Air Toxics Science Advisory Committee

​ DEQ is currently recruiting ATSAC members.​

​DEQ will announce all ATSAC meetings including agendas and instructions to attend. All meetings will be held virtually and open to the public to listen. DEQ will post all previous meeting agendas and minutes.

​​​DEQ is recruiting five to seven ATSAC members with expertise in toxicology and/or toxicity assessment; environmental and/or atmospheric chemistry; and epidemiology/biostatistics [OAR 340-247-0050(3)]. Once a candidate meets one of these threshold qualifications, rules direct DEQ to give consideration to experts with additional specialization in one or more the following fields: inhalation, reproductive, or developmental toxicology; multi-pathway exposure; bioaccumulation; environmental public health; neonatal and children's health; medicine; or health of vulnerable populations. 

DEQ is currently doing outreach with federal and state agencies and professional organizations to find ATSAC members. DEQ will prioritize recruiting ATSAC members that are affiliated with the following authoritative sources used for Oregon DEQ's inhalation toxicity reference values listed in OAR 340-247-0030: 

• United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
• United States Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR).
• California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA). 
  

DEQ plans to recruit the remaining ATSAC members from the following groups: 

• National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences-funded academic centers​.
  
• Society of Toxicology's Risk Assessment Specialty Section and Occupational and Public Health Specialty Section professional members. 
• Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit (PEHSU) staff. 

DE​Q seeks to incorporate anti-racism, equity, inclusion and accessibility practices into the recruitment for the ATSAC. DEQ encourages qualified applicants who identify as black, indigenous and people of color and people with disabilities to express interest in joining the ATSAC. DEQ also encourages qualified applicants with environmental justice or health equity expertise to express interest.  

The application for becoming a member of ATSAC was due at 5:00 p.m. PST on May 31, 2022. DEQ and OHA are currently reviewing candidates for ATSAC​.

​​DEQ is finalizing the process and logistics of setting up the new ATSAC including member responsibilities and commitments.

• Term length is three years [OAR 340-247-0050(5)]. 
  
• DEQ expects that the ATSAC members will need to attend six to ten meetings over the three-year term to provide verbal feedback on TRV updates. For the upcoming term, DEQ expects to have two meetings in October 2022 and the rest of the meetings starting in spring 2023.  
• DEQ will plan for each meeting to be two hours or less. 
• All meetings will be virtual. Members must have access to a personal computer and working internet connection.  
• DEQ expects members to attend all meetings. DEQ will work with members when scheduling to accommodate as many as possible. 
• DEQ staff will send out meeting materials one to two weeks in advance. 
  
• Members will be expected to read all the meeting materials in advance and come to the meetings prepared to discuss the materials.  
• Members will be expected to review meeting minutes after each meeting to ensure accuracy. 
• Approximate time commitment for preparing and attending meetings will vary depending on the meeting topics; each Committee meeting may require between four to eight hours of time in total. For the entire three-year term length, DEQ estimates that total time commitment is between 24 and 80 hours.  
• Members are volunteers. 
• Members are public officials. No member of ATSAC may have an actual or potential conflict of interest, as defined by Oregon Revised Statute (ORS) 244.020 (1) and (13) and must otherwise comply with government ethics requirements in ORS chapter 244 [OAR 340-247-0050(6)(a)].​