[Federal Register: February 15, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 30)]
[Notices]
[Page 7734-7735]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr15fe05-64]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-7873-6]
Science Advisory Board Staff Office; Request for Nominations for
the Science Advisory Board's Consultation on EPA's Framework for
Revising the Aquatic Life Criteria Guidelines
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The EPA Science Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office is
requesting nominations to augment expertise on the SAB Ecological
Processes and Effects Committee for a panel to provide consultation to
EPA on the framework for revising the Aquatic Life Criteria Guidelines.
DATES: Nominations should be submitted by March 1, 2005 per the
instructions below.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Any member of the public wishing
further information regarding this Request for Nominations may contact
Dr. Thomas Armitage, Designated Federal Officer (DFO), via telephone/
voice mail at (202) 343-9995; via e-mail at armitage.thomas@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 in the SAB Web site at http://www.epa.gov/sab.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background: EPA's recommended ambient water
quality criteria for aquatic life provide guidance to states and tribes
for adopting water quality standards which are the basis for
controlling discharges or releases of pollutants. Currently, ambient
water quality criteria for aquatic life protection are derived
according to the Guidelines for Derivation of Ambient Water Quality
Criteria for the Protection of Aquatic Life and Their Uses, published
in 1985. To ensure that ambient water quality criteria are derived from
the best available science, EPA's Office of Water assessed the need to
update the Guidelines and identified issues that should be addressed in
the
[[Page 7735]]
revisions. EPA briefed the SAB Ecological Processes and Effects
Committee about this effort in December 2002, and the Committee
supported EPA's assessment of the need to update the Guidelines as well
as the issues EPA identified to address. To achieve the goal of
revising the Guidelines EPA has formed an interagency workgroup, the
Aquatic Life Criteria Guidelines Committee, as the technical body to
review the state-of-the-science and recommend new or improved
approaches for deriving ambient water quality criteria. EPA's Office of
Water has therefore requested a consultation with the SAB on a proposed
framework for revising the Guidelines.
The Science Advisory Board is a chartered Federal advisory
committee established under 42 U.S.C. 4365 to provide independent
scientific and technical advice, consultation, and recommendations to
the EPA Administrator on the technical basis for Agency positions and
regulations. The panel being formed will provide advice to the EPA
through the Chartered SAB. The Panel will comply with the provisions of
the Federal Advisory Committee Act 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. The work of
this panel includes reviewing background material, and participating in
a one-day face-to-face meeting for the consultation.
Tentative Charge to the Panel: EPA's Office of Water seeks the
opportunity for a consultation with the SAB to receive comments on the
Agency's proposed framework for revising the Aquatic Life Criteria
Guidelines. EPA is seeking advice and recommendations on: (1) The
general scope of the proposed framework; (2) the suitability of the
preliminary scientific approaches, methods and models identified to be
incorporated into the revised Guidelines; (3) additional or alternative
approaches, methods, and models that should be considered; and (4)
additional scientific issues and/or revisions that should be
considered.
Request for Nominations: The SAB Staff Office is requesting
nominations to augment expertise on the SAB Ecological Processes and
Effects Committee to form an SAB panel for a consultation on the
framework for revising the Aquatic Life Criteria Guidelines. To augment
expertise on the Ecological Processes and Effects Committee, the SAB
Staff Office is seeking individuals who have expertise in one or more
of the following areas: (a) Aquatic toxicology, particularly kinetic
toxicity modeling and tissue residue-based toxicity data and residue-
response relationships; (b) biology of aquatic and benthic species; (c)
bioaccumulation modeling, including both simple bioaccumulation factors
(bioaccumulation factors and biota-sediment accumulation factors) and
complex dynamic food web/chain models; and (d) population modeling.
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 Subcommittee. 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 at: http://www.epa.gov/sab. The form can
be accessed through a link on the blue navigational bar on the SAB Web
site. To be considered, all nominations must include the information
required 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 March 1, 2005. Any questions
concerning either this process or any other aspects of this notice
should be directed to the DFO.
The SAB 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''),
SAB Staff will develop a smaller subset (known as the ``Short List'')
for more detailed consideration. Criteria used by the SAB Staff 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, for each candidate, the nominee's
name and biosketch. Public comments on the Short List will be accepted
for 14 calendar days. During this comment period, the public will be
requested to provide information, analysis or other documentation on
nominees that the SAB Staff should consider in evaluating candidates
for the Panel.
For the SAB, a balanced review 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 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 subcommittee 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 also 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
.
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: February 7, 2005.
Vanessa T. Vu,
Director, EPA Science Advisory Board Staff Office.
[FR Doc. 05-2893 Filed 2-14-05; 8:45 am]
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