[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 48 (Tuesday, March 13, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11356-11358]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-4562]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-8287-1]


Science Advisory Board Staff Office, Request for Nominations for 
Review of Multi-Agency Radiation Survey and Assessment of Materials and 
Equipment Manual (MARSAME)

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 to the SAB's Radiation 
Advisory Committee (RAC) to review the December 2006 draft of the 
Multi-Agency Radiation Survey and Assessment of Materials and Equipment 
Manual (MARSAME), which is a supplement to the Multi-Agency Radiation 
Survey and Site Assessment Manual (MARSSIM). MARSAME provides 
information on planning, conducting, evaluating, and documenting 
radiological disposition surveys for the assessment of materials and 
equipment.

DATES: Nominations should be submitted by April 3, 2007 per the 
instructions below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Any member of the public wishing 
further information regarding this Request for Nominations may contact 
Dr. K. Jack Kooyoomjian, Designated Federal Officer (DFO), via 
telephone/voice mail at (202) 343-9984; via e-mail at 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#bbd0d4d4c2d4d4d6d1d2dad595d1dad8d0fbdecbda95dcd4cd"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="97fcf8f8eef8f8fafdfef6f9b9fdf6f4fcd7f2e7f6b9f0f8e1">[email protected]</span></a> 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. The EPA technical contact for this review is Dr. Mary 
E. Clark, who may be contacted via

[[Page 11357]]

telephone at (202) 343-9348 or by e-mail at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#bdded1dccfd693d0dccfc4d8fdd8cddc93dad2cb"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="d0b3bcb1a2bbfebdb1a2a9b590b5a0b1feb7bfa6">[email protected]</span></a>.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Background: The December 2006 draft Multi-Agency Radiation Survey 
and Assessment of Materials and Equipment Manual (MARSAME) is a 
supplement to the Multi-Agency Radiation Survey and Site Assessment 
Manual (MARSSIM) (EPA 402-R-970-016, Rev. 1, August 2000 and June 2001 
update). The scope of MARSSIM was limited to surface soils and building 
surfaces. The MARSAME supplement addresses materials and equipment 
(M&E) potentially affected by radioactivity, including metals, 
concrete, tools, equipment, piping, conduit, furniture and dispersible 
bulk materials such as trash, rubble, roofing materials, and sludge. 
M&E may be containers and packages in general commerce or from licensed 
radioactivity users. The wide variety of M&E requires additional 
flexibility in the survey process, and this flexibility is incorporated 
into MARSAME.
    The MARSAME draft document has been developed collaboratively by 
four Federal agencies having authority and control over radioactive 
materials: the Department of Defense (DOD), Department of Energy (DOE), 
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Nuclear Regulatory 
Commission (NRC). MARSAME encourages an effective use of resources, and 
when finalized, will be a multi-agency consensus document. MARSAME was 
developed collaboratively by the MARSSIM Work Group over the past five 
years by technical staff of the four Federal agencies having authority 
for control of radioactive materials (60 FR 12555; March 7, 1995).
    The EPA's Science Advisory Board (SAB) previously provided advice 
on MARSAME (EPA-SAB-RAC-CON-03-002, dated Feb 27, 2003); EPA-SAB-RAC-
CON-04-001, dated February 9, 2004); MARSSIM (EPA-SAB-RAC-97-008, dated 
September 30, 1997), and MARLAP (Multi-Agency Radiological Laboratory 
Analytical Protocols), (EPA-SAB-RAC-03-009, dated June 10, 2003). On 
behalf of the four participating Federal agencies, EPA's Office of 
Radiation and Indoor Air (ORIA) is requesting that the SAB peer review 
the draft MARSAME manual dated December, 2006. The aforementioned SAB 
reports may be found on the SAB's Web site (http://www.epa.gov/sab in 
the reports listings). Relevant background information on MARSAME can 
be found at http://www.marsame.org. The draft MARSAME manual may be 
found at http://epa.gov/radiation/marssim/publicpreview.htm#obtain.
    The SAB is requesting nominations for potential panelists to 
provide comments on the MARSAME draft manual. The Panel will review the 
technical acceptability of the MARSAME approach for environmental 
radiological surveys, appropriate disposition of M&E to contain 
radionuclide concentrations or radioactivity above background, the 
technical acceptability of the statistical methodology, and the 
adequacy of procedures for determining measurement uncertainty, 
detectability, and quantifiability.
    Request for Nominations: The SAB Staff Office is requesting 
nominations to augment expertise to the Radiation Advisory Committee 
(RAC) to review the MARSAME draft manual. The augmented RAC will 
provide advice through the chartered SAB, and will comply with the 
provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) and all 
appropriate SAB procedural policies. To supplement expertise on the 
RAC, the SAB Staff Office is seeking individuals with nationally 
recognized radiation expertise and knowledge of the MARSAME topic such 
that the entire Panel will possess expertise and knowledge in the 
following areas in a materials and equipment (M&E) setting:
    (1) Statistics applicable to radiological surveys of M&E;
    (2) Radioactive waste management with emphasis on after market 
materials recycling, decommissioning/cleanup of radiation sites, and 
facilities operations experience at large as well as small radiological 
sites;
    (3) Instrumentation for radiation detection with emphasis on 
Measurement Quality Objectives (MQOs) as well as scan-only and in-situ 
survey techniques and instrumentation;
    (4) Radiation data management with emphasis on Data Quality 
Assessment (DQA) and Data Quality Objective (DQO) protocols; and
    (5) General radiation health safety and worker protection 
specializing in facility operation safety, clean-up, and 
decommissioning a large site or facility (e.g., a nuclear waste storage 
facility or a nuclear power plant).
    Process and Deadline for Submitting Nominations: Any interested 
person or organization may nominate qualified individuals to add 
expertise to the Radiation Advisory Committee (RAC) in the areas of 
expertise described above. Nominations should be submitted in 
electronic format through the SAB Web site at the following URL: http://www.epa.gov/sab; or directly via the Form for Nominating Individuals 
to Panels of the EPA Science Advisory Board link found at URL: http://www.epa.gov/sab/panels/paneltopics.html. Please follow the instructions 
for submitting nominations carefully. To be considered, nominations 
should include all of the information required on the associated forms. 
Anyone unable to submit nominations using the electronic form and who 
has any questions concerning the nomination process may contact Dr. K. 
Jack Kooyoomjian, DFO, as indicated above in this notice. Nominations 
should be submitted in time to arrive no later than April 3, 2007.
    For nominees to be considered, please include: Contact information; 
a curriculum vitae; a biosketch of no more than two paragraphs 
(containing information on the nominee's current position, educational 
background, areas of expertise and research activities, service on 
other advisory committees and professional societies; the candidate's 
special expertise related to the panel being formed; and sources of 
recent grant and/or contract support).
    The EPA SAB Staff Office will acknowledge receipt of nominations. 
The names and biosketches of qualified nominees identified by 
respondents to the Federal Register notice and additional experts 
identified by the SAB Staff will be posted on the SAB Web site at: 
http://www.epa.gov/sab. Public comments on this ``Short List'' of 
candidates will be accepted for 21 calendar days. 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 subcommittee or 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 
establishing the final Radiation Advisory Committee (RAC), the SAB 
Staff Office will consider public comments on the ``Short List'' of 
candidates, information provided by the candidates themselves, and 
background information independently gathered by the SAB Staff Office. 
Specific 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

[[Page 11358]]

appearance of a lack of impartiality; and (e) skills working in 
committees, subcommittees and advisory panels; and, for the Panel as a 
whole, (f) diversity of, and balance among, scientific expertise, 
viewpoints, etc.
    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 
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 
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 Web site at: http://www.epa.gov/sab/pdf/ec02010.pdf.

    Dated: March 5, 2007.
Anthony F. Maciorowski,
Deputy Director, EPA Science Advisory Board Staff Office.
[FR Doc. E7-4562 Filed 3-12-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P


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