Document ID: EPA-HQ-OPPT-2020-0135-0001
Agency: epa
Document Type: Notice
Title: TSCA Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals; Request for Nominations
Posted Date: 2020-03-20T04:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 55 (Friday, March 20, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16094-16095]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-05827]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OPPT-2020-0135; FRL-10006-50]

TSCA Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals; Request for 
Nominations

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) invites the public 
to nominate scientific experts from a diverse range of disciplines to 
be considered for appointment to the Toxic Substances Control Act 
(TSCA), Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals (SACC). The purpose of 
the SACC is to provide independent advice and expert consultation, at 
the request of the EPA Administrator, with respect to the scientific 
and technical aspects of issues relating to implementation of TSCA. EPA 
anticipates appointing multiple SACC members over the next year. 
Sources in addition to this Federal Register Notice may be utilized to 
solicit nominations and identify candidates.

DATES: Nominations of candidates to be considered for appointment to 
the SACC must be received on or before April 20, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Submit your nominations, identified by docket identification 
(ID) number EPA-HQ-OPPT-2020-0135, by one of the following methods:
     Electronically (preferred): By email to 
knott.steven@epa.gov.
     Mail: Steven M. Knott, MS, Designated Federal Officer 
(DFO), Office of Science Coordination and Policy (7201M), Environmental 
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20460.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steven M. Knott, MS, DFO, telephone 
number: (202) 564-0103; email address: knott.steven@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. General Information

A. Does this action apply to me?

    This action is directed to the public in general. This action may, 
however, be of interest to those involved in the manufacture, 
processing, distribution, disposal of chemical substances and mixtures, 
and/or those interested in the assessment of risks involving chemical 
substances and mixtures. Since other entities may also be interested, 
the Agency has not attempted to describe all the specific entities that 
may be affected by this action. If you have questions regarding the 
applicability of this action to a particular entity, consult the DFO 
listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

B. How can I get copies of this document and other related information?

    The docket for this action, identified by docket identification 
(ID) number EPA-HQ-OPPT-2020-0135, is available at http://www.regulations.gov or at the Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics 
Regulatory Public Docket (OPPT Docket) in the Environmental Protection 
Agency Docket Center (EPA/DC), West William Jefferson Clinton Building, 
Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20460-0001. The 
Public Reading Room is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through 
Friday, excluding legal holidays. The telephone number for the Public 
Reading Room is (202) 566-1744, and the telephone number for the OPPT 
Docket is (202) 566-0280. Please review the visitor instructions and 
additional information about the docket available at http://www.epa.gov/dockets.

II. Background

    The SACC is a federal advisory committee, established in December 
2016 pursuant to TSCA section 2625(o), and chartered under the Federal 
Advisory Committee Act (FACA), 5 U.S.C. Appendix 2. EPA established the 
SACC to provide independent advice and recommendations to the EPA 
Administrator on the scientific basis for risk assessments, 
methodologies, and

[[Page 16095]]

approaches relating to implementation of TSCA. The SACC members serve 
as Special Government Employees (SGEs) or Regular Government Employees 
(RGEs). The SACC expects to meet approximately 4 to 6 times per year, 
or as needed and approved by the DFO. Meetings will be held in the 
Washington, DC, metropolitan area.
    In January 2017, the EPA Administrator appointed 18 members to the 
SACC. After further consideration of the objectives and scope of SACC 
activities, EPA decided to increase the membership of the SACC, and in 
March 2018, completed additional appointments resulting in a total of 
26 members. Subsequently, some SACC members either resigned or declined 
to serve extended appointments. Currently, there are 19 SACC members, 
all with membership terms that will expire over the next year.
    To date, SACC members and ad hoc reviewers have provided their 
expertise and knowledge on the first draft chemical risk evaluations. 
These individuals have dedicated an incredible amount of time to 
provide EPA with thoughtful and important recommendations for improving 
the risk evaluations. At times, SACC members were working on multiple 
chemical evaluations while also preparing for and participating in peer 
review meetings and writing reports. EPA greatly appreciates the 
dedication and commitment to service of the SACC members.
    Given the foundation provided by the SACC recommendations from 
these first reviews, EPA is exploring different ways to use the SACC's 
expertise for providing independent advice and expert consultation 
after the peer reviews of the first 10 chemical risk evaluations are 
completed. The Agency is considering requesting that the SACC review 
significant, cross-cutting science issues on exposure, risk, and 
modeling, similar to how the Agency uses the Federal Insecticide, 
Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), Scientific Advisory Panel (SAP) 
for health and safety issues related to pesticides. Therefore, EPA may 
not ask the SACC to peer review every single draft risk evaluation for 
the next 20 high priority chemicals. With this prospective change in 
the scope of SACC activities, EPA anticipates appointing approximately 
15 members to the SACC by March 2021.

III. Nominations

    EPA values and welcomes diversity and encourages nominations of 
women and men of all racial and ethnic groups. Any interested person or 
organization may nominate qualified persons to be considered for 
appointment to this advisory committee. Individuals also may self-
nominate. Nominations may be submitted in electronic format (preferred) 
or mailed in accordance with the instructions under ADDRESSES.
    Nominations should include candidates who have demonstrated high 
levels of competence, knowledge, and expertise in scientific/technical 
fields relevant to chemical safety and risk assessment. In particular, 
the nominees should include representation of the following 
disciplines, including, but not limited to: Human health and ecological 
risk assessment, biostatistics, epidemiology, pediatrics, 
physiologically-based pharmacokinetics (PBPK), toxicology and pathology 
(including neurotoxicology, developmental/reproductive toxicology, and 
carcinogenesis), and the relationship of chemical exposures to women, 
children, and other potentially exposed or susceptible subpopulations.
    To be considered, all nominations should include the following 
information: Current contact information for the nominee (including the 
nominee's name, organization, current business address, email address, 
and daytime telephone number); 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, and recent service on 
other federal advisory committees and national or international 
professional organizations. Persons having questions about the 
nomination process should contact the DFO listed under FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT.
    The DFO will acknowledge receipt of nominations. Sources in 
addition to respondents to this Federal Register Notice may be utilized 
to solicit nominations and identify candidates. The names and 
biographical sketches of all interested and available candidates will 
be posted in a List of Candidates in the docket at http://www.regulations.gov and on the SACC website at http://www.epa.gov/tsca-peer-review. The availability of the list also will be announced 
through the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention 
(OCSPP)'s listservs. You may subscribe to these listservs at the 
following website: https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USAEPAOPPT/subscriber/new?topic_id=USAEPAOPPT_101. Public comments on the 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 EPA should consider in 
evaluating candidates.

IV. Selection Criteria

    In addition to scientific expertise, in selecting members, EPA will 
consider the differing perspectives and the breadth of collective 
experience needed to address EPA's charge to the SACC, as well as the 
following:
     Background and experiences that would contribute to the 
diversity of scientific viewpoints on the committee, including 
professional experiences in government, labor, public health, public 
interest, animal protection, industry, and other groups, as the EPA 
Administrator determines to be advisable (e.g., geographical location; 
social and cultural backgrounds; and professional affiliations);
     Skills and experience working on committees and advisory 
panels including demonstrated ability to work constructively and 
effectively in a committee setting;
     Absence of financial conflicts of interest or the 
appearance of a loss of impartiality;
     Willingness to commit adequate time for the thorough 
review of materials provided to the committee; and
     Availability to participate in committee meetings.

(Authority: 15 U.S.C. 2625 et seq.; 5 U.S.C. Appendix 2 et seq.)

    Dated: March 13, 2020.
Hayley Hughes,
Director, Office of Science Coordination and Policy.
[FR Doc. 2020-05827 Filed 3-19-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P