Oct 23 -- The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Science Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office requests public nominations of scientific experts to form a panel to review the revised Technical Guidance for Assessing Environmental Justice in Regulatory Analysis (Environmental Justice Technical Guidance or EJTG) and develop a self-initiated commentary outlining recommendations on advancing environmental justice science in rulemaking. The SAB Environmental Justice Science and Analysis Review Panel will review the revised EJTG to be released publicly in 2023, as well as other information to be provided by the EPA. The Panel will provide recommendations and expert input on both advisory activities. Nominations should be submitted by November 13, 2023.
The SAB (42 U.S.C. 4365) is a chartered Federal Advisory Committee that provides independent scientific and technical peer review, advice, 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. Code 10) and related regulations. The SAB Staff Office is forming an expert panel, the Environmental Justice Science and Analysis Review Panel, under the auspices of the Chartered SAB. The Environmental Justice Science and Analysis Review Panel will provide advice through the chartered SAB. The SAB and the Environmental Justice Science and Analysis Review Panel will comply with the provisions of FACA and all appropriate SAB Staff Office procedural policies.
The SAB Environmental Justice Science and Analysis Review Panel will conduct a review of the revised Technical Guidance for Assessing Environmental Justice in Regulatory Analysis (Environmental Justice Technical Guidance or EJTG) and develop a self-initiated commentary outlining recommendations on advancing environmental justice science in rulemaking. The SAB Environmental Justice Science and Analysis Review Panel will consider the revised EJTG as well as other information to be provided by the EPA. The Panel will provide recommendations and expert input on both advisory activities.
The revised EJTG is a document that provides EPA analysts with broad guidance on how to assess disproportionate and adverse human health and environmental impacts of proposed rules and actions on vulnerable and overburdened populations in a variety of regulatory contexts. The 2016 EJ Technical Guidance was peer reviewed by the SAB in 2014. EPA is currently revising the EJ Technical Guidance, that will be released publicly in late 2023. The Panel will also identify key findings about the current state of environmental justice science utilized across EPA in the context of regulations and develop a commentary with actionable recommendations for potential methodological and technical improvements of environmental justice analyses utilized to support regulatory actions.
The SAB Staff Office is seeking nominations of nationally and internationally recognized scientists with demonstrated expertise in the following disciplines: environmental exposure, fate and transport, human health risk assessment, toxicology, public health, social and behavioral sciences, data visualization, environmental justice screening tools and modeling; environmental pollution and/or contaminants; environmental economics, including cost-benefit analysis; sociology; environmental stressors; exposure and dose-response assessment; epidemiology; demographics; geospatial analyses; spatial mathematics or distributional analysis; decision-making science; statistics; traditional ecological knowledge, and risk communication. Specifically, we are seeking experts with experience in assessing impacts related to environmental justice concerns, and conducting scientific analyses conducted to inform regulatory impacts. Strongest consideration will be given to individuals with demonstrated experience working with overburdened and vulnerable communities, or communities with EJ concerns in addition to the disciplines listed above (as documented in their curriculum vitae, resume, and/or publication history).
EPA SAB:
https://sab.epa.gov/ords/sab/r/sab_apex/sab/home
FRN:
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2023-23295
