[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 166 (Friday, August 26, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58925-58926]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-20550]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OPPT-2016-0474; FRL-9950-66]


Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals; Establishment of a 
Federal Advisory Committee; Request for Nominations

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: As required by section 9(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory 
Committee Act (FACA), EPA is giving notice that, pursuant to section 
2625(o) of the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century 
Act, the Agency is establishing the Science Advisory Committee on 
Chemicals (SACC). The purpose of the SACC is to provide independent 
advice and expert consultation, at the request of the EPA 
Administrator, with respect to the scientific and technical aspects of 
risk assessments, methodologies, and pollution prevention measures or 
approaches supporting implementation of the Frank R. Lautenberg 
Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act. Copies of the SACC charter 
will be filed with the appropriate congressional committees and the 
Library of Congress. The 14 members of the SACC will be selected from 
interested and available members of the existing EPA Chemical Safety 
Advisory Committee (CSAC). In addition, EPA invites the public to 
nominate experts to be considered for the Science Advisory Committee on 
Chemicals.

DATES: Nominations and comments must be received on or before October 
11, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Submit your nominations and comments, identified by docket 
identification (ID) number EPA-HQ-OPPT-2016-0474, by one of the 
following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the online instructions for submitting comments. Do not submit 
electronically any information you consider to be Confidential Business 
Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted 
by statute.
     Mail: OPPT Docket, Environmental Protection Agency Docket 
Center (EPA/DC), (28221T), 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 
20460-0001.
     Hand Delivery: To make special arrangements for hand 
delivery or delivery of boxed information, please follow the 
instructions at http://www.epa.gov/dockets/contacts.html.
    Additional instructions on commenting or visiting the docket, along 
with more information about dockets generally, is available at http://www.epa.gov/dockets.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steven Knott, DFO, Office of Science 
Coordination and Policy (7201M), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 
Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone number: 
(202) 564-0103; email address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. General Information

A. Does this action apply to me?

    This action is directed to the public in general. This action may, 
however, be of interest to those involved in the manufacture, 
processing, distribution, disposal, and/or interested in the assessment 
of risks involving chemical substances and mixtures. Since other 
entities may also be interested, the Agency has not attempted to 
describe all the specific entities that may be affected by this action.

B. What is EPA's authority?

    This committee is being established under FACA, 5 U.S.C. Appendix 
2, and pursuant to the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st 
Century Act.

II. Purpose and Function of the Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals

    The SACC is being established under FACA section 9(a), and pursuant 
to section 2625(o) of the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 
21st Century Act, to provide advice and recommendations on the 
scientific basis for risk assessments, methodologies, and pollution 
prevention measures or approaches.
    EPA's Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT) manages 
programs under the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st 
Century Act, 15 U.S.C. 2601 et seq. and the Pollution Prevention Act 
(PPA), 42 U.S.C. 13101 et seq. Under these laws, EPA evaluates new and 
existing chemical substances and their risks, and finds ways to prevent 
or reduce pollution before it is released into the environment. OPPT 
also manages a variety of environmental stewardship programs that 
encourage companies to reduce and prevent pollution.
    The SACC will be composed of approximately 14 members who will 
serve as Special Government Employees or Regular Government Employees 
(RGEs). The SACC expects to meet in person or by electronic means 
(e.g., webinar) approximately 3 to 4 times a year, or as needed and 
approved by the Designated Federal Officer (DFO). Meetings will be held 
in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. The charter will be in effect 
for 2 years from the date it is filed with Congress. After the initial 
2-year period, the charter will be renewed as authorized in accordance 
with section 14 of FACA (5 U.S.C. Appendix 2, Section 14). A copy of 
the charter will be available on the EPA Web site and in the docket.

[[Page 58926]]

III. Nominations Sought

    Potentially, 9 of the 14 members of the SACC will be selected from 
interested and available members of the existing EPA Chemical Safety 
Advisory Committee (CSAC). Brief biographical sketches for CSAC members 
are posted on the CSAC Web site at https://www.epa.gov/csac/chemical-safety-advisory-committee-members. CSAC members who are interested and 
available for the SACC include:
    1. Holly Davies, Ph.D., Senior Toxicologist, Department of Ecology, 
State of Washington, Olympia, WA.
    2. William Doucette, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Civil and 
Environmental Engineering, Utah State University, Logan, UT.
    3. Panos G. Georgopoulos, Ph.D., Professor of Environmental and 
Occupational Health, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences--School of 
Public Health, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, 
NJ.
    4. Kathleen Gilbert, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Microbiology 
and Immunology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little 
Rock, AR.
    5. John Kissel, Ph.D., Professor of Environmental and Occupational 
Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA.
    6. Jaymie Meliker, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Program in Public 
Health, Department of Family, Population, & Preventive Medicine, Stony 
Brook University, Stony Brook, NY.
    7. Kenneth Portier, Ph.D., Vice President, Statistics and 
Evaluation Center, American Cancer Society, Atlanta, GA.
    8. Daniel Schlenk, Ph.D., Professor of Aquatic Ecotoxicology and 
Environmental Toxicology, University of California, Riverside, 
Riverside, CA.
    9. Kristina Thayer, Ph.D., Deputy Division Director of Analysis and 
Director, Office of Health Assessment and Translation, National 
Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health 
Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC.
    In addition to the 9 interested and available members of CSAC, EPA 
anticipates selecting 5 new members for the SACC. Nominations for 
membership are being solicited through publication of this document in 
the Federal Register and through other sources. Any interested person 
or organization may nominate him or herself or any qualified individual 
to be considered for the SACC. Nominations should include candidates 
who have demonstrated high levels of competence, knowledge, and 
expertise in scientific/technical fields relevant to chemical risk 
assessment and pollution prevention. In particular, the nominees should 
include representation of the following disciplines, including, but not 
limited to: Human health and ecological risk assessment, biostatistics, 
epidemiology, pediatrics, physiologically-based pharmacokinetics 
(PBPK), toxicology and pathology (including neurotoxicology, 
developmental/reproductive toxicology, and carcinogenesis), and 
chemical exposure to susceptible life stages and subpopulations 
(including women, children, and others). EPA values and welcomes 
diversity and encourages nominations of women and men of all racial and 
ethnic groups.

IV. Selection Criteria

    In addition to scientific expertise, in selecting members, EPA will 
consider the differing perspectives and breadth of collective 
experience needed to address EPA's charge to the SACC, as well as the 
following:
     Background and experiences that would contribute to the 
diversity of scientific viewpoints on the committee, including 
professional experiences in government, labor, public health, public 
interest, animal protection, industry, and other groups, as the EPA 
Administrator determines to be advisable (e.g., geographical location; 
social and cultural backgrounds; and professional affiliations);
     Skills and experience working on committees and advisory 
panels including demonstrated ability to work constructively and 
effectively in a committee setting;
     Absence of financial conflicts of interest or the 
appearance of a loss of impartiality;
     Willingness to commit adequate time for the thorough 
review of materials provided to the committee; and
     Availability to participate in committee meetings.
    The names, affiliations and brief biographical sketches of the 
interested and available nominees will be published in the Federal 
Register for a 30 day public comment period. This same information for 
those who are selected by EPA to serve on the SACC will be available on 
the EPA Web site at https://www.epa.gov/csac.

    Authority: 15 U.S.C. 2625 et seq.; 5 U.S.C. Appendix 2 et seq.

    Dated: August 17, 2016.
James Jones,
Assistant Administrator, Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution 
Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2016-20550 Filed 8-25-16; 8:45 am]
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