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EPA Appoints New Members to the Science Advisory Board and Subcommittees

Administrator Continues to Strive for Scientific and Geographical Diversity

01/31/2019
Contact Information: 
EPA Press Office (press@epa.gov)

WASHINGTON (January 31, 2019) – Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler announced the appointment of members who will serve on the Science Advisory Board (SAB) and four subcommittees including; the Agricultural Science Committee (ASC), the Chemical Assessment Advisory Committee (CAAC), the Drinking Water Committee (DWC), and the Radiation Advisory Committee (RAC).

“In a fair, open, and transparent fashion, EPA reviewed hundreds of qualified applicants nominated for this committee,” said EPA Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “Members who will be appointed or reappointed include experts from a wide variety of scientific disciplines who reflect the geographic diversity needed to represent all ten EPA regions.”

Having expert scientists on the SAB who bring wide-ranging scientific perspectives and come from all across the country has been a point of emphasis for this Administration. In FY 2019, 30 states and the District of Columbia will be represented on the SAB and its standing committees.

Those nominees willing to serve have been vetted for potential conflicts of interest and each has committed to remaining financially independent from EPA grants during their tenures.  

The Process

The nomination period for the SAB and its standing committees closed on August 8, 2018. The SAB Staff Office identified 174 candidates that have confirmed interest to serve on the Board and an additional 240 candidates that have confirmed interest to serve on the four SAB subcommittees. Each of the candidates have submitted bio-sketches and their curricula vitae. The List of Candidates was posted on the SAB website for a 21-day public comment period that closed the second week of November 2018.

The Science Advisory Board

In FY 2018 the SAB had 44 members. Of those, 29 members had terms which do not expire and thus remain on the board. Seven SAB members completed their terms of service in FY 2018. Eight current members of the SAB are timing out of their first term and are eligible for reappointment to their second term. All eight of these first-term members were appointed during the prior (Obama) administration, and all eight will be reappointed by Acting Administrator Wheeler to serve for a second three-year term.  Acting Administrator Wheeler is also appointing eight new board members (listed in table 1 below) to bring the total SAB membership to 45 for FY 2019. Dr. Michael Honeycutt is the SAB Chairman.

The Agricultural Science Committee

In FY 2018, the ASC had sixteen members. Of those, eleven members had terms which do not expire and thus remain on the committee. No ASC members completed their terms of service in FY 2018. Six members had their first three-year terms expire and all are being reappointed by Acting Administrator Wheeler. In addition, the Acting Administrator is appointing six new committee members (listed in table 2 below.) Dr. Otto Doering is the ASC Chairman.

The Chemical Assessment Advisory Committee

In FY 2018, the CAAC had 29 members. Of those, six members had terms which do not expire and thus remain on the committee. Seventeen CAAC members completed their terms of service in FY 2018. Four members had their first three-year terms expire and all are being reappointed by Acting Administrator Wheeler. In addition, the Acting Administrator is appointing twelve new committee members (listed in table 3 below.) Dr. Hugh Barton will be appointed CAAC Chairman.

The Drinking Water Committee

In FY 2018, the DWC had 15 members. Of those, five members had terms which do not expire and thus remain on the committee. Two DWC members completed their terms of service in FY 2018. Nine members had their first three-year terms expire. One of these first term members was receiving an EPA grant and decided to step away from the committee and so only eight of these members are being reappointed by Acting Administrator Wheeler. In addition, the Acting Administrator is appointing three new committee members (listed in table 4 below.) Dr. Mark Wiesner will be appointed DWC Chairman.

The Radiation Advisory Committee

In FY 2018, the RAC had 13 members. Of those, 5 members had terms which do not expire and wanted to continue their service to the RAC thus will remain on the committee. Seven RAC members completed their terms of service in FY 2018. Six members had their first three-year expire.  Of those six, five expressed interest in continuing to serve and are being reappointed by Acting Administrator Wheeler. In addition, the Acting Administrator is nominating five new committee members (listed in table 5 below.) Dr. Brant Ulsh will be appointed the RAC Chairman.

“I sincerely thank each of the scientists leaving the SAB for their service to the Agency and I welcome the new appointees and look forward to your counsel and advice as the Agency continues to tackle some significant scientific challenges facing our county,” said EPA Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler.

A complete roster for the SAB and each standing subcommittee can be found at: https://yosemite.epa.gov/sab/sabproduct.nsf/WebBOARD/CommitteesandMembership

New SAB Members

Table 1 – New SAB Members


Person

Title / Organization

Affiliation

Expertise

Barton, Hugh A.

Independent Consultant
(Ret. Pfizer)

Consultant

Health sciences; Modeling; Risk assessment; Toxicology

Beck, Barbara

Principal
Gradient Corp.

Consultant

Risk assessment; Toxicology

Christy, John R.

Distinguished Professor and Director
University of Alabama in Huntsville

 Academic

Atmospheric sciences

Guckenheimer, John

Professor Emeritus
Cornell University

Academic

Complex systems; Modeling

Ulsh, Brant

Certified Health Physicist
M.H. Chew & Associates

Consultant

Health sciences; Public health

Wiesner, Mark

Chair and Director
Duke University

Academic

Engineering; Drinking water; Water quality; Water quantity and reuse

Williams, Richard A.

Marginal Regulation.com

Consultant

Economics, benefit-costs analysis

Zwiernik, Matthew

Professor and Director
Michigan State University

Academic

Complex systems; Ecological sciences and ecological assessment; Hydrology

Table 2 – New ASC Members

Person Title / Organizatoin Affiliation State Expertise

Craig, Bruce

Professor
Purdue University

Academic

IN

Crop science and phytopathology

Novak, Jeffrey

Research Soil Scientist United States Department of Agriculture

Government

SC

Agricultural chemistry, Agricultural science, Agronomy and soil science, Crop science and phytopathology, Environmental chemistry

Sherman, Michael P.

Associate State Legislative Director North Carolina Farm Bureau Federation

State

NC

Agricultural engineering

Sullivan, Lawrence

Adjunct Professor
The Citadel

Academic

SC

Agricultural engineering, Biofuel engineering, Biotechnology, Forestry, Agricultural economics and valuation of ecosystem goods and services

Thaler, Robert

South Dakota State University

Academic

SD

Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs)

Wagner, Kevin

Director
Oklahoma State University

Academic

OK

Agricultural science, Agronomy and soil science

Table 3 – New CAAC Members


Person

Title / Organization

Affiliation

Expertise

Barton, Hugh A.

Independent Consultant
(Ret. Pfizer)

Consultant

Health sciences; Modeling; Risk assessment; Toxicology

Belzer, Richard

Independent consultant
Mt. Vernon, VA

Consultant

Uncertainty Analysis

Clewell, Harvey

Principal Consultant
Ramboll Environment/ Health
Research Triangle Park, NC

Consultant

Modelling, Risk Assessment

Hoel, David G.

Medical University of South Carolina
Charleston, SC

Academic

Biostatistics, Risk Assessment, Radiation Exposure

Jayjock, Michael

Independent Consultant Jayjock Associates LLC
Langhorne, PA

Consultant

Exposure Risk Assessment, Modeling

Landis, Wayne

Professor and Director
Western Washington University
Bellingham, WA

Academic

Environmental Toxicology

McConnell, Charles

William Marsh Rice University
Houston, TX

Academic

Cost-benefit, energy and environment

Paustenbach, Dennis

Cardno ChemRisk
Jackson Hole, WY

Consultant

Toxicology; Carcinogenesis; Developmental/reproductive toxicology; Inhalation toxicology; Epidemiology; Risk assessment

Rosol, Thomas

Professor
The Ohio State University
Columbus, OH

Academic

Pathology, Toxicology

Simon, Ted

Independent Consultant
Ted Simon, LLC
Winston, GA

Consultant

Statistics, Toxicology, Risk Assessment

Smith, Eric

Professor
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA

Academic

Statistics, Data Analytics, Ecological Monitoring & Sampling

Vandenberg, Laura

University of Massachusetts – Amherst
Amherst, MA

Academic

Toxicology; Developmental/reproductive toxicology; Risk assessment

Table 4 – New DWC Members


Person

Title / Organization

Affiliation

Expertise

Adams, Craig

Saint Louis University

Academic

Engineering, cyanotoxins

LeChevallier, Mark

Water Consulting, LLC
Morrison, CO

Consultant

Microbiology, Water quality

Wiesner, Mark

Chair and Director
Duke University

Academic

Engineering; Drinking water; Water quality; Water quantity and reuse

Table 5 – New RAC Members


Person

Title / Organization

Affiliation

Expertise

DeVol, Timothy

Clemson University

Academic

Engineering, cyanotoxins

Lanza, John

Florida Department of Health- Escambia

State

Radiation Health and Safety; Radiation Exposure

Litman, Robert

Independent Consultant

Consultant

Radiochemistry; Radiation Health and Safety

Ulsh, Brant

M. H. Chew & Associates

Consultant

Radiation Carcinogenesis; Radiation Exposure; Radiation Health and Safety; Radiological Risk Assessment; Radionuclide Fate and Transport

Wall, Donald

Washington State University

Academic

Radiochemistry; Radiation Exposure; Radiation Health and Safety; Radiological Risk Assessment

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