[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 122 (Tuesday, June 27, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29077-29079]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-13332]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-9961-83-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 (EPA).

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), the EPA Science Advisory Board (SAB), and six SAB 
committees described in this notice. Appointments will be announced by 
the EPA Administrator.

DATES: Nominations should be submitted in time to arrive no later than 
July 27, 2017.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 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]. For 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]. For all other inquiries, nominators should 
contact the appropriate Designated Federal Officers (DFO) for the 
committees, as identified below. Anyone unable to submit electronic 
nominations may send a paper copy to the appropriate DFO.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    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 EPA Administrator on the scientific and 
technical aspects of air quality criteria and National Ambient Air 
Quality Standards (NAAQS). 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: The CASAC was established pursuant to 
the Clean Air Act (CAA) Amendments of 1977, codified at 42 U.S.C. 
7409(d)(2), to review air quality criteria and NAAQS and recommend to 
the EPA Administrator any new NAAQS and revisions of existing criteria 
and NAAQS as may be appropriate. The CASAC shall also: Advise the EPA 
Administrator of areas in which additional knowledge is required to 
appraise the adequacy and basis of existing, new, or revised NAAQS; 
describe the research efforts necessary to provide the required 
information; advise the EPA Administrator on the relative contribution 
to air pollution concentrations of natural as well as anthropogenic 
activity; and advise the EPA Administrator of any adverse public 
health, welfare, social, economic, or energy effects which may result 
from various strategies for attainment and maintenance of such NAAQS. 
As required under the CAA section 109(d), the 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. Accordingly, the SAB Staff Office is 
seeking nominations of experts to serve on the CASAC who are physicians 
and members of the National Academy of Sciences with expertise in the 
health effects of air pollution. 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 
(ozone, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur 
oxides, and lead). 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].

[[Page 29078]]

    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; benefit-cost analysis; causal 
inference; complex systems; ecological sciences and ecological 
assessment; economics; engineering; geochemistry; health sciences; 
hydrology; hydrogeology; medicine; microbiology; modeling; pediatrics; 
public health; risk assessment; social, behavioral and decision 
sciences; statistics; toxicology, and uncertainty analysis.
    The SAB Staff Office is especially interested in scientists in the 
disciplines described above who have knowledge and experience in air 
quality; agricultural sciences; atmospheric sciences; benefit-cost 
analysis; complex systems; drinking water; energy and the environment; 
epidemiological risk analyses; water quality; water quantity and reuse; 
ecosystem services; community environmental health; sustainability; 
chemical safety; green chemistry; homeland security; uncertainty 
analysis; 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 of experts for six 
SAB committees: The Chemical Assessment Advisory Committee; the 
Drinking Water Committee; the Ecological Processes and Effects 
Committee; the Environmental Economics Advisory Committee; the 
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, developmental/reproductive toxicology, and inhalation 
toxicology; carcinogenesis; biostatistics; uncertainty analysis; 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; uncertainty analysis; 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 benefit-cost analysis and 
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: environmental and water quality engineering; and 
remediation and technology. 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 
carcinogenesis; radiation epidemiology; radiation exposure; radiation 
health and safety; radiological risk assessment; uncertainty analysis; 
and radionuclide fate and transport. 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].
    (6) The SAB Ecological Processes and Effects Committee (EPEC) 
provides advice through the chartered SAB on the science and research 
to assess, protect and restore the health of ecosystems. The SAB Staff 
Office is seeking nominations of experts to serve on the EPEC with 
demonstrated expertise in the following disciplines: aquatic ecology; 
marine and estuarine ecology; ecological risk assessment; complex 
systems; uncertainty analysis; ecotoxicology; and systems 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].

Selection Criteria for the CASAC, SAB and the SAB Committees

    Nominees are selected based on their individual qualifications. 
Curriculum vitae should reflect the following:

--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; and
--Background and experiences that would help members contribute to the 
diversity of perspectives on the committee, e.g., geographical, 
economic, social, cultural, educational backgrounds, professional 
affiliations; and other considerations.

    For the committee as a whole, consideration of the collective 
breadth and depth of scientific expertise; and a balance of scientific 
perspectives is important. 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

[[Page 29079]]

below. EPA values and welcomes diversity. All qualified candidates are 
encouraged to apply regardless of sex, race, disability or ethnicity.
    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 should 
not be submitted as part of a nomination.

    Dated: June 20, 2017.
Christopher S. Zarba,
Director, EPA Science Advisory Staff Office.
[FR Doc. 2017-13332 Filed 6-26-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P