[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 105 (Wednesday, June 2, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29640-29641]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-14043]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

 [OPP-34187; FRL-6083-5]


 Bensulide and Profenofos, Revised Organophosphate Pesticide Risk 
Assessments; Notice of Public Meeting

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

 ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: EPA will hold a public meeting to present the revised risk 
assessments for two organophosphate pesticides, bensulide and 
profenofos, to interested stakeholders. This public meeting, called a 
``Technical Briefing,'' will provide an opportunity for stakeholders to 
learn about the data, information, and methodologies that the Agency 
used in revising its risk assessments for bensulide and profenofos. In 
addition, representatives of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) 
will provide ideas on possible risk management for bensulide and 
profenofos.

DATES: The technical briefings will be held on Wednesday, June 16, 
1999. The bensulide technical briefing is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 
noon, and the profenofos technical briefing is scheduled from 1 p.m. to 
4 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The technical briefings will be held at the Holiday Inn-Old 
Town, 625 First St., Alexander, VA 703-548-6300.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Karen Angulo, Special Review and 
Registration Division (7508C), Office of Pesticide Programs, 
Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M St., SW., Washington, DC 20460; 
telephone number: (703) 308-8004; e-mail address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. General Information

A. Does This Action Apply To Me?

    This action applies to the public in general. As such, the Agency 
has not attempted to specifically describe all the entities potentially 
affected by this action. The Agency believes that a wide range of 
stakeholders will be interested in technical briefings on 
organophosphates, including environmental, human health, and 
agricultural advocates, the chemical industry, pesticide users, and 
members of the public interested in the use of pesticides on food. If 
you have any questions regarding the applicability of this action to a 
particular entity, consult the person listed in the ``FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT'' section.

B. How Can I Get Additional Information, Including Copies of This 
Document or Other Related Documents?

    1. Electronically. You may obtain electronic copies of this 
document and certain other available documents from the EPA Internet 
Home Page at http://www.epa.gov/. On the Home Page select ``Laws and 
Regulations'' and then look up the entry for this document under the `` 
Federal Register--Environmental Documents.'' You can also go directly 
to the Federal Register listings at http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/.
     To access information about the revised risk assessments for 
bensulide and profenofos organophosphate pesticides, go directly to the 
Home Page for the Office of Pesticide Programs at http://www.epa.gov/
pesticides/op/. In addition, brief summaries of the bensulide and 
profenofos revised risk assessments are now available at: http://
www.epa.gov/pesticides/op/status.htm/, as well as in paper as part of 
the public version of the official record as described in Unit I.B.2. 
of this document.
    2. In person. The Agency has established an official record for 
these actions under docket control numbers: Bensulide, OPP-34132A and 
profenofos, OPP-34138A. The official record consists of the documents 
specifically referenced in this action, any public comments received 
during the applicable comment period, and other information related to 
this action, including information claimed as Confidential Business 
Information (CBI). This official record includes the documents that are 
physically located in the docket, as well as the documents that are 
referenced in those documents. The public version of the official 
record does not include any information claimed as CBI. The public 
version of the official record, which includes printed, paper versions 
of any electronic comments submitted during the applicable comment 
period, is available for inspection in Rm. 119, Crystal Mall #2, 1921 
Jefferson Davis Hwy., Arlington, VA, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday 
through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The Public Information and 
Records Integrity Branch telephone number is (703) 305-5805.

II. What Action Is EPA Taken?

    This document announces the Agency's intention to hold technical 
briefings for the organophosphate pesticides, bensulide and profenofos. 
The Agency is presenting the revised risk assessments for bensulide and 
profenofos to interested stakeholders. The technical briefings are 
designed to provide stakeholders with an opportunity to become even 
more informed about an organophosphate's risk assessment. EPA will 
describe in detail the revised risk assessments, including: The major 
points (e.g., contributors to risk estimates); how public comment on 
the preliminary risk assessments affected the revised risk assessments; 
and the pesticide use information/data that was used in developing the 
revised risk assessments. Stakeholders will have an opportunity to ask 
clarifying questions. In addition, representatives of the USDA will 
provide ideas on possible risk management for bensulide and profenofos.
     Technical briefings are part of the pilot public participation 
process that EPA and USDA are now using for involving the public in the 
reassessment of pesticide tolerances under the Food Quality Protection 
Act (FQPA), and the reregistration of individual organophosphate 
pesticides under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide 
Act (FIFRA). The pilot public participation process 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's National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy 
and Technology. A goal of the pilot public participation process is to 
find a more effective way for the public to participate at critical 
junctures in the Agency's development of organophosphate risk 
assessment and risk management decisions. EPA and USDA began 
implementing this pilot process in August 1998 in response to Vice 
President Gore's directive to increase transparency and opportunities 
for stakeholder consultation.
     On the day of the technical briefings, in addition to making 
copies available at the meeting site, the Agency will also release for 
public viewing the bensulide and profenofos revised risk assessments 
and related documents to the Public Information and Records Integrity 
Branch and the OPP Internet web site that are described in Unit I.B.1. 
of this document. In addition, the Agency will issue a Federal Register 
notice to provide an opportunity for a 60-day

[[Page 29641]]

public participation period during which the public may submit risk 
management and mitigation ideas, and recommendations and proposals for 
transition.

 List of Subjects

    Environmental protection, Chemicals, Pesticides and pests.

    Dated: May 25, 1999.
Lois Rossi,
Director, Special Review and Reregistration Division, Office of 
Pesticide Programs.

[FR Doc. 99-14043 Filed 6-1-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-F