[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 19 (Monday, January 31, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4846-4847]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-1716]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL -7865-4]
Science Advisory Board Staff Office; EPI Suite Review Panel of
the Science Advisory Board; Request for Nominations
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or Agency)
Science Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office (hereinafter, the ``Staff
Office'') is announcing the formation of a new SAB review panel known
as the EPI Suite Review Panel of the Science Advisory Board
(hereinafter, the ``Panel'') and is hereby soliciting nominations for
this Panel.
DATES: Nominations should be submitted by February 22, 2005, per the
instructions below.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Any member of the public wishing
further information regarding this Request for Nominations may contact
Ms. Kathleen White, Designated Federal Officer (DFO), EPA Science
Advisory Board Staff, at telephone/voice mail: (202) 343-9878; or via
e-mail at: [email protected]. General information concerning the
SAB can be found on the EPA Web site at: http://www.epa.gov/sab.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background: A mission of the U.S. EPA's Office of Pollution
Prevention and Toxics (OPPT) is to evaluate potential risks of
commercial chemical substances that are or will be released to the
environment. OPPT also has the primary responsibility for implementing
Agency policy on pollution prevention (P2), and in this role is a
critical provider of information and guidance to risk assessors and
risk managers. The understanding of and ability to predict the behavior
of a chemical substance in a biological or environmental system depends
upon knowledge of the physical, chemical and environmental properties
of that substance. Accordingly, OPPT has supported the development of
software for estimating these properties from chemical structure known
as the Estimation Programs Interface (EPI) suite. EPI Suite is
routinely used in evaluating new chemicals under EPA's Premanufacture
Notices (PMNs) for new chemicals under section 5 of the Toxic
Substances Control Act, and is widely used for predicting physical/
chemical properties and environmental fate and transport properties for
chemicals already in commerce. Further information about EPI Suite and
its applications can be found at: http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/exposure/docs/episuite.htm. OPPT has requested that the EPA Science Advisory
Board (SAB) review the supporting science, functionality, and
appropriate use of EPI Suite.
The SAB's mission, as established by 42 U.S.C. 4365, is to provide
independent scientific and technical advice, consultation, and
recommendations to the EPA Administrator on the technical bases for EPA
policies and regulations. In response to OPPT's request, the SAB will
form a review panel to conduct a review of the EPI Suite. The EPI Suite
Review Panel will provide advice through the chartered SAB. The Panel
will provide advice regarding the comprehensiveness and soundness of
the science supporting EPI Suite including method validation,
alternative estimation methods, completeness of the software,
documentation, and appropriateness of its current applications. The
Panel will consider both appropriate use in the PMN program and other
uses in screening level assessments. The work of this panel is expected
to continue until the review is complete. The EPI Suite Review Panel
will comply with the openness provisions of the Federal Advisory
Committee Act (FACA) and all appropriate SAB procedural policies,
including the SAB process for panel formation described in the Overview
of the Panel Formation Process at the Environmental Protection Agency
Science Advisory Board, which can be found on the SAB's Web site at:
http://www.epa.gov/sab/pdf/ec0210.pdf.
Request for Nominations: The SAB Staff Office is requesting
nominations of recognized scientists and engineers with expertise in
one or more of the following areas:
(1) Environmental chemistry and engineering;
(2) Pollution prevention, especially experience deciding whether or
not to go into production with a chemical;
(3) Development of estimation models, such as QSARs that predict
properties, effects and fate of chemicals from structure; and
(4) Application of EPI Suite or similar tools.
Process and Deadline for Submitting Nominations: Any interested
person or organization may nominate individuals qualified in any of the
areas of expertise described above to serve on the Panel. Nominations
should be submitted in electronic format through the Form for
Nominating Individuals to Panels of the EPA Science Advisory Board
provided on the SAB Web site. The form can be accessed through a link
on the blue navigational bar on the SAB Web site, http://www.epa.gov/sab. To be considered, all nominations must include the information
required on that form.
Anyone who is unable to submit nominations electronically using
this form, or who has questions concerning the nomination process may
contact Ms. Kathleen White, DFO, as indicated
[[Page 4847]]
above in this notice. Nominations should be submitted in time to arrive
no later than February 22, 2005. Any questions concerning either this
process or any other aspects of this notice should be directed to the
DFO.
To be considered, all nominations must include: (a) A current
biography, curriculum vitae (C.V.) or resume, which provides the
nominee's background, experience and qualifications for the Committee;
and (b) a brief biographical sketch (``biosketch''). The biosketch
should be no longer than one page and must contain the following
information for the nominee:
(i) Current professional affiliations and positions held;
(ii) Area(s) of expertise, and research activities and interests;
(iii) Leadership positions in national associations or professional
publications or other significant distinctions;
(iv) Educational background, especially advanced degrees, including
when and from which institutions these were granted;
(v) Service on other advisory committees, professional societies,
especially those associated with issues under discussion in this
review; and
(vi) Sources of recent (i.e., within the preceding two years) grant
and/or other contract support, from government, industry, academia,
etc., including the topic area of the funded activity. Please note that
even if there is no responsive information (e.g., no recent grant or
contract funding), this must be indicated on the biosketch (by ``N/A''
or ``None''). Incomplete biosketches will result in nomination packages
not being accepted.
The EPA SAB Staff Office will acknowledge receipt of the
nomination. After considering the nominees (termed the ``Widecast''),
the SAB Staff Office will identify a subset (known as the ``Short
List'') for more detailed consideration. Criteria used by the Staff
Office in developing this Short List are given at the end of the
following paragraph. The Short List will be posted on the SAB Web site
at: http://www.epa.gov/sab, and will include the nominees' names and
their biosketches. Public comments will be accepted for 21 calendar
days on the Short List. During this comment period, the public may
provide information, analysis or other documentation on nominees that
the Staff Office should consider in evaluating candidates for the
Panel.
For the EPA SAB Staff Office, a balanced 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 independently-gathered by the SAB Staff Office on 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 evaluating an
individual Panel member 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) scientific credibility and impartiality; and
(e) skills working in advisory committees, subcommittees and review
panels.
Short List candidates must 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 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.
In addition to reviewing background material, Panel members will be
asked to attend one public face-to-face meeting over the anticipated
course of the advisory activity.
Dated: January 21, 2005.
Vanessa T. Vu,
Director, EPA Science Advisory Board Staff Office.
[FR Doc. 05-1716 Filed 1-28-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P