[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 61 (Friday, March 28, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16679-16680]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-6405]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-8548-6]


Science Advisory Board Staff Office; Request for Nominations of 
Experts to Augment the Science Advisory Board Homeland Security 
Advisory Committee

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or Agency) Science 
Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office is requesting public nominations of 
experts in microbiology. Nominees with appropriate expertise will be 
considered for service on the SAB Homeland Security Advisory Committee 
(HSAC) to provide consultative advice on a Draft Federal Inter-agency 
Anthrax Technical Assistance Document.

DATES: Nominations for the specific microbiological expertise noted 
below should be submitted by April 18, 2008.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Members of the public who wish to 
obtain further information regarding how to submit nominations 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 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 
draft technical documents and background information, contact Captain 
Colleen Petullo at (702) 784-8004, or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA's Office of Solid Waste and Emergency 
Response (OSWER) is charged with preserving and restoring the land by 
using innovative waste management practices and cleaning up 
contaminated properties to reduce risks posed by of harmful substances. 
EPA has a major role in reducing the risk to human health and the 
environment posed by accidental or intentional releases of harmful 
substances. For Emergency Preparedness, Response and Homeland Security, 
EPA works closely with sixteen other Federal agencies on the National 
Response Team (NRT). EPA's OSWER, on behalf of the NRT, is requesting 
the Science Advisory Board (SAB) to conduct a consultation on the Draft 
Federal Inter-Agency Anthrax Technical Assistance Document (TAD). The 
TAD is an interim technical resource document developed in response to 
the 2001 anthrax incidents. The NRT requested that the Weapons of Mass 
Destruction (WMD) Subcommittee to the Science and Technology Committee 
revise the TAD based on consultative advice from the SAB.
    The SAB was established by 42 U.S.C. 4365 to provide independent 
scientific and technical advice to the EPA 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. In response to the OSWER request, the SAB Homeland 
Security Advisory Committee (HSAC) will conduct this consultation and 
provide scientific and technical advice to the EPA Administrator 
through the chartered SAB on scientific matters pertaining to EPA's 
mission in

[[Page 16680]]

protecting against the environmental and health consequences of 
terrorism. There is a need to supplement the HSAC expertise with 
microbiologists. Accordingly, the SAB is seeking nominations of 
nationally and internationally recognized microbiologists with 
specialized expertise in bacteriology of aerobic gram positive rod 
endospore formers (i.e., Bacillus anthracis). Individuals should 
possess extensive expertise in genomic and strain analysis and 
expertise in method development for Weapons of Mass Destruction 
emergency responders.
    Process and Deadline for Submitting Nominations: Any interested 
person or organization may nominate individuals qualified in the area 
of microbiology as described above. Self-nominations are also 
requested. 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 above. Nominations should be submitted in time 
to arrive no later than April 18, 2008.
    The approved policy used by the SAB Staff Office in its selection 
process 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://yosemite.epa.gov/sab/
sabproduct.nsf/19EDA5C43A43D86A852571AE006390EC/$File/ecm02003.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 panel. 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 nominee's 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.

    Dated: March 21, 2008.
Vanessa T. Vu,
Director, EPA Science Advisory Board Staff Office.
 [FR Doc. E8-6405 Filed 3-27-08; 8:45 am]
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