65 FR 61 pgs. 16592-16594 - Organophosphate Pesticide; Availability of Revised Risk Assessments
Type: NOTICEVolume: 65Number: 61Pages: 16592 - 16594
Docket number: [OPP-34168A; FRL-6551-5]
FR document: [FR Doc. 00-7741 Filed 3-28-00; 8:45 am]
Agency: Environmental Protection Agency
Official PDF Version: PDF Version
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[OPP-34168A; FRL-6551-5]
Organophosphate Pesticide; Availability of Revised Risk Assessments
AGENCY:
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION:
Notice.
SUMMARY:
This notices announces the availability of the revised risk assessments and related documents for one organophosphate pesticide, pirimiphos-methyl. In addition, this notice starts a 60-day public participation period during which the public is encouraged to submit risk management ideas or proposals. These actions are in response to a joint initiative between EPA and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to increase transparency in the tolerance reassessment process for organophosphate pesticides.
DATES:
Comments, identified by docket control number OPP-34168A, must be received by EPA on or before May 30, 2000.
ADDRESSES:
Comments may be submitted by mail, electronically, or in person.Please follow the detailed instructions for each method as provided in Unit III. of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. To ensure proper receipt by EPA, it is imperative thatyou identify docket control number OPP-34168A in the subject line on the first page of yourresponse.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Karen Angulo, Special Reviewand Reregistration Division (7508C), Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental ProtectionAgency, Ariel Rios Bldg., 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephonenumber: (703) 308-8004; e-mail address: angulo.karen@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Does this Action Apply to Me?
This action is directed to the public in general, nevertheless, a wide range ofstakeholders will be interested in obtaining the revised risk assessments and submitting riskmanagement comments on pirimiphos-methyl, including environmental, human health, andagricultural advocates; the chemical industry; pesticide users; and members of the publicinterested in the use of pesticides on food. As such, the Agency has not attempted to specificallydescribe all the entities potentially affected by this action. If you have any questions regarding theapplicability of this action to a particular entity, consult the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT .
II. How Can I Get Additional Information, Including Copies of this Document orOther Related Documents?
A. Electronically . You may obtain electronic copies of this document and otherrelated documents from the EPA Internet Home Page at http://www.epa.gov/. To access thisdocument, on the Home Page select "Laws and Regulations" and then look up the entry for thisdocument under the " Federal Register -Environmental Documents." You can also godirectly to the Federal Register listings at http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/.
To access information about organophosphate pesticides and obtain electroniccopies of the revised risk assessments and related documents mentioned in this notice, you canalso go directly to the Home Page for the Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) athttp://www.epa.gov/pesticides/op/.
B. In person . The Agency has established an official record for this action underdocket control number OPP-34168A. The official record consists of the documentsspecifically referenced in this action, any public comments received during an applicable commentperiod, and other information related to this action, including any information claimed as CBI.This official record includes the documents that are physically located in the docket, as well as thedocuments that are referenced in those documents. The public version of the official record doesnot include any information claimed as CBI. The public version of the official record, whichincludes printed, paper versions of any electronic comments submitted during an applicablecomment period, is available for inspection in Rm. 119, Crystal Mall #2, 1921 Jefferson DavisHwy., Arlington, VA, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays.The PIRIB telephone number is (703) 305-5805.
III. How Can I Respond to this Action?
A. How and to Whom Do I Submit Comments?
You may submit comments through the mail, in person, or electronically.To ensure proper receipt by EPA, it is imperative that you identify docket control numberOPP-34168A in the subject line on the first page of your response.
1. By mail . Submit comments to: Public Information and Records IntegrityBranch, Information Resources and Services Division (7502C), Office of Pesticide Programs,Environmental Protection Agency, Ariel Rios Bldg., 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington,DC 20460.
2. In person or by courier . Deliver comments to: Public Information andRecords Integrity Branch, Information Resources and Services Division, Office of PesticidePrograms, Environmental Protection Agency, Rm. 119, Crystal Mall #2, 1921 Jefferson DavisHwy., Arlington, VA. The PIRIB is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday,excluding legal holidays. The PIRIB telephone number is (703) 305-5805.
3. Electronically . Submit electronic comments by e-mail to:"opp-docket@epa.gov," or you can submit a computer disk as described in this unit. Do notsubmit any information electronically that you consider to be CBI. Electronic comments must besubmitted as an ASCII file, avoiding the use of special characters and any form of encryption.Comments and data will also be accepted on standard computer disks in WordPerfect 6.1/8.0 orASCII file format. All comments in electronic form must be identified by the docket controlnumber OPP-34168A. Electronic comments may also be filed online at many FederalDepository Libraries.
B. How Should I Handle CBI Information that I Want to Submit to the Agency?
Do not submit any information electronically that you consider to be CBI. You mayclaim information that you submit to EPA in response to this document as CBI by marking anypart or all of that information as CBI. Information so marked will not be disclosed except inaccordance with procedures set forth in 40 CFR part 2. In addition to one complete version ofthe comment that includes any information claimed as CBI, a copy of the comment that does notcontain the information claimed as CBI must be submitted for inclusion in the public version ofthe official record. Information not marked confidential will be included in the public version ofthe official record without prior notice. If you have any questions about CBI or the proceduresfor claiming CBI, please consult the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT .
IV. What Action is EPA Taking in this Notice?
EPA is making available for public viewing the revised risk assessments andrelated documents for one organophosphate pesticide, pirimiphos-methyl. These documentshave been developed as part of the pilot public participation process that EPA and USDA are nowusing for involving the public in the reassessment of pesticide tolerances under the Food QualityProtection Act (FQPA), and the reregistration of individual organophosphate pesticides under theFederal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). The pilot public participationprocess was developed as part of the EPA-USDA Tolerance Reassessment Advisory Committee(TRAC), which was established in April 1998, as a subcommittee under the auspices of EPA'sNational Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology. A goal of the pilot publicparticipation process is to find a more effective way for the public to participate at criticaljunctures in the Agency's development of organophosphate pesticide risk assessments and risk managementdecisions. EPA and USDA began implementing this pilot process in August 1998, to increasetransparency and opportunities for stakeholder consultation. The documents being released to thepublic through this notice provide information on the revisions that were made to the pirimiphos-methyl preliminary risk assessments, which was released to the public January 8, 1999 (64 FR 5)(FRL-6055-9) through a notice in the Federal Register .
In addition, this notice starts a 60-day public participation period during which thepublic is encouraged to submit risk management proposals or otherwise comment on riskmanagement for pirimiphos-methyl. The Agency is providing an opportunity, through thisnotice, for interested parties to provide written risk management proposals or ideas to the Agencyon the chemical specified in this notice. Such comments and proposals could address ideasabout how to manage dietary, occupational, or ecological risks on specific pirimiphos-methyluse sites or crops across the United States or in a particular geographic region of the country. Toaddress dietary risk, for example, commenters may choose to discuss the feasibility of lowerapplication rates, increasing the time interval between application and harvest ("pre-harvestintervals"), modifications in use, or suggest alternative measures to reduce residues contributingto dietary exposure. For occupational risks, commenters may suggest personal protectiveequipment or technologies to reduce exposure to workers and pesticide handlers. For ecologicalrisks, commentors may suggest ways to reduce environmental exposure, e.g., exposure to birds,fish, mammals, and other non-target organisms. EPA will provide other opportunities for publicparticipation and comment on issues associated with the organophosphate pesticide tolerance reassessmentprogram. Failure to participate or comment as part of this opportunity will in no way prejudice orlimit a commenter's opportunity to participate fully in later notice and comment processes. Allcomments and proposals must be received by EPA on or before May 30, 2000 at the addresses given under the"ADDRESSES" section. Comments and proposals will become part of the Agency record for theorganophosphate pesticide specified in this notice.
List of Subjects
Environmental protection, Chemicals, Pesticides and pests.
Dated: March 23, 2000.
Jack E. Housenger,
Acting Director, Special Review and Reregistration Division, Office of Pesticide Programs.
[FR Doc. 00-7741 Filed 3-28-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-F