[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 145 (Friday, July 27, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35635-35636]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-16116]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-9981-30-OA]
Request for Nominations of Experts for the Clean Air Scientific
Advisory Committee (CASAC) Ozone 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 for scientific
experts to form a CASAC ad hoc panel to provide advice through the
chartered CASAC on the scientific and technical aspects of air quality
criteria and the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for
ozone.
DATES: Nominations should be submitted by (August 17, 2018) per
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: http://www.epa.gov/casac.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background: The Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) was
established under section 109(d)(2) of the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act)
(42 U.S.C. 7409) as an independent scientific advisory committee. The
CASAC provides advice, information and recommendations on the
scientific and technical aspects of air quality criteria and NAAQS
under sections 108 and 109 of the Act. 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 ozone. With the publication of
the National Ambient Standards for Ozone (80 FR 65292) on October 26,
2015, the Agency completed its most recent review of the Ozone NAAQS.
The CASAC's Ozone Review Panel for that review cycle was formed in
January 2009 and completed its work in July 2014.
This Federal Register notice solicitation is seeking nominations
for subject matter experts to serve on the CASAC Ozone Review Panel for
the next review of the Ozone NAAQS that begins in fiscal year (FY)
2018. 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 Ozone NAAQS, and will provide advice through the
Chartered CASAC.
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.
[[Page 35636]]
2) and related regulations. The CASAC and the CASAC Ozone Review Panel
will comply with the provisions of FACA and all appropriate SAB Staff
Office procedural policies.
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 ozone. Experts are sought in: Air quality, atmospheric
science and chemistry, causal inference, dosimetry, toxicology,
controlled clinical exposure, epidemiology, biostatistics, human
exposure modeling, risk assessment/modeling, uncertainty analysis,
ecology and effects on welfare and the environment, and environmental
economics.
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 http://www.epa.gov/casac. 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 (August 17, 2018).
The following information should be provided on the nomination
form: Contact information for the person making the nomination; contact
information for the nominee; the disciplinary and specific areas of
expertise of the nominee; the nominee's curriculum vitae; and a
biographical sketch of the nominee indicating 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 DFO will acknowledge receipt of nominations and will invite the
nominee to provide any additional information that the nominee feels
would be useful in considering the nomination. 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 http://www.epa.gov/casac. 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.
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 Special Government Employees Serving on
Federal Advisory Committees at the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency'' (EPA Form 3110-48). This confidential form allows government
officials to determine whether there is a statutory conflict between a
person's public responsibilities (which includes membership on an EPA
federal advisory committee) 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 from the following
URL address https://yosemite.epa.gov/sab/sabproduct.nsf/Web/Form3110-
48exp2018/$File/EPA3110-48exp2018.pdf.
The approved policy under which the EPA SAB Office selects
subcommittees and review panels is described in the following document:
Overview of the Panel Formation Process at the Environmental Protection
Agency Science Advisory Board (EPA-SAB-EC-02-010), which is posted on
the SAB website at http://yosemite.epa.gov/sab/sabproduct.nsf/WebFiles/
OverviewPanelForm/$File/ec02010.pdf.
Dated: July 19, 2018.
Khanna Johnston,
Deputy Director, EPA Science Advisory Board Staff Office.
[FR Doc. 2018-16116 Filed 7-26-18; 8:45 am]
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