[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 48 (Monday, March 14, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12476-12477]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-4960]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-7884-1]
Science Advisory Board Staff Office; Request for Nominations, Ad
Hoc Integrated Nitrogen Research Committee of the Science Advisory
Board
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
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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 Ad Hoc Integrated
Nitrogen Research Committee of the Science Advisory Board (hereinafter,
the ``Committee'') and is hereby soliciting nominations for this
Committee.
DATES: Nominations should be submitted by April 11, 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
Reactive nitrogen compounds (Nr)--that is, all biologically active,
photochemically reactive, and radiatively active nitrogen compounds in
the atmosphere and biosphere of the Earth can cause multiple effects in
the atmosphere, in terrestrial ecosystems, in freshwater and marine
systems, and on human health. The result is a wide variety of
beneficial and detrimental changes in the health and welfare of people
and ecosystems. Information to date indicates reactive nitrogen is
accumulating in the environment. Anthropogenic activity leading to
production of reactive nitrogen has been shown to exceed that from
natural systems. Circulation of reactive nitrogen in the atmosphere,
hydrosphere and biosphere of the Earth has a wide variety of
consequences that are magnified with time as reactive nitrogen moves
along its biogeochemical pathway. Furthermore, research indicates the
influence of reactive nitrogen in the environment should be considered
from a systems perspective and integrated across environmental media.
For example, reactive nitrogen that produces urban air pollution can
also contribute to water pollution and the extensive use of nitrogen-
containing materials in a watershed has a strong impact on the health
of the associated coastal zone. Accordingly, there is a need to assess
the extent of linkage among the effects that nitrogen causes in the
environment, and to explore the implications of these linkages for
nitrogen research and risk management.
The EPA Science Advisory Board (SAB) was 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 regulations. It is the initial
assessment of the SAB that EPA's research programs on Nr could be
better integrated. The SAB is conducting a study to assess the degree
of integration among the current EPA programs, to make recommendations
for a more integrated research program on Nr, and to identify
opportunities for a more integrated approach to nitrogen management.
To carry out the Integrated Nitrogen Research Project, the SAB is
forming an Ad Hoc Committee, known as the Integrated Nitrogen Research
Committee. The Staff Office is soliciting nominations for members of
the new Committee. The Committee will provide advice through the
chartered SAB. The Committee will comply with the provisions of the
Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) and all appropriate SAB Staff
Office procedural policies.
The Committee will address the following questions:
1. What are the nitrogen problems?
2. What are the linkages among/between the different nitrogen
problems?
3. What EPA environmental programs and policies could provide the
greatest control of nitrogen? What are the benefits of integrated
nitrogen management?
4. What are the research needs to better understand the nitrogen
problems and to strengthen the integrated risk management of nitrogen?
To achieve these overall goals, the SAB plans to conduct a number
of workshops and issue reports for this study.
Nomination of Candidates for SAB Committee
The SAB Staff Office is soliciting public nominations of nationally
and internationally recognized scientists with expertise in one or more
of the following areas:
Biogeochemistry and Effects
(1) The sources of Nr released into the environment from human
activities and natural sources, including: Intentional cultivation of
crops which promote conversion of nitrogen gas to organic nitrogen;
combustion of fossil fuels; and the Haber-Bosch process.
(2) The behavior and effects of Nr in the atmosphere, including
tropospheric ozone, particulate matter and visibility, and greenhouse
gases and stratospheric ozone.
(3) The behavior and effects of Nr on humans and ecosystems in the
terrestrial environment, including grassland/forest and agroecosystem.
(4) The behavior and effects of nitrogen in the aquatic
environment, including wetlands, groundwater, surface waters,
estuarine, coastal and marine environments.
Risk Reduction
(5) Risk Reduction Approaches including implementation of
regulatory and voluntary approaches to risk reduction.
Control
(6) Specific control technologies or practices, including
combustion controls for nitrogen oxides, ozone precursors, and
particulate matter/visibility and practices for controlling ammonia in
agriculture.
Process and Deadline for Submitting Nominations: Any interested
person or organization may nominate qualified experts from academia,
industry, non-governmental organizations or State, local and tribal
governments in the areas of expertise described above to serve on the
Committee. 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 at
that Web site. To be considered, nominations must include all 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.
[[Page 12477]]
Kathleen White, DFO, as indicated above in this notice. Nominations
should be submitted in time to arrive no later than April 11, 2005.
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
Committee.
For the EPA SAB Staff Office, a balanced Committee 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 Committee, 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 Committee 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.
The approved policy under which the EPA SAB Office selects ad hoc
committees 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 on the SAB
Web site at: (http://www.epa.gov/sab)http://www.epa.gov/sab/ecm02003.pdfhttp://www.epa.gov/sab/pdf/ec02010.pdf.
Dated: March 4, 2005.
Vanessa T. Vu,
Director, EPA Science Advisory Board Staff Office.
[FR Doc. 05-4960 Filed 3-11-05; 8:45 am]
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