[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 102 (Friday, May 24, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45883-45885]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-11418]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-11963-01-OA]


Request for Nominations for the Science Advisory Board Microbial 
and Disinfection Byproducts (MDBP) Revisions 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 draft analyses to support EPA's 
revisions of the Microbial and Disinfection Byproducts (MDBP) National 
Primary Drinking Water rules. EPA is currently conducting analyses to 
evaluate eight (i.e., chlorite, Cryptosporidium, haloacetic acids, 
heterotrophic bacteria, Giardia lamblia, Legionella, total 
trihalomethanes, and viruses) National Primary Drinking Water 
Regulations (NPDWRs) for

[[Page 45884]]

potential regulatory revisions with a consideration of risk tradeoffs 
across microbial control versus disinfection byproduct formation. EPA 
is exploring approaches to determine how public water systems (PWSs) 
can achieve enhanced precursor removal to reduce disinfection byproduct 
(DBP) formation in drinking water. EPA's analysis summarizes the 
current literature on DBP precursor occurrence and treatment, 
identifies technology based on effectiveness and feasibility, and 
determines the unit cost of technologies for enhanced removal. EPA is 
also preparing analyses to support a numerical disinfectant residual 
requirement within the drinking water distribution system. This 
analysis will include an inventory on vulnerable PWSs, feasibility 
studies for maintaining a numerical disinfectant residual, and methods 
for assessing effectiveness of a numerical residual in controlling 
microbial growth in the distribution system including for opportunistic 
pathogens such as Legionella. The SAB MDBP Revisions Review Panel will 
consider whether the conclusions found in the EPA's analyses are 
clearly presented and scientifically supported. The Panel will also be 
asked to provide recommendations on how the analyses may be 
strengthened.

DATES: Nominations should be submitted by June 14, 2024 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 Carolyn Kilgore, Designated Federal Officer (DFO), EPA 
Science Advisory Board via telephone/voice mail (202) 564-0230, or 
email at [email protected]. General information concerning the 
EPA SAB can be found at the EPA 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 MDBP Revisions Review 
Panel, under the auspices of the Chartered SAB. The SAB MDBP Revisions 
Review Panel will provide advice through the chartered SAB. The SAB and 
the SAB MDBP Revisions Review Panel will comply with the provisions of 
FACA and all appropriate SAB Staff Office procedural policies. The SAB 
MDBP Revisions Review Panel will conduct a review of analyses on two 
specific topics under consideration for potential regulatory revisions. 
EPA is exploring approaches to determine how PWSs can achieve enhanced 
precursor removal to reduce DBP formation in drinking water. EPA's 
analysis summarizes the current literature on DBP precursor occurrence 
and treatment, identifies technology based on effectiveness and 
feasibility, and determines the unit cost of technologies for enhanced 
removal. EPA is also preparing analyses to support a numerical 
disinfectant residual requirement within the drinking water 
distribution system.
    This analysis will include an inventory on vulnerable PWSs, 
feasibility studies for maintaining a numerical disinfectant residual, 
and methods for assessing effectiveness of a numerical residual in 
controlling microbial growth in the distribution system including for 
opportunistic pathogens such as Legionella. The SAB MDBP Revisions 
Review Panel will consider whether the conclusions found in the EPA's 
draft analyses are clearly presented and scientifically supported. The 
Panel will also be asked to provide recommendations on how the analyses 
may be strengthened.
    Request for Nominations: The SAB Staff Office is seeking 
nominations of nationally and internationally recognized scientists 
with demonstrated expertise in the following disciplines: Environmental 
Engineering, specifically: design, operation, and maintenance of 
distribution systems used by public drinking water systems (PWS); 
Environmental Science; Drinking water treatment; Disinfection byproduct 
formation and control; Microbiology; Public Health; Water quality; 
Water reuse; Toxicology; Risk assessment; Environmental economics; 
Environmental health science.
    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 
June 14, 2024. 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; 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.

[[Page 45885]]

    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.

V. Khanna Johnston,
Deputy Director, Science Advisory Board Staff Office.
[FR Doc. 2024-11418 Filed 5-23-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P