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EPA Science Advisory Board Staff Office, Request for Nominations of Experts for the Children's Environmental Exposure Research Study (CHEERS) Review Panel

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[Federal Register: November 23, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 225)]
[Notices]
[Page 68143-68144]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr23no04-52]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-7840-5]
 
EPA Science Advisory Board Staff Office, Request for Nominations 
of Experts for the Children's Environmental Exposure Research Study 
(CHEERS) Review Panel

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Requesting the nomination of experts for the Science Advisory 
Board (SAB) CHEERS Review Panel.

DATES: December 17, 2004--Deadline for submitting nomination of 
experts.

ADDRESSES: U.S. Postal Address--U.S. EPA Science Advisory Board 
(1400F), EPA, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001. 
For FedEx or courier deliveries: 1025 F Street, NW., Room 3603, Mail 
Code: 1400F, Washington, DC 20004.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Suhair Shallal, Designated Federal 
Officer, by telephone/voice mail at (202) 343-9977, by fax at (202) 
233-0643; or via e-mail at shallal.suhair@epa.gov. General information 
concerning the EPA SAB can be found on the EPA SAB Web site at: 
http://www.epa.gov/sab.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Background: The Science Advisory Board (SAB) was established by 42 
U.S.C. 4365 to provide independent scientific and technical advice, 
consultation, and recommendations to the EPA Administrator on the 
technical basis for Agency positions and regulations. Pursuant to a 
request by EPA's Office of Research and Development, the SAB will 
conduct a review of the study design of the Children's Environmental 
Exposure Research Study (CHEERS) entitled ``Longitudinal Study of Young 
Children's Exposures in their Homes to Selected Pesticides, Phthalates, 
Brominated Flame Retardants, and Perfluorinated Chemicals.'' The study 
is designed to fill critical data gaps in understanding children's 
exposures to pesticides and chemicals that can be found in typical 
residential environments. It will provide EPA with information to 
improve both risk assessment and risk management practices that will 
ultimately be more protective of children's health. In a separate 
notice, EPA announced the availability of and the opportunity to 
comment on the above-mentioned document (FRN 68(192):57442-57444; 
69(42):10034-10035). The Agency has asked the SAB to comment on: (a) 
The scientific soundness of the study design (b) the ethical standards 
of the study design (c) ways of improving the study design.
    The SAB will be augmented with members of EPA's Federal 
Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act Scientific Advisory Panel 
(FIFRA SAP) and EPA's Children's Health Protection Advisory Council 
(CHPAC) with additional outside experts to form the SAB CHEERS Review 
Panel. By including members of three EPA advisory bodies, the SAB, 
FIFRA SAP

[[Page 68144]]

and CHPAC, in the review of this document, the requesting office hopes 
to benefit from their unique expertise in children's exposure and 
health risk assessment and to receive a peer review report which 
reflects the views of these bodies on the charge questions in an 
expedited manner. Therefore, we are only soliciting additional experts 
in the areas which are not represented in the current membership of 
SAB, FIFRA SAP or CHPAC. Additional experts are needed in the following 
areas: ethical standards of research study protocols and bioethics; 
development of risk communication tools; and interdisciplinary experts 
with a focus on children's exposure monitoring and assessment.
    This panel will comply with the provisions of the Federal Advisory 
Committee Act (FACA) and all appropriate SAB procedural policies. Upon 
completion, the panel's report will be submitted to the SAB for final 
approval for transmittal to the EPA Administrator.
    Availability of the Review Materials: The updated EPA study design 
will be made available by the Office of Research and Development. For 
questions and information concerning the review materials, please 
contact Nicolle Tulve, U.S. EPA, 109 T.W. Alexander Drive, Research 
Triangle Park, NC 27709 (phone: 919-541-1077), or e-mail: 
tulve.nicolle@epa.gov.
    Request for Nominations: The SAB Staff Office is requesting 
nominations of recognized experts with one or more of the following 
areas to supplement its available expertise: (a) Bioethics; (b) 
Interdisciplinary experts with a focus on children's exposure 
monitoring and assessment; (c) Risk Communication.
    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 SAB CHEERS Review Panel. 
Nominations should be submitted in electronic format through the Form 
for Nominating Individuals to Panels of the EPA Science Advisory Board 
which can be accessed through a link on the blue navigational bar on 
the SAB Web site at: http://www.epa.gov/sab. To be considered, all 
nominations must include the information requested 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 December 17, 2004. Any 
questions concerning either this process or any other aspects of this 
notice should be directed to the DFO. The process for forming a SAB 
panel is described in the Overview of the Panel Formation Process at 
the Environmental Protection Agency, Science Advisory Board (EPA-SAB-
EC-COM-02-010), on the SAB Web site at: 
http://www.epa.gov/sab/pdf/ec02010.pdf.

    From the nominees identified by respondents to this Federal 
Register notice (termed the ``Widecast''), the SAB Staff Office will 
develop a smaller subset (known as the ``Short List'') for more 
detailed consideration. 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 Office should consider in 
evaluating candidates for the Panel.
    For the SAB, a balanced 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 on 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 Panel 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 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.

    Dated: November 18, 2004.
Vanessa T. Vu,
Director, EPA Science Advisory Board Staff Office.
[FR Doc. 04-25945 Filed 11-22-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P

 
 

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