[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 146 (Friday, July 30, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45706-45707]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-17377]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-7795-3]
Science Advisory Board Staff Office; Request for Nominations for
the Science Advisory Board's Consultation on EPA's Regional
Vulnerability Assessment Methods for Multi-Scale Decision-Making
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 Regional Vulnerability Assessment (ReVA) integration tool
and underlying methods for multi-scale decision making. ReVA is an
approach to conducting comprehensive regional-scale environmental
assessments that can inform decision-makers about anticipated
environmental vulnerabilities. A suite of predictive tools and methods
is incorporated into ReVA.
DATES: Nominations should be submitted by August 20, 2004 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 [email protected]; 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
The EPA Office of Research and Development has requested a
consultation with the SAB to review the methods and predictive tools
used in ReVA, and the effectiveness of the ReVA integration toolkit
(the ReVA web-based Environmental Decision Toolkit or EDT) for
communicating risk and uncertainty to clients and users. EPA's ReVA
Program develops approaches to conducting comprehensive, regional-scale
environmental assessments that can inform decision-makers about the
magnitude, extent, distribution, and uncertainty of current and
anticipated environmental vulnerabilities. In the context of ReVA,
environmental vulnerabilities are risks of serious degradation of
ecological goods and services that are valued by society. ReVA
approaches make use of existing spatial data to depict: (1) The current
patterns of condition and distribution of resources and human
demographics, (2) variability in sensitivity of resources and human
populations to various stresses, and (3) estimated spatial distribution
of stressors. Future vulnerability estimates derived by ReVA include
syntheses of: (1) modeled estimates of ecological drivers of change
(i.e. changes in pollution and pollutants, resource extraction, spread
of non-indigenous species, land use change, and climate change) and
resulting changes in stressor patterns; and (2) changes in resource
sensitivity and projected changes in human demographics. The predictive
tools in ReVA provide decision-makers with information about current
and future cumulative stresses and spatially-explicit identification of
anticipated environmental problems. These predictive tools can also be
used to illustrate the trade-offs associated with alternative
environmental and economic policies in the context of dynamic
stakeholder values. ReVA relies heavily on the use of geographic
information system technologies and quantitative integration and
assessment methods to develop useful measures of a suite of decision-
criteria for decision-makers at multiple scales.
The Science Advisory Board is a chartered Federal advisory
committee, which reports directly to the EPA Administrator. The panel
being formed will provide advice to the Agency, asa part of the SAB's
mission to provide independent scientific and technical advice,
consultation, and recommendations to the EPA Administrator on the
technical bases for EPA positions and regulations. The Panel 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 two-day face-to-face meeting for the
consultation.
Tentative Charge to the Panel
EPA's Office of Research and Development seeks the opportunity for
a consultation with the SAB to receive comments on: (1) The scientific
validity of the methods and predictive tools used in ReVA, (2) the
effectiveness of the ReVA integration toolkit for communicating risk
and uncertainty to users and clients, and (3) the applicability of ReVA
tools and methods for targeting current and future environmental
vulnerabilities and making decisions at local and regional scales.
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 ReVA methods for multi-scale decision
making. 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) Decision science
and environmental decision-making; (b) landscape ecology; (c) analysis
of land use change; (d) ecology and the use of geographic information
system technology to analyze environmental stressors and effects; (e)
ecological risk
[[Page 45707]]
assessment; and (f) environmental statistics.
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, http://www.epa.gov/sab. 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 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 August 20, 2004. 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 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 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: July 26, 2004.
Vanessa T. Vu,
Director, EPA Science Advisory Board Staff Office.
[FR Doc. 04-17377 Filed 7-29-04; 8:45 am]
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