[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 114 (Thursday, June 13, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27632-27634]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-12487]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-HQ-OAR-2019-0316; FRL-9995-04-OAR]
Request for Nominations: Scientific Peer Reviewers; Potential
Approaches for Characterizing the Estimated Benefits of Reducing PM2.5
at Low Concentrations
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) invites the public
to nominate scientific experts to be considered as peer reviewers for
the EPA-drafted report titled, ``Potential Approaches for
Characterizing the Estimated Benefits of Reducing PM2.5 at
Low Concentrations''. A nominee, if selected, will assess the accuracy,
content, and interpretation of findings of the report, ensuring that
they are factual and scientifically sound. The peer review will provide
input to EPA regarding the merits of the technical approaches.
DATES: The nomination period begins on June 13, 2019 and ends on July
5, 2019.
ADDRESSES: Submit the nominations, identified by docket ID number EPA-
HQ-OAR-2019-0316. In addition, the nomination must include the
nominee's full name, address, affiliation, telephone number, email
address, and a statement on the nominee's expertise. Use one of the
following submission methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov
(our preferred method). Follow the online instructions for submitting
nominations.
Email: [email protected]. Include the Docket ID No.
EPA-HQ-OAR-2019-0316 in the subject line of the message.
Fax: (202) 566-9744. Include the Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-
2019-0316 in the subject line of the message.
Mail: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA Docket
Center, Office of Air and Radiation Docket, Mail Code 28221T, 1200
Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20460.
Hand Delivery/Courier: EPA Docket Center, WJC West
Building, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20004.
The Docket Center's hours of operations are 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.,
Monday-Friday (except Federal Holidays).
Instructions: All submissions received must include the Docket ID
No. for this Notice. Submissions received may be posted without change
to https://www.regulations.gov, including any
[[Page 27633]]
personal information provided. For detailed instructions on sending
submissions, see the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this
document.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Neal Fann, Health and Environmental
Impacts, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards (C-439-02),
Environmental Protection Agency, 109 T.W. Alexander Drive, Durham, NC
27711. Phone: (919) 541-0209, Fax: (919) 541-5315, Email:
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. General Information
Submit your nomination, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-
2019-0316, at https://www.regulations.gov (our preferred method), or
the other methods identified in the ADDRESSES section. Once submitted,
submissions cannot be edited or removed from the docket. The EPA may
publish any submission received to its public docket. Do not submit
electronically any information you consider to be Confidential Business
Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted
by statute. Multimedia submissions (audio, video, etc.) must be
accompanied by a written submission. The written submission is
considered the official submission and should include discussion of all
points you wish to make. The EPA will generally not consider
submissions or submission content located outside of the primary
submission (i.e., on the Web, Cloud, or other file sharing system). For
additional submission methods, the full EPA public comment policy,
information about CBI or multimedia submissions, and general guidance
on making effective comments, please visit https://www.epa.gov/dockets/commenting-epa-dockets.
II. Background
The EPA uses evidence from long-term exposure cohort studies to
estimate the number of PM2.5-related premature deaths and
morbidity effects in its air pollution benefits analyses. Generally,
the U.S. EPA quantifies effects for the full distribution of ambient
PM2.5 concentrations, including at concentrations below the
lowest measured levels (LML) of these studies; this reflects the
current scientific evidence, which does not find a threshold in the
concentration-response relationship. However, because of the absence of
data at such low concentrations, there is greater uncertainty about the
likelihood of health effects, including premature death. The degree of
uncertainty associated with premature deaths estimated at these lower
levels has over time taken on greater prominence, due in part to
decreasing ambient PM2.5 concentrations, the public health
importance of PM2.5-associated mortality, and the magnitude
of the economic value of the effect. As a means of improving its
methods for quantifying and characterizing effects estimated at these
lower PM2.5 levels, the Agency is developing and evaluating
potential alternative approaches for estimating these effects.
Potential approaches will be described in a U.S. EPA report. This
report will: Detail new techniques for deriving information regarding
uncertainty at low PM2.5 concentrations using data available
from the peer-reviewed published epidemiology literature; demonstrate
the application of these techniques in an example PM2.5 air
pollution benefits assessment; discuss the strengths and weaknesses of
each technique; and, compare these techniques against alternatives
including the use of lowest measured level cut-points or the use of
meta-analytic approaches designed to characterize the magnitude of the
PM mortality effect across a broader array of concentrations. This
report will be subject to an independent, contractor-led peer review.
The EPA identified the ``Potential Approaches for Characterizing
the Estimated Benefits of Reducing PM2.5 at Low
Concentrations'' as a Highly Influential Scientific Assessment, and
according to the Agency's Science and Technology Policy Council, Peer
Review Handbook (Fourth Edition, EPA/100/B-15/001, 2015) (Agency's Peer
Review Handbook), is required to conduct an external peer review of
that report and supplemental files. The reviewers are asked to assess
the accuracy, content, and interpretation of findings ensuring that
they are factual and scientifically sound. The review shall generate
comments from the individual expert reviewers.
A synopsis of the report may be found on the project website:
https://www.epa.gov/economic-and-cost-analysis-air-pollution-regulations/PM_Uncertainty. The Agency will periodically update this
website to include the full technical report, public comments on the
selected peer reviewers and peer reviewer comments on the technical
report.
III. Expertise Sought
Any interested person or organization may nominate him or herself
or any qualified individual in the areas of expertise described below.
Peer reviewers should have: (1) Published 5 or more manuscripts in one
more relevant manuscripts in journals with an impact factor of 5 or
greater; and (2) demonstrated expertise in one or more of the following
areas:
A. Air pollution epidemiology. Author or co-author of multiple
studies that examined the relationship between long-term air pollution
exposure and mortality or morbidity in a large cohort.
B. Air pollution biostatistics. Intricate knowledge of the
development of new and innovative statistical methods to examine the
relationship between air pollution and human health. This knowledge is
reflected in the individual's publication record, and by leading or co-
leading the development of statistical models used in epidemiologic
studies examining the health effects of either short- or long-term air
pollution exposure.
C. Risk assessment and benefits analysis. Expertise in the best
practices for expressing the probability of population-level adverse
outcomes expected to occur due to changes in environmental stressors.
This knowledge will have been reflected by the individual having led
studies interpreting and applying novel approaches in the epidemiology
literature to characterize population risks. Expertise in the best
practices for estimating the economic value of uncertain air pollution-
related effects, including the risk of premature death. Expertise in
characterizing uncertainty in the value of reducing the risk of adverse
effects.
D. Decision sciences and uncertainty analysis. Expertise in using
quantitative techniques to inform decision-making in a public health,
public policy or regulatory context. Expertise in both frequentist and
Bayesian techniques of uncertainty analysis.
E. Economics. Expertise in econometrics, particularly in using
these techniques to analyze time series data and panel data. Expertise
in running survival models and in performing large-scale quantitative
meta-analyses. Expertise in welfare economics.
IV. Peer-Review Panel Selection Criteria
Selection criteria for individuals nominated to serve as external
peer reviewers include the following:
A. Demonstrated expertise through relevant peer reviewed
publications.
B. Professional accomplishments and recognition by professional
societies.
C. Demonstrated ability to work constructively and effectively in
an advisory panel setting.
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D. Absence of financial conflicts of interest.
E. No actual conflicts of interest or the appearance of lack of
impartiality.
F. Background and experiences that would contribute to the
diversity of viewpoints on the panel, e.g., workforce sector;
geographical location; social, cultural, and educational backgrounds;
and professional affiliations.
G. Willingness to commit adequate time for the thorough review of
the draft external peer review document in July-August 2019 (exact date
to be determined).
H. Availability to participate in-person in a 1-day peer review
meeting in Research Triangle Park, NC in August or September 2019
(exact date will be published in the Federal Register at least 30 days
prior to the external peer review meeting).
Further information regarding the external peer review meeting will
be announced at a later date on the project website here: https://www.epa.gov/economic-and-cost-analysis-air-pollution-regulations/PM_Uncertainty.
V. Peer-Review Panel Selection Process
The EPA contractor will follow the Agency's Conflict of Interest
Review Process for Contractor-Managed Peer Reviews of EPA Highly
Influential Scientific Assessment (HISA) and Influential Scientific
Information (ISI) documents (https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-01/documents/epa-process-for-contractor_0.pdf) and Peer
Review Handbook (https://www.epa.gov/osa/peer-review-handbook-4th-edition-2015) to select the peer-review panel. After candidates are
nominated subsequent to this Federal Register notice, the EPA
contractor will follow-up with nominees and request additional
information such as:
A. The disciplinary and specific areas of expertise of the nominee.
B. The nominee's curriculum vitae.
C. A biographical sketch of the nominee indicating current
position; educational background; past and current research activities;
recent service on other advisory committees, peer review panels,
editorial boards, or professional organizations; sources of recent
grant and/or contract support; and other comments on the relevance of
the nominee's expertise to this peer review topic.
The EPA contractor may also conduct an independent search for
candidates to assemble a balanced group representing the expertise
needed to fully evaluate EPA's draft report and supplemental materials.
The EPA contractor will consider and screen all candidates against the
criteria listed in Unit III and the Agency's Conflict of Interest (COI)
and appearance of bias guidance with the Agency's Peer Review Handbook,
available online at: https://www.epa.gov/osa/peer-review-handbook-4th-edition-2015. Following the screening process, the EPA contractor will
narrow the list of potential reviewers. Prior to selecting the final
peer reviewers, a second Federal Register notice will be published to
solicit comments on the interim list of 7-10 candidates. The public
will be requested to provide relevant information or documentation on
the nominees that the EPA contractor should consider in evaluating the
candidates within 21 days following the announcement of the interim
candidates. Once the public comments on the interim list of candidates
have been reviewed, the EPA contractor will select the final peer
reviewers who, collectively, best provide expertise spanning the
multiple areas listed in Unit III and, to the extent feasible, best
provide a balance of perspectives. The EPA contractor will ultimately
notify candidates of selection or non-selection. Compensation of non-
Federal peer reviewers will be provided by the EPA contractor.
Dated: June 7, 2019.
Panagiotis Tsirigotis,
Director, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards.
[FR Doc. 2019-12487 Filed 6-12-19; 8:45 am]
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