Baylor Professor Appointed to EPA Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals

George P. Cobb, Ph.D., professor and chair of environmental science at Baylor University, has been appointed to serve as a member of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals.

“It is an honor to serve on a U.S. EPA Science Advisory Committee. It means that I am able to utilize my knowledge and experience in environmental chemistry to help steward the environment in ways that allow vibrant economic activity,” Cobb said.

Members are asked to provide the committee with their best independent judgment based on their expertise in scientific studies supporting the EPA's mission to protect human health and the environment. Cobb’s role on the committee will be primarily to provide information and assessment methodologies of toxic chemicals and their environmental exposures, he said.

“Involvement in advisory panels of this type provide the opportunity to collaborate with some of our country’s highest caliber scientists and engineers. This is important for developing inter-institutional cooperation,” Cobb said. “The appointment is important for our department and the broader Baylor Family because it demonstrates that national level expertise can flourish here. Appointments of this type increase our visibility and improve our ability to recruit students, faculty and external resources.”

The Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals provides independent scientific advice, information and recommendations to the EPA Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics on the scientific basis for risk assessments, methodologies and pollution prevention measures or approaches. Its major objectives are to provide expert advice and recommendations to the EPA on risk assessments, models, tools, guidance documents, chemical category documents and other chemical assessment and pollution prevention products as deemed appropriate.

The Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals is organized under the Federal Advisory Committee Act, which regulates and governs its operation. Congress passed the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) in 1972, to create an orderly procedure by which federal agencies may seek collective advice from federal advisory committees.