[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 171 (Wednesday, September 8, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50345-50346]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-19301]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-8926-01-OA]


Request for Nominations of Candidates for Two Review Panels of 
the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The EPA Science Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office requests 
public nominations of scientific experts for two ad hoc review panels 
of the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC). The review 
panels will provide advice through the chartered CASAC on the 
scientific and technical aspects of air quality criteria and the 
primary and secondary National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) 
for lead and the secondary NAAQS for oxides of nitrogen, oxides of 
sulfur, and particulate matter (PM).

DATES: Nominations should be submitted by September 29, 2021 per the 
instructions below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Any member of the public wishing 
further information regarding this Notice and Request for Nominations 
may contact Mr. Aaron Yeow, Designated Federal Officer (DFO), SAB Staff 
Office, by telephone/voice mail at (202) 564-2050 or via email at 
[email protected]. General information concerning the CASAC can be 
found on the following website: https://casac.epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Background: 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 amended, 5 U.S.C., 
App. Section 109(d)(1) of the Clean Air Act (CAA) requires that EPA 
carry out a periodic review and revision, as appropriate, of the air 
quality criteria and the NAAQS for the six ``criteria'' air pollutants, 
including lead, oxides of nitrogen oxides, oxides of sulfur, and PM.
    The CASAC is a Federal advisory committee chartered under the 
Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA). As a Federal Advisory Committee, 
the CASAC conducts business in accordance with the Federal Advisory 
Committee Act (FACA) (5 U.S.C. App. 2) and related regulations. The 
CASAC and the CASAC Review Panels will comply with the provisions of 
FACA and all appropriate SAB Staff Office procedural policies.
    History of the Lead NAAQS Review: With the publication of the 
National Ambient Standards for lead (81 FR 71906) on October 18, 2016, 
the Agency completed its most recent review of the lead NAAQS. The 
CASAC's Lead Review Panel for that review was formed in July 2010 and 
completed its work in June 2013. In July 2020, the EPA publicly 
announced the initiation of the current primary and secondary NAAQS 
review for lead (85 FR 40641).
    This Federal Register notice solicitation is seeking nominations 
for subject matter experts to serve on the CASAC Lead Review Panel for 
the next review of the lead NAAQS that began with a call for 
information in July 2020 (85 FR 40641). The Panel will be charged with 
reviewing the science and policy assessments, and related documents, 
that form the basis for the EPA's review of the lead NAAQS, and will 
provide advice through the Chartered CASAC.
    History of the Current Oxides of Nitrogen, Oxides of Sulfur, and PM 
Secondary NAAQS Review: In August 2013, the EPA publicly announced the 
initiation of the NAAQS review for oxides of nitrogen and oxides of 
sulfur (78 FR 53452). In the Integrated Review Plan for the Secondary 
NAAQS for Ecological Effects of Oxides of Nitrogen, Oxides of Sulfur, 
and Particulate Matter (IRP), EPA recognized the combined contribution 
of oxides of nitrogen, oxides of sulfur and PM to deposition of 
nitrogen and sulfur and the overlap of effects of these air pollutants 
on ecological systems. As such, EPA stated the plan to review the 
ecological effects of these three criteria pollutants together in this 
review and the IRP was finalized in 2017 following consultation with 
the CASAC and the CASAC Secondary NAAQS Review Panel for Oxides of 
Nitrogen and Sulfur. The first and second drafts of the Integrated 
Science Assessment for Oxides of Nitrogen, Oxides of Sulfur and 
Particulate Matter--Ecological Criteria were released in 2017 and 2018 
and reviewed by the CASAC and the CASAC Secondary NAAQS Review Panel 
for Oxides of Nitrogen and Sulfur. The final ISA was published in 2020 
(85 FR 66328). In addition, EPA released the Review of the Secondary 
Standards for Ecological Effects of Oxides of Nitrogen, Oxides of 
Sulfur, and Particulate Matter: Risk and Exposure Assessment Planning 
Document in 2018 (83 FR 42497), which the CASAC Secondary NAAQS Review 
Panel for Oxides of Nitrogen and Sulfur provided consultative advice 
on.
    On March 31, 2021, the Administrator reset membership of the 
Chartered CASAC and existing CASAC panels, including the CASAC 
Secondary NAAQS Review Panel for Oxides of Nitrogen and Sulfur. On June 
17, 2021, the new Chartered CASAC members were announced.
    This Federal Register notice solicitation is seeking nominations 
for subject matter experts to serve on the CASAC Oxides of Nitrogen, 
Oxides of Sulfur, and PM Secondary NAAQS Panel to review the Policy 
Assessment for the EPA's review of the Oxides of Nitrogen, Oxides of 
Sulfur, and PM Secondary NAAQS, and will provide advice through the 
Chartered CASAC.
    Request for Nominations: The SAB Staff Office is seeking 
nominations of nationally and internationally recognized scientists 
with demonstrated expertise and research in the field of air pollution 
related to criteria pollutants.
    For the Lead Panel, experts are being sought in the following 
fields, especially with respect to lead: Air quality; environmental 
fate and transport; exposure and biomarker assessment; biokinetic 
modeling; toxicology; epidemiology; risk assessment; biostatistics; and 
ecology.
    For the Oxides of Nitrogen, Oxides of Sulfur, and PM Secondary 
NAAQS Panel, experts are being sought in the following fields, 
especially with respect to nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides and PM: 
Ecological effects of atmospheric concentrations and deposition to 
terrestrial, wetland and aquatic ecosystems; ecosystem exposure and 
risk assessment/modeling; ecosystem service and resource valuation; and 
atmospheric sciences.

[[Page 50346]]

    Process and Deadline for Submitting Nominations: Any interested 
person or organization may nominate qualified individuals in the areas 
of expertise described above. Individuals may self-nominate. 
Nominations should be submitted in electronic format (preferred) using 
the online nomination form under ``Public Input on Membership'' on the 
CASAC web page at https://casac.epa.gov. 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 sex, race, disability or ethnicity. Nominations 
should be submitted by September 29, 2021.
    The following information should be provided on the nomination 
form: Contact information for the person making the nomination; contact 
information for the nominee; and the disciplinary and specific areas of 
expertise of the nominee. Nominees will be contacted by the SABSO and 
will be asked to provide a recent curriculum vitae and a narrative 
biographical summary that includes: 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. Persons having 
questions about the nomination process or the public comment process 
described below, or who are unable to submit nominations through the 
CASAC website, should contact the DFO, as identified above. 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 CASAC 
website at https://casac.epa.gov. 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.
    For the EPA SAB Staff Office, a balanced review panel includes 
candidates who possess the necessary domains of knowledge, the relevant 
scientific perspectives (which, among other factors, can be influenced 
by work history and affiliation), and the collective breadth of 
experience to adequately address the charge. In forming this expert 
panel, the SAB Staff Office will consider public comments on the List 
of Candidates, information provided by the candidates themselves, and 
background information independently gathered by the SAB Staff Office. 
Selection criteria to be used for panel membership include: (a) 
Scientific and/or technical expertise, knowledge, and experience 
(primary factors); (b) availability and willingness to serve; (c) 
absence of financial conflicts of interest; (d) absence of an 
appearance of a lack of impartiality; (e) skills working in committees, 
subcommittees and advisory panels; and (f) for the panel as a whole, 
diversity of expertise and viewpoints.
    Candidates may 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 is required for Special 
Government Employees (SGEs) and allows EPA to determine whether there 
is a statutory conflict between that person's public responsibilities 
as an SGE 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 CASAC home page at https://casac.epa.gov. This form should 
not be submitted as part of a nomination.

V. Khanna Johnston,
Deputy Director, Science Advisory Board Staff Office.
[FR Doc. 2021-19301 Filed 9-7-21; 8:45 am]
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