[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 63 (Wednesday, April 1, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18225-18227]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-06660]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-10007-25-OA]
Request for Nominations of Candidates to the EPA's Science
Advisory Board (SAB) and SAB Standing Committees
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 EPA Science Advisory Board
(SAB) and four SAB standing committees described in this notice.
Appointments will be announced by the Administrator and are anticipated
to be filled by the start of Fiscal Year 2021 (October 2020).
DATES: Nominations should be submitted in time to arrive no later than
May 1, 2020.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background: 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. Members of the SAB constitute distinguished bodies of
non-EPA scientists, engineers, and economists 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 SAB is available at
http://www.epa.gov/sab.
Expertise Sought for the SAB: The chartered SAB provides scientific
advice to the EPA Administrator on a variety of EPA science and
research. All the work of SAB standing committees and ad-hoc panels is
conducted under the auspices of the chartered SAB. The chartered SAB
reviews all SAB standing committee and ad-hoc panel draft reports and
determines whether each is of a high enough quality to deliver to the
EPA Administrator. The SAB Staff Office invites nominations to serve on
the chartered SAB in the following scientific 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; forestry;
geochemistry; health sciences; hydrology; hydrogeology; medicine;
microbiology; modeling; pediatrics; public health; risk assessment;
social, behavioral and decision sciences; statistics; toxicology;
epidemiology; 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;
epidemiology; dose-
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response, exposure, and physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK)
modeling; water quality; water quantity and reuse; ecosystem services;
community environmental health; sustainability; and waste management.
For further information about the chartered SAB membership appointment
process and schedule, please contact Dr. Thomas Armitage, DFO, by
telephone at (202) 564-2155 or by email at [email protected].
The SAB Staff Office is also seeking nominations of experts for
possible vacancies on four SAB standing committees: The Agricultural
Science Committee, the Chemical Assessment Advisory Committee; the
Drinking Water Committee; and the Radiation Advisory Committee.
(1) The SAB Agricultural Science Committee (ASC) provides advice to
the chartered SAB on matters that have been determined to have a
significant direct impact on farming and agriculture-related
industries. The SAB Staff Office invites the nomination of scientists
with expertise in one or more of the following disciplines:
Agricultural science; agricultural economics, including the valuation
of ecosystem goods and services; agricultural chemistry; agricultural
engineering; agronomy and soil science; animal science; aquaculture
science; biofuel engineering; biotechnology; crop science and
phytopathology; environmental chemistry; forestry; and hydrology. For
further information about the ASC membership appointment process and
schedule, please contact Dr. Shaunta Hill-Hammond, DFO, by telephone at
(202) 564-3343 or by email at [email protected].
(2) The SAB Chemical Assessment Advisory Committee (CAAC) provides
advice through the chartered SAB regarding selected toxicological
reviews of environmental chemicals. The SAB Staff Office invites the
nomination of scientists with experience in chemical assessments and
expertise in one or more of the following disciplines: Toxicology,
including, developmental/reproductive toxicology, and inhalation
toxicology; carcinogenesis; dose-response, exposure, and
physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling; biostatistics;
uncertainty analysis; epidemiology 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].
(3) 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; toxicology, including new
and emerging contaminants; uncertainty analysis; and risk assessment.
For further information about the DWC membership appointment process
and schedule, please contact Dr. Bryan Bloomer, DFO, by telephone at
(202) 564-4222 or by email at [email protected].
(4) The Radiation Advisory Committee (RAC) provides advice on
radiation protection, radiation science, and radiation risk assessment.
The SAB Staff Office invites the nomination of experts to serve on the
RAC with demonstrated expertise in the following disciplines: Radiation
carcinogenesis; radiochemistry; radiation dosimetry; 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 Dr. Diana Wong, DFO,
by telephone at (202) 564-2049 or by email at [email protected].
Selection Criteria for the SAB and the SAB Standing 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., geographical, social,
cultural, educational backgrounds, professional affiliations; and other
considerations; and
--For the committee as a whole, the collective breadth and depth of
scientific expertise is considered.
As the SAB and its standing committees and ad-hoc panels 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. All qualified candidates are
encouraged to apply regardless of gender, race, disability or
ethnicity.
Nominators are asked to identify the specific committee for which
nominee is 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 website, 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 any additional
experts identified by the SAB Staff Office, will be posted in a List of
Candidates on the SAB website 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
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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.
V. Khanna Johnston,
Deputy Director, EPA Science Advisory Board Staff Office.
[FR Doc. 2020-06660 Filed 3-31-20; 8:45 am]
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