[Federal Register: July 30, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 146)]
[Notices]
[Page 45705-45706]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr30jy04-91]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-7795-2]
Science Advisory Board Staff Office; Request for Nominations for
the Science Advisory Board Superfund Benefits Analysis 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 Superfund Benefits
Analysis Advisory Panel, and is soliciting nominations for members of
the Panel.
DATES: Nominations should be submitted by August 20, 2004 per the
instructions below.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 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.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
In 1980, Congress enacted the Comprehensive Environmental Response,
Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), commonly known as Superfund.
This law authorizes the Federal government to respond directly to
releases, or threatened releases, of hazardous substances that may
endanger public health, welfare or the environment. There are two basic
types of Superfund cleanups: (1) Remedial actions which are generally
long-term and more complex cleanups; and (2) removal actions which are
generally short-term response actions taken to abate or mitigate
imminent substantial threats to human health and the environment.
In 2002, EPA's Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER)
initiated a study to enumerate, describe, quantify and, where possible,
monetize the benefits of the Superfund program. OSWER is seeking advice
from the SAB on the scientific soundness of the methods and analysis in
this study.
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 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 at least two public face-to-face
meetings, until the advisory is complete. The specific charge questions
to the SAB Panel will be made available prior to the meeting on the SAB
Web site at http://www.epa.gov/sab/.
The first meeting of the Advisory Panel will focus on the benefit
transfer methods applied to hedonic property studies and the proposed
methods for quantifying specific effect, including ecological and
health effects. In a later meeting, the Advisory Panel will provide
advice on the completed study.
EPA Technical Contact
The draft Superfund Benefits Analysis will be available on EPA's
OSWER website at: http://www.epa.gov/superfund. Ms. Melissa Friedland
of OSWER is the EPA technical contact and may be contacted at (703)
603-8864 or at friedland.melissa@epa.gov.
Request for Nominations
The SAB Staff Office is requesting nominations of recognized
experts with one or more of the following areas of expertise to serve
on the SAB Superfund Benefits Analysis Advisory Panel: (a) Hazardous
waste management; (b) valuation for cost-benefit analysis, specifically
hedonic pricing models and methods; (c) ecological risk assessment; (d)
public health and epidemiology, and (e) toxicology and human health
risk assessment of toxic chemicals.
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
Superfund Benefits Analysis 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
anyone with 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 August 20, 2004.
Any questions concerning either this process or any other aspects of
this notice should be directed to the DFO. The process for forming an
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 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 Office
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)
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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: July 26, 2004.
Vanessa T. Vu,
Director, EPA Science Advisory Board Staff Office.
[FR Doc. 04-17376 Filed 7-29-04; 8:45 am]
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