[Federal Register: April 27, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 79)]
[Notices]
[Page 19084-19085]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr27ap09-56]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-8897-8]
Science Advisory Board Staff Office; Request for Nominations of
Experts for the Review of Technical Guidance on Nutrient Criteria
Development
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The EPA Science Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office is
requesting nominations of non-EPA experts to augment the SAB Ecological
Processes and Effects Committee (EPEC) for the review of EPA's draft
Technical Guidance on Empirical Approaches for Numeric Nutrient
Criteria Development.
DATES: Nominations should be submitted by May 18, 2009 per instructions
below.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Any member of the public wishing
further information regarding this Notice and Request for Nominations
may contact Dr. Thomas Armitage, Designated Federal Officer (DFO), SAB
Staff Office, by telephone/voice mail at (202) 343-9995; by fax at
(202) 233-0643 or via e-mail at armitage.thomas@epa.gov.
General information concerning the EPA Science Advisory Board can
be found on the EPA SAB Web site at http://www.epa.gov/sab. Any inquiry
concerning EPA's Technical Guidance on Empirical Approaches for Numeric
Nutrient Criteria Development should be directed to Ms. Ifeyinwa Davis
of EPA's Office of Water (OW) at davis.ifeyinwa@epa.gov or (202) 566-
1096.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background: The SAB (42 U.S.C. 4365) is a chartered Federal
Advisory Committee that provides independent scientific and technical
peer review, advice, consultation, and recommendations to the EPA
Administrator on the technical basis for EPA actions. As a Federal
Advisory Committee, the SAB conducts business in accordance with the
Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) (5 U.S.C. App. C) and related
regulations. Generally, SAB meetings are announced in the Federal
Register, conducted in public view, and provide opportunities for
public input during deliberations. The Ecological Processes and Effects
Committee is a standing committee of the chartered SAB. Additional
information about the SAB and its committees can be obtained on the SAB
Web site at http://www.epa.gov/sab.
Nutrient enrichment is one of the leading causes of surface water
quality impairment in the U.S. The adoption of numeric nutrient
criteria in state water quality standards for the protection of aquatic
life is a high priority for EPA's Office of Water (OW). EPA published
technical guidance for developing numeric nutrient water quality
criteria in early 2000. The EPA guidance focused on the use of
reference condition approaches for deriving nutrient criteria. Because
many states are currently pursuing the use of empirically-derived
stressor-response relationships as the basis for developing numeric
nutrient endpoints for water quality standards, OW is developing
recommendations for using a set of analytical methods and tools to
augment EPA's published guidance manuals. EPA has requested that the
SAB review the Agency's draft Technical Guidance on Empirical
Approaches for Numerical Nutrient Criteria Development. In this regard,
EPA has specifically requested advice on: the practical use of field
data; addressing confounding variables and uncertainty; addressing
indirect pathways of adverse effects; and the strengths and limitations
of proposed approaches for deriving numeric values for nutrient
endpoints. This advice will be provided by the SAB EPEC augmented with
experts who have specialized knowledge of the effects of
[[Page 19085]]
nutrient enrichment on freshwater, marine, and estuarine ecosystems.
Request for Nominations
To augment expertise on the SAB EPEC for review of EPA's nutrient
criteria guidance, the SAB Staff Office is seeking nominations of
nationally and internationally recognized scientists in fields such as
ecology, biology, environmental science, risk assessment, statistics,
and zoology. We particularly seek scientists with specialized knowledge
and expertise in the use of empirically-derived stressor-response
relationships as the basis for developing nutrient assessment endpoints
and criteria for the protection of aquatic life.
Process and Deadline for Submitting Nominations: Any interested
person or organization may nominate individuals qualified in the area
of science as described above to be considered for appointment to
augment this SAB Committee. Candidates may also nominate themselves.
Nominations should be submitted in electronic format (which is
preferred over hard copy) following the instructions for ``Nominating
Experts to Advisory Panels and Ad Hoc Committees Being Formed''
provided on the SAB Web site. The form can be accessed through the
``Nomination of Experts'' link on the blue navigational bar on the SAB
Web site at http://www.epa.gov/sab. To receive full consideration,
nominations should include all of the information requested, and should
be submitted in time to arrive no later than May 18, 2009.
EPA's SAB Staff Office requests contact information about: the
person making the nomination; contact information about the nominee;
the disciplinary and specific areas of expertise of the nominee; the
nominee's curriculum vitae; sources of recent grant and/or contract
support; and a biographical sketch of the nominee indicating current
position, educational background, research activities, and recent
service on other national advisory committees or national professional
organizations.
Persons having questions about the nomination procedures, or who
are unable to submit nominations through the SAB Web site, should
contact Dr. Thomas Armitage, DFO, at the contact information provided
above in this notice. Non-electronic submissions must follow the same
format and contain the same information as the electronic.
The SAB Staff Office will acknowledge receipt of the nomination and
inform nominees of the Committee for which they have been nominated.
From the nominees identified by respondents to this Federal Register
notice (termed the ``Widecast'') and other sources, 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 Committee.
For the SAB, 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 gathered by SAB Staff independently concerning 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 Committee 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.
Prospective 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. Ethics information, including EPA
Form 3110-48, is available on the SAB Web site at http://
yosemite.epa.gov/sab/sabproduct.nsf/Web/ethics?OpenDocument.
Dated: April 20, 2009.
Anthony F. Maciorowski,
Deputy Director, EPA Science Advisory Board Staff Office.
[FR Doc. E9-9570 Filed 4-24-09; 8:45 am]
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