[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 79 (Monday, April 27, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19084-19085]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-9570]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-8897-8]


Science Advisory Board Staff Office; Request for Nominations of 
Experts for the Review of Technical Guidance on Nutrient Criteria 
Development

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The EPA Science Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office is 
requesting nominations of non-EPA experts to augment the SAB Ecological 
Processes and Effects Committee (EPEC) for the review of EPA's draft 
Technical Guidance on Empirical Approaches for Numeric Nutrient 
Criteria Development.

DATES: Nominations should be submitted by May 18, 2009 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. Thomas Armitage, Designated Federal Officer (DFO), SAB 
Staff Office, by telephone/voice mail at (202) 343-9995; 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. Any inquiry 
concerning EPA's Technical Guidance on Empirical Approaches for Numeric 
Nutrient Criteria Development should be directed to Ms. Ifeyinwa Davis 
of EPA's Office of Water (OW) at [email protected] or (202) 566-
1096.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Background: The SAB (42 U.S.C. 4365) is a chartered Federal 
Advisory Committee that provides independent scientific and technical 
peer review, advice, consultation, and recommendations to the EPA 
Administrator on the technical basis for EPA actions. As a Federal 
Advisory Committee, the SAB conducts business in accordance with the 
Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) (5 U.S.C. App. C) and related 
regulations. Generally, SAB meetings are announced in the Federal 
Register, conducted in public view, and provide opportunities for 
public input during deliberations. The Ecological Processes and Effects 
Committee is a standing committee of the chartered SAB. Additional 
information about the SAB and its committees can be obtained on the SAB 
Web site at http://www.epa.gov/sab.
    Nutrient enrichment is one of the leading causes of surface water 
quality impairment in the U.S. The adoption of numeric nutrient 
criteria in state water quality standards for the protection of aquatic 
life is a high priority for EPA's Office of Water (OW). EPA published 
technical guidance for developing numeric nutrient water quality 
criteria in early 2000. The EPA guidance focused on the use of 
reference condition approaches for deriving nutrient criteria. Because 
many states are currently pursuing the use of empirically-derived 
stressor-response relationships as the basis for developing numeric 
nutrient endpoints for water quality standards, OW is developing 
recommendations for using a set of analytical methods and tools to 
augment EPA's published guidance manuals. EPA has requested that the 
SAB review the Agency's draft Technical Guidance on Empirical 
Approaches for Numerical Nutrient Criteria Development. In this regard, 
EPA has specifically requested advice on: the practical use of field 
data; addressing confounding variables and uncertainty; addressing 
indirect pathways of adverse effects; and the strengths and limitations 
of proposed approaches for deriving numeric values for nutrient 
endpoints. This advice will be provided by the SAB EPEC augmented with 
experts who have specialized knowledge of the effects of

[[Page 19085]]

nutrient enrichment on freshwater, marine, and estuarine ecosystems.

Request for Nominations

    To augment expertise on the SAB EPEC for review of EPA's nutrient 
criteria guidance, the SAB Staff Office is seeking nominations of 
nationally and internationally recognized scientists in fields such as 
ecology, biology, environmental science, risk assessment, statistics, 
and zoology. We particularly seek scientists with specialized knowledge 
and expertise in the use of empirically-derived stressor-response 
relationships as the basis for developing nutrient assessment endpoints 
and criteria for the protection of aquatic life.
    Process and Deadline for Submitting Nominations: Any interested 
person or organization may nominate individuals qualified in the area 
of science as described above to be considered for appointment to 
augment this SAB Committee. Candidates may also nominate themselves. 
Nominations should be submitted in electronic format (which is 
preferred over hard copy) following the instructions for ``Nominating 
Experts to Advisory Panels and Ad Hoc Committees Being Formed'' 
provided on the SAB Web site. The form can be accessed through the 
``Nomination of Experts'' link on the blue navigational bar on the SAB 
Web site at http://www.epa.gov/sab. To receive full consideration, 
nominations should include all of the information requested, and should 
be submitted in time to arrive no later than May 18, 2009.
    EPA's SAB Staff Office requests contact information about: the 
person making the nomination; contact information about the nominee; 
the disciplinary and specific areas of expertise of the nominee; the 
nominee's curriculum vitae; sources of recent grant and/or contract 
support; 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.
    Persons having questions about the nomination procedures, or who 
are unable to submit nominations through the SAB Web site, should 
contact Dr. Thomas Armitage, DFO, at the contact information provided 
above in this notice. Non-electronic submissions must follow the same 
format and contain the same information as the electronic.
    The SAB Staff Office will acknowledge receipt of the nomination and 
inform nominees of the Committee 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 Committee.
    For the SAB, a balanced Committee 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 
Committee, along with information provided by candidates and 
information gathered by SAB Staff independently concerning 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 Committee 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 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. Ethics information, including EPA 
Form 3110-48, is available on the SAB Web site at http://yosemite.epa.gov/sab/sabproduct.nsf/Web/ethics?OpenDocument.

    Dated: April 20, 2009.
Anthony F. Maciorowski,
Deputy Director, EPA Science Advisory Board Staff Office.
[FR Doc. E9-9570 Filed 4-24-09; 8:45 am]
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