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[Federal Register: February 25, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 37)]
[Notices]               
[Page 8700-8701]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr25fe10-76]                         

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-9117-8]

 
Science Advisory Board Staff Office; Request for Nominations of 
Experts To Augment the SAB Ecological Processes and Effects Committee 
(EPEC)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The EPA Science Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office is 
requesting public nominations of non-EPA experts to augment the SAB 
Ecological Processes and Effects Committee (EPEC) to provide advice on 
technologies and systems to minimize the impacts of invasive species in 
vessel ballast water discharge.

DATES: Nominations should be submitted by March 18, 2010 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. Inquiries 
as to the types of treatment technologies and information relevant to 
this effort should be directed to Ms. Robin Danesi of EPA's Office of 
Water at: Danesi.Robin@epa.gov or (202) 564-1846 or Mr. Marcus Zobrist 
of EPA's Office of Water (OW) at: zobrist.marcus@epa.gov or (202) 564-
8311.

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. 2) 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.
    Vessel ballast water discharges are a major source of nonidigenous 
species introductions to marine, estuarine, and freshwater ecosystems 
of the United States. Ballast water discharges are regulated by EPA 
under authority of the Clean Water Act (CWA) and the U.S. Coast Guard 
under authority of the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and 
Control Act, as amended (NANPCA). NANPCA generally requires vessels 
equipped with ballast water tanks and bound for ports or places in the 
United States after operating beyond the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone 
to conduct a mid-ocean ballast water exchange, retain their ballast 
water onboard, or use an alternative environmentally sound ballast 
water management method approved by the U.S. Coast Guard. Under the 
authority of the CWA, EPA's Vessel General Permit, in addition to the 
mid-ocean exchange, requires the flushing and exchange of ballast water 
by vessels in Pacific near-shore voyages and saltwater flushing of 
ballast water tanks that are empty or contain only un-pumpable residual 
ballast water.
    While useful in reducing the presence of potentially invasive 
organisms in ballast water, ballast water exchange and saltwater 
flushing can have variable effectiveness and may not always be feasible 
due to vessel safety concerns. On August 28, 2009, the U.S. Coast Guard 
proposed establishing standards for concentrations of living organisms 
that can be discharged in vessel ballast water (74 FR 44632), and some 
States have established standards of their own. In addition, a number 
of studies and reports have been published on the status and efficacy 
of ballast water treatment technologies, and data collected on the 
efficacy of certain systems is available.
    OW has requested SAB review of technical documents and available 
data on the efficacy of ballast water treatment systems and advice on 
improving the performance of such systems. This advice will be provided 
by the SAB EPEC augmented with experts who have specialized knowledge 
of treatment processes and technologies that may be useful to eliminate 
or reduce the presence of living organisms in vessel ballast water.
    Request for Nominations: To augment expertise on the SAB EPEC, the 
SAB Staff Office is seeking nominations of nationally and 
internationally recognized scientists in fields such as aquatic 
biology, aquatic toxicology, microbiology, wastewater engineering, 
statistics, and naval engineering or architecture. We particularly seek 
scientists with specialized knowledge and expertise in treatment 
technologies to eliminate or reduce the presence of living organisms in 
drinking water, wastewater discharges, and other water-use 
circumstances.
    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 March 18, 2010. EPA values 
and welcomes diversity. In an effort to obtain nominations of diverse 
candidates, EPA encourages nominations of women and men of all racial 
and ethnic groups.
    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.

[[Page 8701]]

    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 ``list of 
candidates'') for more detailed consideration. The list of candidates 
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 list of candidates 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 
list of 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; (e) ability to 
work constructively and effectively in committees; and (f) for the 
Committee as a whole, diversity of scientific expertise and viewpoints.
    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: February 18, 2010.
Vanessa T. Vu,
Director, EPA Science Advisory Board Staff Office.
[FR Doc. 2010-3718 Filed 2-24-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
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