[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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