[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 21 (Thursday, January 31, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5836-5838]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-1772]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-8523-3]


Science Advisory Board Staff Office; Request for Nominations for 
Science Advisory Board Panel on Risk and Technology Review Assessments 
for Phase II Source Categories

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The EPA Science Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office is 
announcing the formation of an SAB Expert panel to review and provide 
advice about draft risk assessments that evaluate the effects of 
industrial emissions of hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) on public 
health and the environment in accordance with EPA's Risk and Technology 
Review (RTR) Assessment. The SAB Staff Office is soliciting public 
nominations of technical experts for this panel.

DATES: Nominations should be submitted by February 21, 2008 per the 
instructions below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Members of the public who wish to 
obtain further information regarding the submission of nominations may 
contact Dr. Resha M. Putzrath, via telephone at: (202) 343-9978 or e-
mail at: [email protected]. The SAB Mailing address is: U.S. EPA 
Science Advisory Board (1400F), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 
1200

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Pennsylvania Avenue, 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.
    Technical Contact: For questions and information concerning the 
Agency's draft technical documents and background information, contact 
Dr. Dave Guinnup, at: (919) 541-5368, or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background: The SAB was established by 42 
U.S.C. 4365 to provide independent scientific and technical advice to 
the Administrator on the technical basis for Agency positions and 
regulations. The SAB is a Federal Advisory Committee chartered under 
the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), as amended, 5 U.S.C., App. 
The SAB will comply with the provisions of FACA and all appropriate SAB 
Staff Office procedural policies.
    Section 112(f)(2)(A) of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments (CAA) 
requires EPA to evaluate whether emission standards that were 
previously adopted under the technology-based, Maximum Achievable 
Control Technology (MACT) program provide an ample margin of safety to 
protect public health and prevent adverse environmental effects (taking 
into consideration costs, energy, safety, and other relevant factors). 
Within eight years of the promulgation of a MACT standard for the 
source category, EPA is mandated by the CAA to assess the risks to 
determine whether additional standards are needed.
    EPA's Office of Air and Radiation has developed a Risk and 
Technology Review (RTR) Assessment Plan (referred to as RTR II) that 
has a streamlined approach. The SAB provided advice in a consultation 
on the RTR II in December 2006 [Consultation on EPA's Risk and 
Technology Review (RTR) Assessment Plan (EPA-SAB-07-009) available at: 
http://yosemite.epa.gov/sab/sabproduct.nsf/
33152C83D29530F08525730D006C3ABF/$File/sab-07-009.pdf]. The SAB 
identified some key scientific issues and provided recommendations for 
the Plan. The SAB Panel being formed will review EPA's draft risk 
assessments developed under the RTR II approach, as modified to reflect 
SAB recommendations. These draft risk assessments will evaluate the 
potential risks to human health and the environment that remain after 
sources come into compliance with MACT.
    Request for Nominations: The SAB Staff Office is requesting 
nominations for nationally and internationally recognized, non-EPA 
scientists with expertise and experience related to: Airborne (and 
possibly multi-pathway) fate-and-transport modeling of organic and 
inorganic chemicals; modeling of potential human exposures; modeling of 
human health risk; health effects of individual chemicals and mixtures 
of chemicals; risk assessment models and practices; uncertainty or 
sensitivity analyses; and risk communication theory and practice. The 
Agency is particularly interested in nominees with in-depth knowledge 
and experience in evaluating effects, exposure, and risk of hazardous 
air pollutants.
    Process and Deadline for Submitting Nominations: Any interested 
person or organization may nominate qualified individuals with 
expertise and experience described above for consideration of service 
on the SAB Panel on Risk and Technology Review Assessments for Phase II 
Source Categories. Nominations should be submitted in electronic format 
through the SAB Web site at the following URL: http://yosemite.epa.gov/sab/sabproduct.nsf/Web/participatepanelformation?OpenDocument. Please 
follow the instructions for submitting nominations carefully. To be 
considered, nominations should include all of the information required 
on the associated forms. Anyone unable to submit nominations using the 
electronic form or who has any questions concerning the nomination 
process may contact Dr. Resha M. Putzrath, as indicated above in this 
notice. Nominations should be submitted in time to arrive no later than 
February 21, 2008.
    To be considered, all nominations should include: A current 
curriculum vitae (C.V.) which provides the nominee's background, 
qualifications, research expertise, and relevant publications for 
service on the Panel; and a brief biographical sketch (``biosketch''). 
The biosketch should be no longer than one page and should contain the 
following information for the nominee: (a) Current professional 
affiliations and positions held; (b) area(s) of expertise, and research 
activities and interests relevant to the Panel; (c) leadership 
positions in national associations or professional publications or 
other significant distinctions; (d) educational background, especially 
advanced degrees, including when and from which institutions these were 
granted; and (e) service on other advisory committees or professional 
societies, especially those associated with issues under discussion in 
this review. Incomplete biosketches will not be considered. The EPA SAB 
Staff Office will acknowledge receipt of nominations.
    The names and biosketches of qualified nominees identified by 
respondents to the Federal Register notice and additional experts 
identified by the SAB Staff will be posted on the SAB Web site 
accessible through a link for this panel at: http://yosemite.epa.gov/sab/sabproduct.nsf/WebBOARD/CommitteesandMembership?OpenDocument. 
Public comments on this ``Short List'' of candidates will be accepted 
for 21 calendar days. The public will be requested to provide relevant 
information or other documentation on nominees that the SAB Staff 
Office should consider in evaluating candidates.
    For the EPA SAB Staff Office, a balanced subcommittee or review 
panel includes 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. To 
establish individual expert panels for the advisory activities 
described above, the SAB Staff Office will consider public comments on 
the ``Short List'' of candidates, information provided by the 
candidates themselves, and background information independently 
gathered by the SAB Staff Office. Specific criteria to be used for 
Panel membership 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) absence of an appearance of a lack of impartiality; and (e) skills 
working in committees, subcommittees, and advisory panels; and (f) for 
the Panel as a whole, diversity of, and balance among, factors such as 
scientific expertise and viewpoints.
    The SAB Staff Office's evaluation of an absence of financial 
conflicts of interest will include a review of 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

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may be viewed and downloaded from the following URL address: http://yosemite.epa.gov/sab/sabproduct.nsf/WebSABSO/ethics?OpenDocument.
    The approved policy under which the EPA SAB Office selects 
subcommittees and review panels is described in the following document: 
Overview of the Panel Formation Process at the Environmental Protection 
Agency Science Advisory Board (EPA-SAB-EC-02-010), which is posted on 
the SAB Web site at: http://yosemite.epa.gov/sab/sabproduct.nsf/WebSABSO/OverviewPanelForm?OpenDocument.

    Dated: January 24, 2008.
Anthony F. Maciorowski,
Deputy Director, EPA Science Advisory Board Staff Office.
[FR Doc. E8-1772 Filed 1-30-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P