[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 227 (Tuesday, November 28, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 83119-83120]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-26096]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-11568-01-OW]


Request for Nominations for the Environmental Financial Advisory 
Board (EFAB)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Request for nominations of candidates to the Environmental 
Financial Advisory Board.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) invites 
nominations of qualified candidates to be considered for appointment to 
the Environmental Financial Advisory Board (the Board or EFAB). The 
Board provides advice to EPA on ways to lower the costs of, and 
increase investments in, environmental and public health protection. 
Appointments will be made by the Administrator and will be announced in 
June 2024.

DATES: Nominations should be submitted in time to arrive no later than 
December 31, 2023.

ADDRESSES: Nominations should be sent via email to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Any member of the public who wants 
further information concerning the nomination process may contact Tara 
Johnson via telephone/voicemail at (202) 809-7368 or email to 
[email protected]. General information concerning the EFAB is available at 
www.epa.gov/waterfinancecenter/efab.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Background: The EFAB is an EPA advisory committee chartered under 
the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), 5 U.S.C., app. 2, to provide 
advice and recommendations to EPA on innovative approaches to financing 
environmental programs, projects, and activities. The Board was 
established in 1989 to provide advice and recommendations to EPA. Since 
inception, the Board has advised the EPA on a wide-ranging set of 
issues including but not limited to the following:
     Creating incentives to increase private investment in the 
provision of environmental services and removing or reducing 
constraints on private involvement wherever possible;
     Developing new and innovative environmental financing 
approaches and supporting and encouraging the use of cost-effective 
existing approaches;
     Identifying approaches specifically targeted to small 
community financing;
     Assessing government strategies for implementing public-
private partnerships, including privatization, operations and 
maintenance issues, and other alternative financing mechanisms;
     Improving governmental principles of accounting and 
disclosure standards to help improve the sustainability of 
environmental programs;
     Increasing the capacity of state and local governments to 
carry out their respective environmental programs under current Federal 
laws;
     Increasing the total investment in environmental 
protection and stewardship of public and private environmental 
resources to help ease the environmental financing challenge facing our 
nation; and
     Developing innovative investment models and market-based 
approaches that increase the long-term resiliency of infrastructure.
    The Board's recent work has included:
     Options for the development of the Greenhouse Gas 
Reduction Fund authorized under the Inflation Reduction Act; and
     Recommendations for catalyzing pollution prevention 
finance, enhancing

[[Page 83120]]

the agency's approach to encourage increased Opportunity Zone funds 
investment alongside existing EPA funding tools, and improving the 
availability of public and private sources of funding for stormwater 
infrastructure.
    The Board meets either in-person or virtually two times each 
calendar year (two days per meeting) at different locations within the 
continental United States. In addition to the bi-annual meetings, 
additional virtual meetings may be held during the year to ensure 
timely completion of the Board's work. Board members typically 
contribute approximately 3 to 8 hours per month to the activities of 
the Board. This includes participation on one or more of the Board's 
active workgroups. Members serve on the Board without compensation; 
however, Board members may receive travel and per diem allowances where 
appropriate and in accordance with Federal travel regulations.
    Members are appointed to represent the perspective of specific 
organizations, associations, or groups of persons (Representative 
members), or to provide their individual expertise (Special Government 
Employee, or SGE, members). Candidates invited to serve as SGE members 
will 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 allows EPA to determine whether there is a statutory 
conflict between that person's public responsibilities as an SGE member 
and private interests and activities, or the appearance of a loss of 
impartiality as defined by Federal regulation. The form may be viewed 
at https://www.epa.gov/waterfinancecenter/efab, but this form should 
not be submitted as part of a nomination.
    Experience and Expertise Sought for the EFAB: The Board seeks to 
maintain diverse representation across all workforce sectors (state/
local/tribal government, business (industry and finance), and nonprofit 
organizations) and geographic regions of the United States. Nominees 
should demonstrate experience in environmental finance and/or reducing 
the cost of financing environmental protection in various environmental 
media (e.g., air, energy, land, and water). Experience and expertise 
sought include, but are not limited to, the following areas: commercial 
banking; environmental and financial resiliency; environmental 
financing including sector-specific experience; environmental justice; 
environmental, social, and corporate governance; environmental equity 
financing; Federal investments in environmental financing; green 
banking; infrastructure financing; insurance markets; local utility 
management and finance; public-public and public-private partnerships; 
regulators; resource conservation; sustainable community partnerships; 
and sustainable economies.
    In accordance with Executive Order 14035 (June 25, 2021) and 
consistent with law, EPA values and welcomes opportunities to increase 
diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility on its Federal advisory 
committees. EPA's Federal advisory committees strive to have a 
workforce that reflects the diversity of the American people. Nominee 
qualifications will be assessed under the mandates of the FACA, which 
requires that committees be balanced in terms of the points of view 
represented and the functions to be performed; for the Board, this 
balance includes diversity across a broad range of constituencies, 
sectors, and groups. In addition to this notice, other sources may be 
utilized in the solicitation of nominees.
    How to Submit Nominations: Any interested person or organization 
may nominate qualified person(s) to be considered for appointment to 
the EFAB. Individuals may self-nominate. Nominations should be 
submitted via email to [email protected]. Nominations should include the 
following information: Contact information for the person making the 
nomination; contact information for the nominee (if different), 
including full name and title, business mailing address, telephone, and 
email address; the specific areas of experience or expertise of the 
nominee; the nominee's curriculum vitae or resume; and a biographical 
sketch of the nominee indicating current position and recent service on 
other Federal advisory committees or national professional 
organizations. A supporting letter of endorsement is encouraged, but 
not required.
    Evaluation Criteria: The following criteria will be used to 
evaluate nominees: Residence in the United States; professional 
knowledge of, and experience with, environmental financing activities; 
senior-level experience that fills a gap in Board representation or 
brings a new and relevant dimension to its deliberations; demonstrated 
ability to work in a consensus-building process with a wide range of 
representatives from diverse constituencies; and willingness to serve a 
two or three-year term as an active and contributing member, with 
possible reappointment to a second term.

Andrew D. Sawyers,
Director, Office of Wastewater Management, Office of Water.
[FR Doc. 2023-26096 Filed 11-27-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P