[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 138 (Friday, July 18, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42006-42007]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-16917]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-9914-05-OA]


Request for Nominations of Experts To Augment the Science 
Advisory Board Ecological Process and Effects Committee for the 
Consultation and Review of Lake Erie Phosphorous Objectives

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Science Advisory 
Board (SAB) Staff Office requests public nominations of scientific 
experts to augment the SAB Ecological Process and Effects Committee 
(EPEC) to form a panel to provide early advice on and subsequent review 
of preliminary bi-national phosphorous objectives, loading targets and 
allocations for the nearshore and offshore waters to achieve the Lake 
Ecosystem Objectives for Lake Erie, pursuant to the Nutrients Annex 
(Annex 4) of the 2012 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA).

DATES: Nominations should be submitted by August 8, 2014 per the 
instructions below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Any member of the public wishing 
further information regarding this Notice and Request for Nominations 
may contact the Designated Federal Officer. Nominators unable to submit 
nominations electronically as described below may contact the 
Designated Federal Officers for assistance. General information 
concerning the EPA SAB can be found at the EPA SAB Web site at http://www.epa.gov/sab.

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 Ecological Process and Effects 
Committee (EPEC) is a subcommittee of the SAB that provides advice 
through the chartered SAB on technical issues related to EPA 
environmental programs and the supporting science and research to 
protect, sustain and restore the health of ecosystems. The SAB and the 
EPEC, augmented with additional experts, will comply with the 
provisions of FACA and all appropriate SAB Staff Office procedural 
policies.
    EPA Region 5 is co-leading a binational workgroup to develop and 
implement the Nutrients Annex (``Annex 4'') of the 2012 Great Lakes 
Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA) in accordance with Article 3(b)(i) of 
the GLWQA. Under Annex 4, the U.S. and Canada are charged with 
establishing binational Substance Objectives for phosphorus 
concentrations, loading targets and allocations for the nearshore and 
offshore waters of Lake Erie by February 2016. The general approach is 
to use an ensemble of Lake Erie ecosystem models to compute appropriate 
load-response relationships for eutrophication response indicators of 
concern. EPA Region 5 requested an SAB consultation (i.e., early 
advice) on the appropriateness of modeling approaches to meet the GLWQA 
Lake Ecosystem Objectives. EPA is also requesting a subsequent review 
of the modeled phosphorus targets and loads to obtain advice on (1) 
whether these targets and loads are sufficient to meet the Lake 
Ecosystem Objectives as defined in the GLWQA and (2) whether the 
modeled results reflect the best available information on the 
phosphorous sources and trophic status of Lake Erie.
    Technical Contact for EPA's draft assessments: For information 
concerning the GLWQA Annex 4 please contact Ms. Santina Wortman, Water 
Division, US EPA Region 5, 77 West Jackson Boulevard (WW-16J), Chicago, 
Illinois 60604, phone (312) 353-8319.
    Request for Nominations: The SAB Staff Office is seeking 
nominations of nationally and internationally recognized scientists 
with demonstrated expertise and research to augment the EPEC and form 
an augmented standing committee for an early consultation and 
subsequent review of the binational phosphorous objectives, loading 
targets and allocations for the nearshore and offshore waters to 
achieve the Lake Ecosystem Objectives for Lake Erie. For this effort 
the SAB Staff Office seeks experts in one or more of the following 
areas, algal and cyanobacteria ecology, aquatic ecology, hydrology, 
limnology, ecosystem modeling, and nutrient fate and transport. 
Questions regarding this advisory activity should be directed to Mr. 
Thomas Carpenter, Designated Federal Officer (DFO), SAB Staff Office, 
by telephone/voice mail at (202) 564-4885, by fax at (202) 565-2098, or 
via email at [email protected].
    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 the augmented EPEC 
panel identified in this notice. Nominations should be submitted in 
electronic format (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 (see the ``Nomination of 
Experts'' link on the blue navigational bar at http://www.epa.gov/sab). 
To receive full consideration, nominations should include all of the 
information requested

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below. 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 resume or 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 Mr. Thomas Carpenter as indicated above in this notice. 
Nominations should be submitted in time to arrive no later than August 
8, 2014. 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.
    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 for 
each of the three panels on the SAB Web site at http://www.epa.gov/sab.
    Public comments on each 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.
    For the EPA SAB Staff Office a balanced 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 these expert 
panels, the SAB Staff Office will consider public comments on the Lists 
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 loss of impartiality; (e) skills working in committees, 
subcommittees and advisory panels; and, (f) for the panel as a whole, 
diversity of expertise and scientific points of view.
    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 a 
person's public responsibilities (which include 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://yosemite.epa.gov/sab/sabproduct.nsf/Web/ethics?OpenDocument.
    The approved policy under which the EPA SAB Office selects members 
for 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 10, 2014.
Thomas H. Brennan,
Deputy Director, Science Advisory Board Staff Office.
[FR Doc. 2014-16917 Filed 7-17-14; 8:45 am]
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