[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 167 (Tuesday, August 30, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52968-52969]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-18683]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-10170-01-OA]


Request for Nominations for the Science Advisory Board 
Environmental Justice Screen (EJScreen) Review Panel

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Science Advisory 
Board (SAB) Staff Office requests public nominations of scientific 
experts to form a Panel to review the updated EJScreen methodology. 
EJScreen is an environmental justice mapping and screening tool that 
provides EPA with a nationwide consistent approach for combining 
environmental and demographic indicators to identify areas with 
potential environmental justice (EJ) concerns. The SAB EJScreen Review 
Panel will consider the EJScreen methodology and updated calculations 
for the EJ indexes released publicly in 2022, as well as other aspects 
of the calculations. The Panel will also be asked to provide 
recommendations and expert input on other components of the tool.

DATES: Nominations should be submitted by September 20, 2022 per the 
instructions below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Any member of the public who wishing 
further information concerning this notice may contact Dr. Zaida 
Figueroa, Designated Federal Officer (DFO), via telephone (202) 566-
2643, or email at [email protected]. General information about the 
SAB, as well as any updates concerning the meetings announced in this 
notice can be found on the SAB website at https://sab.epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Background: The SAB (42 U.S.C. 4365) is a chartered Federal 
Advisory Committee that provides independent scientific and technical 
peer review, advice, and recommendations to the EPA Administrator on 
the technical basis for EPA actions. As a Federal Advisory Committee, 
the SAB conducts business in accordance with the Federal Advisory 
Committee Act (FACA) (5 U.S.C. app. 2) and related regulations. The SAB 
Staff Office is forming an expert panel, the SAB EJScreen Review Panel, 
under the auspices of the Chartered SAB. The SAB EJScreen Review Panel 
will provide advice through the chartered SAB. The SAB and the SAB 
EJScreen Review Panel will comply with the provisions of FACA and all 
appropriate SAB Staff Office procedural policies.
    EJScreen is an environmental justice mapping and screening tool 
that provides EPA with a nationally consistent dataset and approach for 
combining environmental and demographic indicators to identify areas 
with potential EJ concerns. The data collected and screening tool may 
be of interest to governmental partners, the public, communities, and a 
variety of stakeholders as they search for environmental or demographic 
information. It can also support a wide range of purposes, including 
scientific research and policy goals. The SAB EJScreen Review Panel 
will conduct a review of the updated EJScreen methodology. The current 
methodology underlaying EJScreen was peer reviewed in 2014. EPA is 
currently updating that methodology and calculations for the EJ 
indexes, as well as other aspects of the mapping tool calculations 
including the use of percentiles, representation of the scores, buffer 
analysis, among other topics, that will be released publicly in 2022. 
The Panel will also be asked to provide recommendations and expert 
input on these updates, as well as the demographic index and methods to 
consider multiple geographies.
    Request for Nominations: The SAB Staff Office is seeking 
nominations of nationally and internationally recognized scientists 
with demonstrated expertise in the following disciplines: applications 
of geographic information science (GIS), including mapping and 
geospatial analyses; cartography; environmental justice tools; index 
development; modeling; screening tools; environmental pollution; 
environmental economics; sociology; exposure

[[Page 52969]]

assessment; environmental indicators; demographics; spatial mathematics 
or analysis; statistics and coding. Strongest consideration will be 
given to individuals with demonstrated experience working with 
overburdened and vulnerable communities, or communities with EJ 
concerns in addition to the disciplines listed above (as documented in 
their curriculum vitae, resume, and/or publication history).
    Process and Deadline for Submitting Nominations: Any interested 
person or organization may nominate qualified individuals in the areas 
of expertise described above for possible service on the SAB Panel. 
Individuals may self-nominate. Nominations should be submitted in 
electronic format (preferred) using the online nomination form on the 
SAB website at https://sab.epa.gov (see the ``Public Input on 
Membership'' list under ``Committees, Panels, and Membership''). To be 
considered, 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 in time to arrive no later than 
September 20, 2022. 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 SAB Staff Office 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 procedures, or who are 
unable to submit nominations through the SAB website, should contact 
the DFO at the contact information noted 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 for the Panel on 
the SAB website at https://sab.epa.gov. Public comments on the List of 
Candidates will be accepted for 21 days. 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 the expert 
panel, the SAB Staff Office will consider public comments on the Lists 
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 loss of impartiality; (e) skills working in committees, 
subcommittees and advisory panels; and (f) for the panel as a whole, 
diversity of expertise and scientific points of view.
    The SAB Staff Office's evaluation of an absence of financial 
conflicts of interest will include a review of the ``Confidential 
Financial Disclosure Form for Environmental Protection Agency Special 
Government Employees'' (EPA Form 3110-48). This confidential form is 
required and allows government officials to determine whether there is 
a statutory conflict between a person's public responsibilities (which 
include membership on an EPA federal advisory committee) 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 
website at https://sab.epa.gov. This form should not be submitted as 
part of a nomination.
    The approved policy under which the EPA SAB Office selects members 
for subcommittees and review panels is described in the following 
document: Overview of the Panel Formation Process at the Environmental 
Protection Agency Science Advisory Board (EPA-SAB-EC-02-010), which is 
posted on the SAB website at https://sab.epa.gov.

Thomas H. Brennan,
Director, Science Advisory Board Staff Office.
[FR Doc. 2022-18683 Filed 8-29-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P