[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 66 (Wednesday, April 6, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19967-19969]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-07918]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-9944-69-OA]


Request for Nominations of Candidates to the EPA's Clean Air 
Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) and the EPA 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 disciplines 
to be considered for appointment to the Clean Air Scientific Advisory 
Committee (CASAC) and the EPA Science Advisory Board (SAB) and five SAB 
committees described in this notice. Appointments are anticipated to be 
filled by the start of Fiscal Year 2017 (October 2016).

DATES: Nominations should be submitted in time to arrive no later than 
May 6, 2016.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Nominators unable to submit nominations 
electronically as described below may submit a paper copy to the 
Designated Federal Officers (DFO) for the committees, as identified 
below. General inquiries regarding the work of the CASAC, the SAB or 
SAB committees also may be directed to the appropriate DFO.
    Background: The CASAC is a chartered Federal Advisory Committee, 
established pursuant to the Clean Air Act (CAA) Amendments of 1977, 
codified at 42 U.S.C. 7409(d)(2), to provide advice, information and 
recommendations to the Administrator on the scientific and technical 
aspects of air quality criteria and National Ambient Air Quality 
Standards. The SAB is a chartered Federal Advisory Committee, 
established in 1978 under the authority of the Environmental Research, 
Development and Demonstration Authorization Act (ERDDAA), codified at 
42 U.S.C. 4365, to provide independent scientific and technical peer 
review, consultation, advice and recommendations to the EPA 
Administrator on the scientific bases for EPA's actions and programs. 
Members of the CASAC and the SAB constitute distinguished bodies of 
non-EPA scientists, engineers, economists, and behavioral and social 
scientists who are nationally and internationally recognized experts in 
their respective fields. Members are appointed by the EPA Administrator 
for a three-year term and serve as Special Government Employees who 
provide independent expert advice to the agency. Additional information 
about the CASAC is available at http://www.epa.gov/casac and 
information about the SAB is available at http://www.epa.gov/sab.
    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 is 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 who represent state air pollution 
control agencies and who have demonstrated high levels of competence, 
knowledge, and expertise in scientific/technical fields relevant to air 
pollution and air quality issues. The SAB Staff Office is especially 
interested in scientists with expertise described above who have 
knowledge and experience in air quality relating to criteria 
pollutants. For further information about the CASAC membership 
appointment process and schedule, please contact Mr. Aaron Yeow, DFO, 
by telephone at (202) 564-2050 or by email at [email protected].
    Expertise Sought for the SAB: The chartered SAB provides strategic 
advice to the EPA Administrator on a variety of EPA science and 
research programs. All the work of SAB committees and panels is under 
the direction of the chartered SAB. The chartered SAB reviews all SAB 
committee and panel draft reports and determines whether they are 
appropriate to send to the EPA Administrator. The SAB Staff Office is 
seeking nominations of experts to serve on the chartered SAB in the 
following disciplines as they relate to human health and the 
environment: Analytical chemistry; ecological sciences and ecological 
assessment; economics; engineering; geochemistry; health disparities; 
health sciences; hydrology; hydrogeology; medicine; microbiology; 
modeling; pediatrics; public health; risk assessment; social, 
behavioral and decision sciences; statistics; and toxicology.
    The SAB Staff Office is especially interested in scientists with 
expertise described above who have knowledge and experience in air 
quality; agricultural sciences; climate change; drinking water; energy 
and the environment; water quality; water quantity; water reuse; 
ecosystem services; community environmental health; sustainability; 
chemical safety; green chemistry; human health risk assessment; 
homeland security; and waste and waste management.
    For further information about the chartered SAB 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 Staff Office is also seeking nominations for experts for 
five SAB committees: The Chemical Assessment Advisory Committee; the 
Drinking Water Committee; the Environmental Economics Advisory 
Committee; the

[[Page 19968]]

Environmental Engineering Committee; and the Radiation Advisory 
Committee.
    (1) The SAB Chemical Assessment Advisory Committee (CAAC) provides 
advice through the chartered SAB regarding selected toxicological 
reviews of environmental chemicals available on EPA's Integrated Risk 
Information System (IRIS). The SAB Staff Office is seeking nominations 
of experts with experience in chemical assessments. Members should have 
expertise in one or more of the following disciplines: Toxicology, 
including neurotoxicology, developmental/reproductive toxicology, and 
inhalation toxicology; carcinogenesis; biostatistics; and risk 
assessment. For further information about the CAAC membership 
appointment process and schedule, please contact Dr. Suhair Shallal, 
DFO, by telephone at (202) 564-2057 or by email at 
[email protected].
    (2) The SAB Drinking Water Committee (DWC) 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 expertise in 
one or more of the following disciplines: Environmental engineering; 
epidemiology; microbiology; public health; and risk assessment. 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].
    (3) The SAB Environmental Economics Advisory Committee (EEAC) 
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].
    (4) The SAB Environmental Engineering Committee (EEC) provides 
advice on risk management technologies to control and prevent 
pollution. The SAB Staff Office is seeking nominations of experts to 
serve on the EEC with demonstrated expertise in the following 
disciplines: Chemical fate and transport; environmental remediation and 
technology; and geochemistry and geochemical reactions. For further 
information about the EEC membership appointment process and schedule, 
please contact Mr. Edward Hanlon, DFO, by telephone at (202) 564-2134 
or by email at [email protected].
    (5) The Radiation Advisory Committee (RAC) provides advice on 
radiation protection, radiation science, and radiation risk assessment. 
The SAB Staff Office is seeking nominations of experts to serve on the 
RAC with demonstrated expertise in the following disciplines: Radiation 
biostatistics; radiation epidemiology; and radiation exposure. For 
further information about the RAC membership appointment process and 
schedule, please contact Mr. Edward Hanlon, DFO, by telephone at (202) 
564-2134 or by email at [email protected].

Selection Criteria for the CASAC, SAB and the SAB Committees Includes

--Demonstrated scientific credentials and disciplinary expertise in 
relevant fields;
--Willingness to commit time to the committee and demonstrated ability 
to work constructively and effectively on committees;
--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.
    As these committees undertake specific advisory activities, the SAB 
Staff Office will consider two additional criteria for each new 
activity: absence of financial conflicts of interest and absence of an 
appearance of a loss of impartiality.
    How To Submit Nominations: Any interested person or organization 
may nominate qualified persons to be considered for appointment to 
these advisory committees. Individuals may self-nominate. Nominations 
should be submitted in electronic format (preferred) using the online 
nomination form under the ``Nomination of Experts'' category at the 
bottom of the SAB home page at http://www.epa.gov/sab. To be 
considered, all nominations should include the information requested 
below. 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 for the person 
making the nomination; contact information for the nominee; the 
disciplinary and specific areas of expertise of the nominee; the 
nominee's curriculum vitae; and a biographical sketch of the nominee 
indicating current position, educational background; research 
activities; sources of research funding for the last two years; and 
recent service on other national advisory committees or national 
professional organizations. To help the agency evaluate the 
effectiveness of its outreach efforts, please indicate 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 DFO 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 questions 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 Office, will be posted in a List of 
Candidates on the SAB Web site at http://www.epa.gov/sab. Public 
comments on each List of Candidates will be accepted for 21 days from 
the date the list is posted. 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 
loss of impartiality, as defined by Federal regulation. The form may be 
viewed and downloaded through the ``Ethics Requirements for Advisors'' 
link on the SAB home page at http://www.epa.gov/sab. This form

[[Page 19969]]

should not be submitted as part of a nomination.

    Dated: March 30, 2016.
Thomas H. Brennan,
 Deputy Director, EPA Science Advisory Board Staff Office.
[FR Doc. 2016-07918 Filed 4-5-16; 8:45 am]
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