[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 65 (Wednesday, April 4, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20396-20398]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-8093]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-9656-1]


Request for Nominations of Candidates to the EPA's Clean Air 
Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) and EPA's Science Advisory Board 
(SAB)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) invites 
nominations of scientific experts from a diverse range of disciplinary 
areas to be considered for appointment to the Clean Air Scientific 
Advisory Committee (CASAC), the Science Advisory Board (SAB) and four 
SAB Committees described in this notice. Appointments are anticipated 
to be filled by the start of Fiscal Year 2013.

DATES: Nominations should be submitted in time to arrive no later than 
May 4, 2012.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nominators unable to submit 
nominations electronically as described below may submit a paper copy 
by the Designated Federal Officers for the committees, as identified 
below. General inquiries regarding the work of the CASAC and SAB or SAB 
committees may also be directed to them.
    Background: Established by statute, the CASAC (42 U.S.C. 7409) and 
SAB

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(42 U.S.C. 4365) are EPA's chartered Federal Advisory Committees that 
provide independent scientific and technical peer review, consultation, 
advice and recommendations directly to the EPA Administrator on the 
scientific bases for EPA's actions and programs. Members of the CASAC 
and the SAB constitute a distinguished body of non-EPA scientists, 
engineers, economists, and behavioral and social scientists that are 
nationally and internationally recognized experts in their respective 
fields. Members are appointed by the EPA Administrator for a period of 
three years. This notice specifically requests nominations for the 
CASAC, the SAB, and SAB Committees from academia, industry, state and 
tribal governments, research institutes, and non-governmental 
organizations.
    Expertise Sought for CASAC: Established in 1977 under the Clean Air 
Act (CAA) Amendments, the chartered CASAC reviews and offers scientific 
advice to the EPA Administrator on technical aspects of national 
ambient air quality standards for criteria pollutants (ozone, 
particulate matter, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides; sulfur dioxide, 
and lead). As required under the CAA section 109(d), CASAC will be 
composed of seven members, with at least one member of the National 
Academy of Sciences, one physician, and one person representing State 
air pollution control agencies. The SAB Staff Office is seeking 
nominations of experts to serve on the CASAC with demonstrated 
experience in the following science related to the environment: Health 
sciences; medicine; public health; atmospheric sciences; modeling; and/
or risk assessment. The SAB Staff Office is especially interested in 
scientists with expertise described above who has knowledge and 
experience in air quality relating to criteria pollutants. For further 
information about the CASAC membership appointment process and 
schedule, please contact Dr. Holly Stallworth, DFO, by telephone at 
202-564-2073 or by email at [email protected].
    Expertise Sought for the SAB: The SAB was established in 1978 by 
the Environmental Research, Development and Demonstration Act to 
provide independent advice to the Administrator on general scientific 
and technical matters underlying the Agency' policies and actions. All 
the work of the SAB is under the direction of the Board. The chartered 
SAB provides strategic advice to the EPA Administrator on a variety of 
EPA science and research programs, oversees and reviews all SAB 
committee and panel draft reports. The SAB Staff Office is seeking 
nominations of experts to serve on the chartered SAB in the following 
disciplines as they relate to the human health and the environment: 
Ecological sciences and ecological assessment; economics; engineering; 
medicine; health sciences; pediatrics; public health; human health risk 
assessment, social, behavioral and decision sciences; and modeling and 
statistics. The SAB Staff Office is especially interested in scientists 
with expertise described above who have knowledge and experience in air 
quality; climate change; energy and the environment; water quality; 
water quantity; water re-use; ecosystem services; community 
environmental health; sustainability; chemical safety; green chemistry; 
and homeland security. For further information about the SAB membership 
appointment process and schedule, please contact Dr. Angela Nugent, 
DFO, by telephone at 202-564-2218 or by email at [email protected]. 
The SAB Staff Office is also seeking nominations for experts for four 
SAB Committees: The Drinking Water Committee, the Ecological Processes 
and Effects Committee; the Environmental Economics Advisory Committee; 
and the Radiation Advisory Committee.
    The SAB Drinking Water Committee provides advice on the scientific 
and technical aspects of EPA's national drinking water program. The SAB 
Staff Office is seeking nominations of experts with experience on 
drinking water issues. Members should have one or more of the following 
disciplines: Epidemiology; engineering; microbiology; and public 
health. For further information about the DWC membership appointment 
process and schedule, please contact Mr. Thomas Carpenter, DFO, by 
telephone at 202-564-4885 or by email at [email protected].
    The SAB Ecological Processes and Effects Committee provides advice 
on technical issues related to the science and research to protect and 
restore the health of ecosystems. The SAB Staff Office is seeking 
nominations of experts with demonstrated expertise in the following 
disciplines: Aquatic ecology; ecological risk assessment, 
ecotoxicology; landscape ecology, statistics; and terrestrial ecology. 
For further information about the EPEC membership appointment process 
and schedule, please contact Dr. Thomas Armitage, DFO, by telephone at 
202-564-2155 or by email at [email protected].
    The SAB Environmental Economics Advisory Committee provides advice 
on methods and analyses related to economics, costs, and benefits of 
EPA environmental programs.
    The SAB Environmental Economics Advisory Committee provides advice 
on methods and analyses related to economics, costs, and benefits of 
EPA environmental programs. The SAB Staff office is seeking nominations 
of experts in environmental economics to serve on the EEAC. For further 
information about the EEAC membership appointment process and schedule, 
please contact Dr. Holly Stallworth, DFO, by telephone at 202-564-2073 
or by email at [email protected].
    The Radiation Advisory Committee provides advice on radiation 
protection, radiation science, and radiation risk assessment. The SAB 
Staff Office is seeking nominations of experts to serve on RAC with 
demonstrated expertise in the following disciplines: dosimetry; 
radiation biology; radiation epidemiology; radiation fate and transport 
monitoring and measurement; radiological health and physical sciences; 
risk assessment; and statistics. For further information about the RAC 
membership appointment process and schedule, please contact Dr. K. Jack 
Kooyoomjian, DFO, by telephone at 202-564-2064 or by email at 
[email protected]
    Selection Criteria for the CASAC, SAB and four SAB Committees 
includes:

--Demonstrated scientific credentials and disciplinary expertise in 
their own fields;
--Willingness to commit time to the committee and demonstrated ability 
to work constructively and effectively on committees;
--Absence of financial conflicts of interest;
--Absence of an appearance of a lack of impartiality;
--Background and experiences that would help members contribute to the 
diversity of perspectives on the committee, e.g., geographic, economic, 
social, cultural, educational backgrounds, professional affiliations; 
and other considerations; and
--For the committee as a whole, consideration of the collective breadth 
and depth of scientific expertise; and a balance of scientific 
perspectives.

    How to Submit Nominations: Any interested person or organization 
may nominate qualified persons to be considered for appointment to this 
advisory committee. Individuals may self-nominate. Nominations should 
be submitted in electronic format (preferred) following the 
instructions for ``Nominating Experts to the Chemical

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Assessment Advisory Committee'' 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 be 
considered, all nominations should include the information requested. 
EPA values and welcomes diversity. In an effort to obtain nominations 
of diverse candidates, EPA encourages nominations of women and men of 
all racial and ethnic groups.
    Nominators are asked to identify the specific committee for which 
nominees are to be considered. The following information should be 
provided on the nomination form: 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; and a biographical sketch of the nominee 
indicating current position, educational background; research 
activities; sources of research funding; and recent service on other 
national advisory committees or national professional organizations. To 
help the Agency in evaluating the effectiveness of its outreach 
efforts, please tell us how you learned of this nomination opportunity. 
Persons having questions about the nomination process or the public 
comment process described below, or who are unable to submit 
nominations through the SAB Web site, should contact the Designated 
Federal Officer for the committee, as identified above. The DFO will 
acknowledge receipt of nominations and in that acknowledgement will 
invite the nominee to provide any additional information that the 
nominee feels would be useful in considering the nomination, such as 
availability to participate as a member of the committee; how the 
nominee's background, skills and experience would contribute to the 
diversity of the committee; and any concerns the nominee has regarding 
membership. 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 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.
    Candidates invited to serve will be asked to submit 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 EPA to determine whether there is a statutory conflict 
between that person's public responsibilities as a Special Government 
Employee 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 through the ``Ethics Requirements for Advisors'' 
link on the blue navigational bar on the SAB Web site at http://www.epa.gov/sab.

    Dated: March 29, 2012.
Thomas H. Brennan,
Deputy Director, EPA Science Advisory Board Staff Office.
[FR Doc. 2012-8093 Filed 4-3-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P