[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 138 (Tuesday, July 20, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42087-42088]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-17682]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-9176-3]


Science Advisory Board Staff Office; Request for Nominations of 
Experts for the SAB Hydraulic Fracturing Review Panel

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The EPA Science Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office is 
requesting public nominations for technical experts to form an SAB Ad 
Hoc Panel to review EPA's draft Hydraulic Fracturing Study Plan to 
investigate the potential public health and environmental protection 
research issues that may be associated with hydraulic fracturing.

DATES: Nominations should be submitted by August 10, 2010 per 
instructions below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Any member of the public wishing 
further information regarding this Notice and Request for Nominations 
may contact Mr. Edward Hanlon, Designated Federal Officer (DFO), SAB 
Staff Office, by telephone/voice mail at (202) 564-2134, by fax at 
(202) 565-2098, or via e-mail at [email protected]. General 
information concerning the EPA Science Advisory Board can be found at 
the EPA SAB Web site at: http://www.epa.gov/sab. Any inquiry regarding 
EPA's planned research approaches to study the potential public health 
and environmental protection issues that may be associated with 
hydraulic fracturing should be directed to Robert Puls, EPA Office of 
Research and Development (ORD), at [email protected] or (580) 436-
8543. Media inquiries regarding EPA's draft Hydraulic Fracturing Study 
Plan should be directed to Enesta Jones, EPA Office of Public Affairs 
(OPA), at [email protected] or (202) 564-7873.

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. 2) and related regulations. The SAB will 
comply with the provisions of FACA and all appropriate SAB Staff Office 
procedural policies.
    Hydraulic fracturing (or hydrofracking) generates vertical and 
horizontal fractures in underground geologic formations to facilitate 
extraction of gas (or oil) from the subsurface. While each formation 
has unique characteristics and features, the general process involves 
drilling a vertical well, extending the well bore horizontally into the 
formation, removing water, injecting hydrofracking fluids and then 
extracting the natural gas along with separation and management of 
fluids. Over the past few years, the use of hydraulic fracturing has 
increased. At the same time, concern has been expressed by the public 
regarding the potential environmental impacts of hydraulic fracturing. 
In the Congressional Appropriations Conference Report for Fiscal Year 
2010, the conferees

urge[d] the Agency to carry out a study on the relationship between 
hydraulic fracturing and drinking water, using a credible approach 
that relies on the best available science, as well as independent 
sources of information. The conferees expect the study to be 
conducted through a transparent, peer-reviewed process that will 
ensure the validity and accuracy of the data. The Agency shall 
consult with other Federal agencies as well as appropriate State and 
interstate regulatory agencies in carrying out the study, which 
should be prepared in accordance with the Agency's quality assurance 
principles.

    To respond to concerns that have been voiced by the public, and to 
meet the Congressional request, EPA is initiating a study on the 
potential environmental and human health implications of HF with 
special emphasis on the relationship between hydraulic fracturing and 
drinking water resources. At a public face-to-face meeting of the SAB 
Environmental Engineering Committee (EEC) on April 7-8, 2010, the SAB 
EEC augmented with other SAB members evaluated and commented on EPA's 
proposed scope of study and key research questions regarding the 
potential public health and environmental protection issues that may be 
associated with hydraulic fracturing [Federal Register Notice dated 
March 18, 2010 (75 FR 13125)]. On June 24, 2010 the SAB provided the 
EPA Administrator with an advisory report that included recommendations 
of the EEC, Advisory on EPA's Research Scoping Document Related to 
Hydraulic Fracturing, EPA-SAB-10-009.
    EPA's next step is to develop a draft Study Plan for its hydraulic 
fracturing research. EPA has requested that the SAB review its draft 
Study Plan. The SAB Staff Office will form a new expert Panel to review 
EPA's draft Study Plan and review the Study results if SAB is requested 
to do so by ORD. The new, ad hoc panel is being formed to include 
expertise focused on the specific directions of the ORD research.

Request for Nominations

    The SAB Staff Office is seeking nominations of nationally and 
internationally recognized scientists and engineers having experience 
and expertise in the following areas: petroleum (including natural gas) 
engineering and petroleum geology, particularly with experience in 
hydraulic fracturing and well testing mechanical integrity; hydrology 
and hydrogeology; geophysics; water quality; chemistry and 
geochemistry, particularly with experience in chemical fate and 
transport, oxidation-reduction reactions, gas-liquid exchange, and 
solubility; analytical chemistry, particularly regarding trace organics 
and environmental monitoring; statistics, particularly regarding 
experimental design of field studies; human health effects and risk 
assessment; civil and environmental engineering; chemical engineering; 
drinking water treatment systems; wastewater treatment systems; and 
social, behavioral, and decision sciences.

Process and Deadline for Submitting Nominations

    Any interested person or organization may nominate qualified 
individuals in the areas of expertise described above for possible 
service on this expert ad hoc Panel. 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 
instructions can be accessed through the ``Nomination of

[[Page 42088]]

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.
    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 vita; 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 Mr. Edward Hanlon, DFO, as indicated above in this notice. 
Nominations should be submitted in time to arrive no later than August 
10, 2010. In an effort to obtain nominations of diverse candidates, EPA 
encourages nominations of women and men of all racial and ethnic 
groups.
    The EPA SAB Staff Office will acknowledge receipt of nominations. 
The names and biosketches of qualified nominees identified by 
respondents to this Federal Register notice, and additional experts 
identified by the SAB Staff, will be posted in a List of Candidates on 
the SAB Web site at http://www.epa.gov/sab. Public comments on this 
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. In 
forming this expert ad hoc Hydraulic Fracturing Review Panel, the SAB 
Staff Office will consider public comments on the List of candidates, 
information provided by the candidates themselves, and background 
information independently gathered by the SAB Staff Office. Selection 
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, for the Panel as a whole, (f) diversity of 
expertise and viewpoints. EPA values and welcomes diversity. In an 
effort to increase diversity, we seek nominations of women and men of 
all racial and ethnic groups.
    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 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: July 13, 2010.
Anthony F. Maciorowski,
Deputy Director, EPA Science Advisory Board Staff Office.
[FR Doc. 2010-17682 Filed 7-19-10; 8:45 am]
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