[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 87 (Monday, May 6, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19812-19813]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-09219]
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Office of Workers' Compensation Programs
Advisory Board on Toxic Substances and Worker Health
ACTION: Solicitation for nominations to serve on the Advisory Board on
Toxic Substances and Worker Health for Part E of the Energy Employees
Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act (EEOICPA).
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SUMMARY: Due to one recent vacancy, the Secretary of Labor (Secretary)
invites interested parties to submit nominations for individuals to
serve on the Advisory Board on Toxic Substances and Worker Health for
Part E of the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation
Program Act (EEOICPA). The nominee shall serve as a member from the
medical or the scientific community, under the Board's statute and
Charter.
DATES: Nominations for individuals to serve on the Board must be
submitted (postmarked, if sending by mail; submitted electronically; or
received, if hand delivered) within 30 days of the date of this notice.
ADDRESSES: Nominations may be submitted, including attachments, by any
of the following methods:
Electronically: Send to: [email protected]
(specify in the email subject line, ``Advisory Board on Toxic
Substances and Worker Health nomination'').
Mail, express delivery, hand delivery, messenger, or
courier service: Submit one copy of the documents listed above to the
following address: U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Workers'
Compensation Programs, Advisory Board on Toxic Substances and Worker
Health, Room S-3522, 200 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20210.
Follow-up communications with nominees may occur as necessary
through the process.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: You may contact Douglas Fitzgerald,
Designated Federal Officer, at [email protected], or Carrie
Rhoads, Alternate Designated Federal Officer, at [email protected],
U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue NW, Suite S-3524,
Washington, DC 20210, telephone (202) 343-5580. This is not a toll-free
number.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Advisory Board on Toxic Substances and
Worker Health (the Board) is mandated by Section 3687 of EEOICPA. The
Secretary of Labor established the Board under this authority and
Executive Order 13699 (June 26, 2015) and in accordance with the
provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), as amended, 5
U.S.C. App. 2. The purpose of the Board is to advise the Secretary with
respect to: (1) The Site Exposure Matrices (SEM) of the Department of
Labor; (2) medical guidance for claims examiners for claims with the
EEOICPA program, with respect to the weighing of the medical evidence
of claimants; (3) evidentiary requirements for claims under Part B of
EEOICPA related to lung disease; and (4) the work of industrial
hygienists and staff physicians and consulting physicians of the
Department of Labor and reports of such hygienists and physicians to
ensure quality, objectivity, and consistency. In addition, the Board,
when necessary, coordinates exchanges of data and findings with the
Department of Health and Human Services' Advisory Board on Radiation
and Worker Health, which advises the Department of Health and Human
Services' National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
on various aspects of causation in radiogenic cancer cases under Part B
of the EEOICPA program.
The Board shall consist of 12-15 members, to be appointed by the
Secretary. A Chair of the Board will be appointed by the Secretary from
among the Board members. Pursuant to Section 3687(a)(2), the Advisory
Board will reflect a reasonable balance of scientific, medical, and
claimant members, to address the tasks assigned to the Advisory Board.
The members serve two-year terms. At the discretion of the Secretary,
members may be appointed to successive terms or removed at any time.
The Board will meet no less than twice per year. On July 16, 2018,
twelve members were appointed to the Board by the Secretary to two-year
terms. One member from the medical community has recently resigned from
the Board, creating a vacancy.
Pursuant to Section 3687(d), no Board member, employee, or
contractor can have any financial interest, employment, or contractual
relationship (other than a routine consumer transaction) with any
person who has provided or sought to provide, within two years of their
appointment or during their appointment, goods or services for medical
benefits under EEOICPA. A certification that this is true will be
required with each nomination.
The Department of Labor is committed to equal opportunity in the
workplace and seeks broad-based and diverse Advisory Board membership.
Any interested person or organization may nominate one or more
individuals for membership. Interested persons are also invited and
encouraged to submit statements in support of nominees.
Nomination Process: If you would like to nominate an individual or
yourself for appointment to the Board, please submit the following
information:
The nominee's contact information (name, title, business
address, business phone, fax number, and/or business email address) and
current employment or position;
A copy of the nominee's resume or curriculum vitae;
Category of membership that the nominee is qualified to
represent (scientific or medical);
A summary of the background, experience, and
qualifications that addresses the nominee's suitability for the
nominated membership category identified above;
Articles or other documents the nominee has authored that
indicate the nominee's knowledge, experience, and expertise in fields
related to the EEOICPA program, particularly as pertains to industrial
hygiene, toxicology, epidemiology, occupational medicine, lung
conditions, or the nuclear facilities covered by the EEOICPA program;
Documents or other supportive materials that demonstrate
the nominee's familiarity, experience, or history of participation with
the EEOICPA program or with the administration of a technically complex
compensation program such as EEOICPA; and
A signed statement that the nominee is aware of the
nomination; is willing to regularly attend and participate in Advisory
Board meetings; during the last 10 years, has not been convicted of a
felony, has not been imprisoned, been on probation, or been on parole
for a felony, and is not currently under charges for a felony; and has
no conflicts of interest that would preclude membership on the Board.
[[Page 19813]]
Nominees will be appointed based on their demonstrated
qualifications, professional experience, and knowledge of issues the
Advisory Board may be asked to consider. Nominees will also be selected
in accordance with statutory obligations under FACA and Section 3687 of
EEOICPA regarding a balanced membership.
The activities of the Advisory Board may necessitate its members
obtaining security clearance. Pursuant to Section 3687(f), the
Secretary of Energy will ensure that the members and staff of the
Board, and any contractors performing work in support of the Board, are
afforded the opportunity to apply for a security clearance for any
matter for which such a clearance is appropriate, and should provide a
determination on eligibility for clearance within 180 days of receiving
a completed application.
The new member shall be appointed to fill a vacancy occurring prior
to the expiration of a resigning Board member's term, and shall be
appointed for the remainder of such term: i.e., a two-year term ending
on July 15, 2020. The vacancy will be filled with a new member from the
medical or the scientific community. As specified in Section 3687(i),
the Advisory Board shall terminate ten (10) years after the date of the
enactment of the legislation, which was December 19, 2014. Thus, the
Advisory Board shall terminate on December 19, 2024.
Members are Special Government Employees (SGEs). Members will serve
without compensation. However, members may each receive reimbursement
for travel expenses for attending Board meetings, including per diem in
lieu of subsistence, as authorized by the federal travel regulations.
Signed at Washington, DC, this 29th day of April, 2019.
Julia K. Hearthway,
Director, Office of Workers' Compensation Programs.
[FR Doc. 2019-09219 Filed 5-3-19; 8:45 am]
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