[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 168 (Wednesday, August 29, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52330-52331]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-21337]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-9722-1]
Request for Additional Nominations of Candidates for the EPA's
Science Advisory Board (SAB), Chemical Assessment Advisory Committee
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) invites public
nominations of additional scientific experts to be considered for
appointment to the EPA's Science Advisory Board (SAB) Chemical
Assessment Advisory Committee (CAAC) to provide advice through the
chartered SAB regarding Toxicological Reviews of environmental
chemicals available on EPA's Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS).
DATES: Nominations should be submitted in time to arrive no later than
September 19, 2012.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nominators unable to submit
nominations electronically as described below may submit a paper copy
to the Designated Federal Officer for the committee, Mr. Aaron Yeow,
DFO by email at yeow.aaron@epa.gov or contact him by telephone at 202-
564-2050.
Background: The chartered SAB (the Board) was established in 1978
by the Environmental Research, Development and Demonstration Act (42
U.S.C. 4365) to provide independent advice to the Administrator on
general scientific and technical matters underlying the Agency's
policies and actions. Members of the SAB and its subcommittees
constitute a distinguished body of non-EPA scientists, engineers,
economists, and social scientists that are nationally and
internationally-recognized experts in their respective fields from
academia, industry, state, and tribal governments, research institutes,
and non-governmental organizations. Members are appointed by the EPA
Administrator for a period of three years. The SAB conducts business in
accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) (5 U.S.C.
App. 2) and related regulations. Generally, SAB meetings are announced
in the Federal Register, conducted in public view, and provide
opportunities for public input during deliberations. All the work of
the SAB subcommittees is performed under the direction of the Board.
The chartered Board provides strategic advice to the EPA Administrator
on a variety of EPA science and research programs and reviews and
approves all SAB subcommittee and panel reports. Additional information
about the SAB Federal Advisory Committees may be found on the SAB Web
site at http://www.epa.gov/sab.
The U.S. EPA SAB Staff Office announced in a Federal Register
Notice (Vol. 76, No. 223, pp. 71561-62) published on November 18, 2011,
that it was forming a new committee under the auspices of the SAB to
provide advice to EPA through the chartered SAB regarding the
development of IRIS Toxicological Reviews. The SAB Staff Office sought
public nominations of nationally and internationally recognized experts
with knowledge in human health risk assessment and expertise in a range
of disciplines including, but not limited to: public health;
epidemiology; toxicology; modeling; biostatistics; and risk assessment.
The SAB Staff Office invited public comments on the list of candidates
being considered for appointment to the CAAC, which was announced in a
Federal Register Notice (Vol. 77, No. 40, p. 12302) published on
February 29, 2012. The list of candidates is available at: http://
yosemite.epa.gov/sab/sabproduct.nsf/WebBOARD/CAACListofCandidates/
$File/bio%20list%20of%20candidatesw-memo022912.pdf. The SAB Staff
Office is seeking additional scientific experts to be considered for
appointment to the CAAC.
Expertise Sought: The SAB Staff Office is seeking nominations of
additional experts to serve on the SAB CAAC with expertise in health
disparities to sensitive and susceptible populations. There is no need
to resubmit nominations for individuals already on the list of
candidates. For further information, please contact Mr. Aaron Yeow,
DFO, by telephone at 202-564-2050 or by email at yeow.aaron@epa.gov.
Selection criteria include:
--Demonstrated scientific credentials and disciplinary expertise in
their own fields;
--Willingness to commit time to the committee and demonstrated ability
to work constructively and effectively on committees;
--Absence of financial conflicts of interest;
--Absence of an appearance of a lack of impartiality;
--Background and experiences that would contribute to the diversity of
perspectives on the committee, e.g., geographic, economic, social,
cultural, educational backgrounds, and professional affiliations; and
--For the committee as a whole, consideration of the collective breadth
and depth of scientific expertise; and a balance of scientific
perspectives.
How to Submit Nominations: Any interested person or organization
may nominate qualified persons to be considered for appointment to this
advisory committee. Individuals may self-nominate. Nominations should
be submitted in electronic format (preferred) following the
instructions for ``Nominating Experts to the Chemical Assessment
Advisory Committee'' provided on the SAB Web site. The form can be
accessed through the ``Nomination of Experts'' link on the blue
navigational bar on the SAB Web site at http://www.epa.gov/sab. To be
considered, all nominations should include the information requested.
EPA values and welcomes diversity. In an effort to obtain nominations
of diverse candidates, EPA encourages nominations of women and men of
all racial and ethnic groups.
Nominators are asked to identify the specific committee for which
nominees are to be considered. The following information should be
provided on the nomination form: contact information about the person
making the nomination; contact information about the nominee; the
disciplinary and specific areas of expertise of the
[[Page 52331]]
nominee; the nominee's curriculum vita; and a biographical sketch of
the nominee indicating current position, educational background;
research activities; sources of research funding; 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 Web
site, should contact the Designated Federal Officer for the committee,
as identified above. Non-electronic submissions must follow the same
format and contain the same information as the electronic form. The SAB
Staff Office 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 concerns the
nominee has regarding membership. The names and biosketches of
qualified nominees identified by respondents to this Federal Register
notice, and additional experts identified by the SAB Staff, will be
posted in a List of Candidates on the SAB Web site at http://www.epa.gov/sab. Public comments on this 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.
Candidates invited to serve 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 a Special Government
Employee and private interests and activities, or the appearance of a
lack of impartiality, as defined by Federal regulation. The form may be
viewed and downloaded through the ``Ethics Requirements for Advisors''
link on the blue navigational bar on the SAB Web site at http://www.epa.gov/sab.
Dated: August 21, 2012.
Thomas Brennan,
Deputy Director, EPA Science Advisory Board Staff Office.
[FR Doc. 2012-21337 Filed 8-28-12; 8:45 am]
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