EPA seeks comments on candidates for peer review of RFS report
Summary
The EPA published a notice in February seeking nominations for scientific experts to serve on the panel. Nominees were accepted by EPA’s contractor, Eastern Research Group Inc. As previously indicated by the EPA, the pool of candidates selected by ERG is will subject to a public comment period after which ERG is to select a final group of nine peer reviewers. The selected peer reviewers are to have combined expertise that spans the disciplines of economics, engineering, agronomics, land use change, remote sensing, air quality, biogeochemistry, water quality, hydrology, conservation biology, limnology, and ecology. Section 2004 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 requires the EPA to report to congress on the environmental and resource conservation impacts of the Renewable Fuel Standard program. The report is to assess air, water and soil quality; ecosystem health and biodiversity; and other effects.