[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 145 (Friday, July 27, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35635-35636]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-16116]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-9981-30-OA]


Request for Nominations of Experts for the Clean Air Scientific 
Advisory Committee (CASAC) Ozone Review Panel

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Science Advisory 
Board (SAB) Staff Office requests public nominations for scientific 
experts to form a CASAC ad hoc panel to provide advice through the 
chartered CASAC on the scientific and technical aspects of air quality 
criteria and the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for 
ozone.

DATES: Nominations should be submitted by (August 17, 2018) per 
instructions below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Any member of the public wishing 
further information regarding this Notice and Request for Nominations 
may contact Mr. Aaron Yeow, Designated Federal Officer (DFO), SAB Staff 
Office, by telephone/voice mail at (202) 564-2050 or via email at 
[email protected]. General information concerning the CASAC can be 
found on the following website: http://www.epa.gov/casac.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Background: The Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) was 
established under section 109(d)(2) of the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act) 
(42 U.S.C. 7409) as an independent scientific advisory committee. The 
CASAC provides advice, information and recommendations on the 
scientific and technical aspects of air quality criteria and NAAQS 
under sections 108 and 109 of the Act. The CASAC shall also: Advise the 
EPA Administrator of areas in which additional knowledge is required to 
appraise the adequacy and basis of existing, new, or revised NAAQS; 
describe the research efforts necessary to provide the required 
information; advise the EPA Administrator on the relative contribution 
to air pollution concentrations of natural as well as anthropogenic 
activity; and advise the EPA Administrator of any adverse public 
health, welfare, social, economic, or energy effects which may result 
from various strategies for attainment and maintenance of such NAAQS.
    As amended, 5 U.S.C., App. Section 109(d)(1) of the Clean Air Act 
(CAA) requires that EPA carry out a periodic review and revision, as 
appropriate, of the air quality criteria and the NAAQS for the six 
``criteria'' air pollutants, including ozone. With the publication of 
the National Ambient Standards for Ozone (80 FR 65292) on October 26, 
2015, the Agency completed its most recent review of the Ozone NAAQS. 
The CASAC's Ozone Review Panel for that review cycle was formed in 
January 2009 and completed its work in July 2014.
    This Federal Register notice solicitation is seeking nominations 
for subject matter experts to serve on the CASAC Ozone Review Panel for 
the next review of the Ozone NAAQS that begins in fiscal year (FY) 
2018. The Panel will be charged with reviewing the science and policy 
assessments, and related documents, that form the basis for the EPA's 
review of the Ozone NAAQS, and will provide advice through the 
Chartered CASAC.
    The CASAC is a Federal advisory committee chartered under the 
Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA). As a Federal Advisory Committee, 
the CASAC conducts business in accordance with the Federal Advisory 
Committee Act (FACA) (5 U.S.C. App.

[[Page 35636]]

2) and related regulations. The CASAC and the CASAC Ozone Review Panel 
will comply with the provisions of FACA and all appropriate SAB Staff 
Office procedural policies.
    Request for Nominations: The SAB Staff Office is seeking 
nominations of nationally and internationally recognized scientists 
with demonstrated expertise and research in the field of air pollution 
related to ozone. Experts are sought in: Air quality, atmospheric 
science and chemistry, causal inference, dosimetry, toxicology, 
controlled clinical exposure, epidemiology, biostatistics, human 
exposure modeling, risk assessment/modeling, uncertainty analysis, 
ecology and effects on welfare and the environment, and environmental 
economics.
    Process and Deadline for Submitting Nominations: Any interested 
person or organization may nominate qualified individuals in the areas 
of expertise described above. Individuals may self-nominate. 
Nominations should be submitted in electronic format (preferred) using 
the online nomination form under ``Public Input on Membership'' on the 
CASAC web page at http://www.epa.gov/casac. To be considered, all 
nominations should include the information requested below. EPA values 
and welcomes diversity. All qualified candidates are encouraged to 
apply regardless of sex, race, disability or ethnicity. Nominations 
should be submitted by (August 17, 2018).
    The following information should be provided on the nomination 
form: Contact information for the person making the nomination; contact 
information for the nominee; the disciplinary and specific areas of 
expertise of the nominee; the nominee's curriculum vitae; and a 
biographical sketch of the nominee indicating current position, 
educational background; research activities; sources of research 
funding for the last two years; and recent service on other national 
advisory committees or national professional organizations. Persons 
having questions about the nomination process or the public comment 
process described below, or who are unable to submit nominations 
through the CASAC website, should contact the DFO, as identified above. 
The DFO will acknowledge receipt of nominations and will invite the 
nominee to provide any additional information that the nominee feels 
would be useful in considering the nomination. The names and 
biosketches of qualified nominees identified by respondents to this 
Federal Register notice, and additional experts identified by the SAB 
Staff Office, will be posted in a List of Candidates on the CASAC 
website at http://www.epa.gov/casac. Public comments on each List of 
Candidates will be accepted for 21 days from the date the list is 
posted. The public will be requested to provide relevant information or 
other documentation on nominees that the SAB Staff Office should 
consider in evaluating candidates.
    For the EPA SAB Staff Office, a balanced review panel includes 
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. In forming this expert 
panel, the SAB Staff Office will consider public comments on the List 
of Candidates, information provided by the candidates themselves, and 
background information independently gathered by the SAB Staff Office. 
Selection criteria to be used for panel membership 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) absence of an 
appearance of a lack of impartiality; (e) skills working in committees, 
subcommittees and advisory panels; and, (f) for the panel as a whole, 
diversity of expertise and viewpoints.
    The SAB Staff Office's evaluation of an absence of financial 
conflicts of interest will include a review of 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 a 
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 https://yosemite.epa.gov/sab/sabproduct.nsf/Web/Form3110-
48exp2018/$File/EPA3110-48exp2018.pdf.
    The approved policy under which the EPA SAB Office selects 
subcommittees and review panels is described in the following document: 
Overview of the Panel Formation Process at the Environmental Protection 
Agency Science Advisory Board (EPA-SAB-EC-02-010), which is posted on 
the SAB website at http://yosemite.epa.gov/sab/sabproduct.nsf/WebFiles/
OverviewPanelForm/$File/ec02010.pdf.

    Dated: July 19, 2018.
Khanna Johnston,
Deputy Director, EPA Science Advisory Board Staff Office.
[FR Doc. 2018-16116 Filed 7-26-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P


