EPA seeks experts to peer review of third RFS triennial report

The U.S. EPA is seeking nominations for scientific experts to serve on an external expert panel to peer review the agency’s third triennial report to congress on biofuels and the environment.

The agency is required to report to congress on the environmental and resource conservation impacts of the Renewable Fuel Standard program under Section 2004 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. The reports are required to be made on a triennial basis. The first such report was completed in 2011, with the second completed in 2018. The third report will build on the previous two reports and provide an update of the impacts to date of the RFS program on the environment. The report is to assess air, water and soil quality; ecosystem health and biodiversity; and other effects.

Relevant expertise for nominees includes economics, engineering, agronomics, land use change, remote sensing, air quality, biogeochemistry, water quality, hydrology, conservation biology, limnology and ecology. All candidates should have scientific credentials equivalent to a Ph.D., broad expertise in biofuels, and familiarity with the RFS program.

Nominations to serve on the panel will be accepted by EPA’s contractor, Eastern Research Group Inc. EPA has instructed ERG to formulate a single pool of 18 candidate external reviewers to provide independent external peer review.  That list of candidates will be subject to public comments. ERG will consider those public comments and select a final group of nine peer reviewers.

The deadline to submit nominations is March 3. Additional information is available on the Federal Register website.