asbestos Expert Panel and is soliciting 
nominations for members of the Panel.

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

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Members of the public who wish to 
obtain further information regarding this announcement may contact Ms. 
Vivian Turner, Designated Federal Officer, by telephone: (202) 343-9697 
or E-mail at: [email protected]. The SAB Mailing address is: U.S. 
EPA Science Advisory Board (1400F), U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave, NW., Washington, DC, 20460. General 
information about the SAB as well as any updates concerning this 
request for nominations may be found on the SAB Web site at: http://www.epa.gov/sab.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Asbestos consists of six different fibrous 
silicate minerals that occur naturally in the environment. In 1986, EPA 
published an assessment of potential health effects from environmental 
exposure to asbestos entitled Airborne Asbestos Health Assessment 
Update (EPA 600/8-84-003F 1986). Data now exist that indicate mineral 
type and the particle dimension of asbestos fibers may influence the 
potential risk of lung cancer and mesothelioma. EPA is updating the 
asbestos health effects assessment on the basis of new information. In 
particular, EPA's Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER) 
has developed an approach for the quantification of cancer risk which 
accounts for different potencies associated with the mineral type and 
fiber dimensions. OSWER has requested that the Science Advisory Board 
(SAB) provide technical advice on the proposed methodology to estimate 
potential cancer risk from inhalation exposure to asbestos.
    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 SAB is forming an 
expert panel, to provide technical advice to EPA through the chartered 
SAB regarding the Agency's ongoing work in updating the risk assessment 
of asbestos. The SAB Asbestos Panel will comply with the provisions of 
the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) and all appropriate SAB 
procedural policies.
    Request for Nominations: The SAB Staff Office is requesting 
nominations for nationally and internationally recognized non-EPA 
scientists with demonstrated clinical, research and applied scientific 
experience and expertise with respect to human health effects of 
asbestos and related minerals in the following areas: Clinical and 
pulmonary medicine, epidemiology, occupational and public health, 
pathology, inhalation toxicology; biology, mineralogy; environmental 
fate and transport, environmental sampling and detection methods, 
biostatistics, statistical modeling and risk assessment.
    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 Asbestos Expert Panel. 
Nominations may 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. Please follow the 
instructions for submitting nominations carefully, and include all of 
the information requested on that form. The nominating form requests 
contact information of the person making the nomination; contact 
information for the nominee; the disciplinary and specific areas of 
expertise of the nominee; the nominee's curriculum vita; and a 
biographical sketch of the nominee indicating current position, 
educational background, research activities, and recent service on 
other national advisory committees or national professional 
organizations. Anyone unable to submit nominations using the electronic 
form, or who may have questions concerning the nomination process or 
any other aspect of this notice may contact Ms. Vivian Turner, DFO, at 
the contact information. Nominations should be submitted in time to 
arrive no later than September 12, 2006.
    The process for forming an SAB panel is described in the Overview 
of the Panel Formation Process at the Environmental Protection Agency,

[[Page 48927]]

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 nominations 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''), 
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 
the nominee's name and biographical sketch. 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 
nominees 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 will be considered in the selection of the panel members, 
along with information provided by nominees and information 
independently gathered by SAB Staff (e.g., financial disclosure 
information and computer searches to evaluate a nominees prior 
involvement with the topic under review). Specific criteria to be used 
in evaluating Short List nominees 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 on committees.
    Short List nominees 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: August 16, 2006.
Anthony F. Maciorowski,
Associate Director for Science, EPA Science Advisory Board Staff 
Office.
 [FR Doc. E6-13864 Filed 8-21-06; 8:45 am]
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