[Federal Register: July 9, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 131)]
[Notices]
[Page 41474-41475]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr09jy04-70]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-7785-5]
Science Advisory Board Staff Office Request for Nominations for
the Science Advisory Board Second Generation Model Advisory Panel
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The EPA Science Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office announces
the formation of a new advisory panel known as the SAB Second
Generation Model (SGM) Advisory Panel, and is soliciting nominations
for members of the Panel.
DATES: Nominations should be submitted by July 30, 2004, per the
instructions below.
ADDRESSES: Any member of the public wishing further information
regarding this Request for Nominations may contact Dr. Holly
Stallworth, Designated Federal Officer (DFO), via telephone/voice mail
at (202) 343-9867; via e-mail at stallworth.holly@epa.gov or at the
U.S. EPA Science Advisory Board (1400F), 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW.,
Washington, DC 20460. General information about the SAB can be found on
the SAB Web site at: http://www.epa.gov/sab.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact Dr. Holly Stallworth at (202)
343-9867.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background: EPA's Office of Atmospheric
Programs (OAP) requested that the SAB provide advice on a computable
general equilibrium (CGE) model known as the Second Generation Model
(SGM). This regionally disaggregated model of the global economy is a
computer program that uses input-output relationships and simultaneous
equations to simulate activities in multiple markets (e.g., labor
markets, energy fuels markets, and final goods markets) in the economy.
These models consider major economic actors (households, government,
and firms) as well as other important aspects of the economy, including
demographics, resources, energy supply, and capital flows. The SGM is a
14 region, 22 sector CGE model that can be used to project greenhouse
gas emissions and determine the costs of various options for reducing
greenhouse gas emissions (e.g. carbon fees or charges, allowance
trading, accelerated energy conservation).
The SAB is a chartered Federal Advisory Committee, established by
42 U.S.C. 4365, to provide independent scientific and technical advice,
consultation, and recommendations to the EPA Administrator on the
technical bases for EPA policies and actions. The SAB SGM Advisory
Panel will provide advice through the chartered SAB and will comply
with the openness provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act
(FACA) and all appropriate SAB procedural policies. The work of this
panel includes reviewing background material, participating in a few
public teleconferences, and attending one or more public face-to-face
meetings, until the advisory is complete.
Tentative Charge to the SAB Panel: EPA's OAP requested that the SAB
provide comments on the appropriateness and usefulness of the SGM model
for estimating the economic effects of climate policies. Proposed
specific charge questions to the SAB SGM Advisory Panel are as follows.
1. Are the model's structure and fundamental assumptions consistent
with economic theory?
2. Are the parameter values employed in the model (e.g.,
elasticities of substitution and of demand, price and income) within
the range of values in the literature?
3. Are the model's parameterizations of physical phenomena logical,
and are its projections of future energy use and efficiency reasonable,
given fundamental physical constraints and rates of technological
change?
4. Are the model's outputs and projections for short-, medium-, and
long-term analyses reasonable and within the range of expert opinion?
5. In what areas is the model most in need of further development
and refinement?
EPA Technical Contact: An extensive and detailed documentation of
SGM's structure, parameters and assumptions, as well as a shorter
overview paper, will be available on EPA's OAP's Web site. Mr. Michael
Leifman of OAP is the EPA technical contact and may be contacted at
(202) 343-9380 or at leifman.michael@epa.gov.
Request for Nominations: The SAB Staff Office is requesting
nominations of recognized experts with one or more of the following
expertise to serve on the SAB SGM Advisory Panel: (a) Energy economics;
(b) environmental economics; (c) economic modeling of climate options;
(d) computable general equilibrium modeling; (e) technological change
and diffusion; and (f) climate science.
Process and Deadline for Submitting Nominations: Any interested
person or organization may nominate individuals qualified in the areas
of expertise described above to serve on the SAB SGM Advisory Panel.
Nominations should be submitted in electronic format through the Form
for Nominating Individuals to Panels of the EPA Science Advisory Board
which can be accessed through a link on the blue navigational bar on
the SAB Web site at: http://www.epa.gov/sab. To be considered, all
nominations must include the information requested on that form.
Anyone who is unable to submit nominations using this form, and any
questions concerning any aspects of the nomination process may contact
the DFO, as indicated above in this notice. Nominations should be
submitted in time to arrive no later than July 30, 2004. Any questions
concerning either this process or any other aspects of this notice
should be directed to the DFO. The process for forming a SAB panel is
described in the Overview of the Panel Formation Process at the
Environmental Protection Agency, Science Advisory Board (EPA-SAB-EC-
COM-02-010), on the SAB Web site at: http://www.epa.gov/sab/pdf/ecm02010.pdf
.
The SAB Staff Office will acknowledge receipt of the nomination and
inform nominators of the panel selected. From the nominees identified
by respondents to this Federal Register notice (termed the
``Widecast''), the SAB Staff Office will develop a smaller subset
(known as the ``Short List'') for more detailed consideration. The
Short List will be posted on the SAB Web Site at: http://www.epa.gov/sab
, and will include, for each candidate, the nominee's name and
biosketch. Public comments on the Short List will be accepted for 21
calendar days. During this comment period, the public will be requested
to provide information, analysis or other documentation on nominees
that the SAB Staff Office should consider in evaluating candidates for
the Panel.
For the SAB, a balanced panel (i.e., committee, subcommittee, or
panel) is characterized by inclusion of 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
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adequately address the charge. Public responses to the Short List
candidates will be considered in the selection of the panel, along with
information provided by candidates and information gathered by SAB
Staff independently of the background of each candidate (e.g.,
financial disclosure information and computer searches to evaluate a
nominee's prior involvement with the topic under review). Specific
criteria to be used in evaluation of an individual Panel member
include: (a) Scientific and/or technical expertise, knowledge, and
experience (primary factors); (b) absence of financial conflicts of
interest; (c) scientific credibility and impartiality; (d) availability
and willingness to serve; and (e) ability to work constructively and
effectively in committees.
Short List candidates will be required to fill-out 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 that 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: http://www.epa.gov/sab/pdf/epaform3110-48.pdf
.
Dated: June 29, 2004.
Vanessa T. Vu,
Director, EPA Science Advisory Board Staff Office.
[FR Doc. 04-15615 Filed 7-8-04; 8:45 am]
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