[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 124 (Tuesday, June 30, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31274-31275]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-15414]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-8924-6]
Science Advisory Board Staff Office; Notification of Request for
Nomination of Experts Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC)
Carbon Monoxide Review Panel
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Science Advisory
Board (SAB) Staff Office is soliciting nominations of experts to
augment the EPA's Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC)
Carbon Monoxide Review Panel.
DATES: Nominations should be submitted by July 31, 2009.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Any member of the public who wants
further information regarding this request may contact Dr. Ellen Rubin,
Designated Federal Officer (DFO), EPA Science Advisory Board (1400F),
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW.,
Washington, DC 20460; via telephone/voice mail (202) 343-9975 or e-mail
at [email protected]. General
[[Page 31275]]
information concerning the CASAC can be found on the EPA Web site at
http://www.epa.gov/casac.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background: The Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) was
established under section 109(d)(2) of the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act)
(42 U.S.C. 7409) as an independent scientific advisory committee. The
CASAC provides advice, information and recommendations on the
scientific and technical aspects of air quality criteria and National
Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) under sections 108 and 109 of the
Act. The CASAC is a Federal advisory committee chartered under the
Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), as amended, 5 U.S.C., App. 2.
EPA is in the process of reviewing and revising the NAAQS for
Carbon Monoxide. Accordingly, a CASAC CO Review Panel was established
in 2008 and conducted a consultation on EPA's Plan for Review of the
National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Carbon Monoxide (August
2008) and a review of the Integrated Science Assessment for Carbon
Monoxide--First External Review Draft (March, 2009). The CASAC reports
are available on the CASAC Web site at http://www.epa.gov/ttn/naaqs/standards/co/s_co_index.html.
The SAB staff office is seeking nominations of experts to augment
the CASAC CO Panel membership (see membership URL at http://yosemite.epa.gov/sab/sabpeople.nsf/WebCommitteesSubcommittees/Carbon%20Monoxide%20Review%20Panel) in the area of risk assessment and
epidemiology.
Process and Deadline for Submitting Nominations: Any interested
person or organization may nominate qualified individuals for
consideration for membership on the CO Review Panel in the areas of
expertise described above. Nominations should be submitted in
electronic format through the SAB Web site at http://www.epa.gov/sab
directly via the nomination form, following the directions for
Nominating Experts to Advisory Panels and Ad Hoc committees 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 and who has any questions concerning the
nomination process may contact Dr. Ellen Rubin, DFO, as indicated above
in this notice. Nominations should be submitted in time to arrive no
later than July 31, 2009.
To be considered, all nominations should include: A current
curriculum vitae (C.V.) that 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 two paragraphs and should
contain the following information for the nominee: (a) Current
professional affiliations and positions held; (b) educational
background, especially advanced degrees, including when and from which
institutions these were granted; (c) area(s) of expertise, and research
activities and interests relevant to the Panel; and (d) leadership
positions in national associations or professional publications or
other significant distinctions and service on other advisory committees
or professional societies, especially those associated with issues
under discussion in this review.
The Web form will also request information about sources of recent
(i.e., within the preceding two years) grant and/or other contract
support, from government, industry, academia, etc., including the topic
area of the funded activity. Please note that even negative responsive
information (e.g., no recent grant or contract funding) should be
indicated on the biosketch (by ``N/A'' or ``None''). Incomplete
biosketches will not be considered. The EPA SAB Staff Office will
acknowledge receipt of nominations.
The scientific expertise and credentials of nominees received in
reply to this notice will be reviewed for demonstrative experience in
the disciplines sought for the CO Review Panel. Qualified nominees will
be included in a smaller subset (known as the ``Short List''). 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 their
biosketch. Public comments on the Short List will be accepted for a
minimum of 21 calendar days. During this comment period, 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. The
SAB Staff Office will consider public comments, information provided by
candidates, and background information independently-gathered by the
SAB Staff Office on 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 evaluating Short List candidates 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; (e) skills working on committees,
subcommittees and advisory panels; and, for the Panel as a whole, (f)
diversity of, and balance among, scientific expertise, viewpoints, etc.
Prospective candidates will also 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.
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://www.epa.gov/sab/pdf/ec02010.pdf.
Dated: June 23, 2009.
Vanessa T. Vu,
Director, EPA Science Advisory Board Staff Office.
[FR Doc. E9-15414 Filed 6-29-09; 8:45 am]
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