[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 171 (Friday, September 3, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48394-48396]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-23053]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OPP-00620; FRL-6381-5]


FIFRA Scientific Advisory Panel; Notice of Public Meeting

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

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SUMMARY: There will be a 4-day meeting of the Federal Insecticide, 
Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and Food Quality Protection Act 
(FQPA) Scientific Advisory Panel (SAP) to review a set of five 
scientific issues being considered by the Agency:
Session I--An assessment of residential exposure to pesticides.
Session II--A review of an aggregate exposure assessment tool.
Session III--Identification of carbamate pesticides that have a common 
mechanism of toxicity.
Session IV--Issues pertaining to cumulating hazard for conducting 
cumulative risk assessments for pesticides that have a common mechanism 
of toxicity.
Session V--A review of American Cyanamid's April 22, 1999 probabilistic 
assessment for chlorfenapyr.

DATES: The meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 21; Wednesday, 
September 22; Thursday, September 23; and Friday, September 24, 1999, 
beginning at 8:30 a.m. and ending approximately 5:30 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Sheraton Crystal City Hotel, 
(703) 486-1111, 1800 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, VA, on 
September 21, 22, and 23 and at the Days Inn

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Crystal City (703) 920-8600, 2000 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, 
VA, on September 24.
    Requests to participate at the meeting and/or to provide comments 
for consideration by the FIFRA Scientific Advisory Panel may be 
submitted by mail, electronically, or in person. Please follow the 
detailed instructions as provided in Unit III under SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION. To ensure proper receipt by EPA, your request must 
identify docket control number OPP-00620.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul Lewis or Laura Morris, Designated 
Federal Officials, FIFRA Scientific Advisory Panel, (7101C), 
Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M St., SW., Washington, DC 20460; 
telephone number: (703) 305-5369; e-mail address: Lewis.P[email protected] or 
Morris.L[email protected].
    Individuals requiring special accommodations at this meeting, 
including wheelchair access, should contact Laura Morris at the address 
listed above at least 5 business days prior to the meeting so that 
appropriate arrangements can be made. Seating will be on a first-come 
basis.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Does this Notice Apply to Me?

    This action is directed to the public in general. This action may, 
however, be of interest to manufacturers of pesticides; farmers 
applying pesticides to crops; persons living in the general areas where 
pesticides are being used; researchers in industry, government, and 
academia studying the effectiveness of pesticides; and individuals and 
organizations studying the effects of pesticides on the environment. 
Since other entities may also be interested, the Agency has not 
attempted to describe all the specific entities that may be affected by 
this action. Applications of the five sessions are further described 
below. If you have any questions regarding the details of a particular 
session, consult the persons listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
CONTACT.

II. 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 related documents that might be available 
electronically, from the EPA Internet Home Page at http://www.epa.gov/. 
To access this document, 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/. A 
meeting agenda is currently available, and copies of EPA background 
documents for the meeting will be available no later than September 7, 
1999. Copies of the Panel's report of their recommendations will be 
available approximately 30 working days after the meeting. The meeting 
agenda and EPA primary background documents will be available at http:/
/www.epa.gov/pesticides/SAP/.
    2. In person. The Agency has established an official record for 
this action under docket control number OPP-00620. The official record 
consists of the documents specifically referenced in this action, any 
public comments received during an applicable comment period, and other 
information related to this action, including information claimed as 
confidential business information (CBI). The public version of the 
official record, which includes printed, paper versions of any 
electronic comments submitted during an applicable comment period, is 
available for inspection in the Public Information and Records 
Integrity Branch (PIRIB), 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 PIRIB telephone number is (703) 
305-5805.

III. Sessions Overview

    Session I will be the review of issues pertaining to the assessment 
of residential exposure to pesticides. When estimating aggregate 
exposure to a pesticide substance, the Agency includes exposures that 
may occur following use of the pesticide in residential or other non-
occupational settings. This session will focus on several key issues 
that pertain to improving procedures for estimating exposure to 
pesticides from use in residential or other non-occupational settings 
and in revising its standard operating procedures for residential 
exposure assessments. The issues include: (1) Calculating percent 
dislodgeability of available pesticide residues from lawns, indoor 
surfaces, and pets; (2) use of choreographed activities as surrogates 
for estimating a child's dermal exposure; (3) characterizing hand (or 
object)-to-mouth activities; (4) calculating exposure to pesticides 
that may result from track-in, drift, bathing or showering; and (5) 
calculating exposure from use of pesticides in schools, day-care 
centers, and other public places.
    Session II provides a review of an aggregate exposure assessment 
tool being developed through a cooperative agreement with Hampshire 
Research Institute (HRI). The Agency is working collaboratively under 
this cooperative agreement with HRI to create a tool that is publicly 
available, open software with no hidden logic; uses HRI's micro-
exposure event analysis method; incorporates an object-oriented design 
that allows for continuing refinement and improvement; and includes a 
design that addresses known future requirements for pesticide analysis, 
such as cumulative risk assessment. The purpose of this session is for 
Agency scientists to consult with the SAP regarding the current status 
and future development options of this tool.
    Session III emphasizes the identification of carbamate pesticides 
that have a common mechanism of toxicity. The identification of 
pesticides and other substances that cause a common toxic effect by a 
common mechanism is the first step of the cumulative risk assessment 
process (as required by the FQPA). The Agency has developed a framework 
for identifying chemicals that have a common mechanism of toxicity 
(February 5, 1999, 64 FR 5796) (FRL-6060-7). This session will describe 
the results of the Agency's effort to determine whether (1) carbamate 
pesticides cause a common toxic effect by a common mechanism and (2) if 
any carbamate pesticides share a common mechanism of toxicity with 
organophosphorus pesticides.
    Session IV addresses issues pertaining to cumulating hazard for 
conducting cumulative risk assessments for pesticides that have a 
common mechanism of toxicity. The Agency is preparing guidance for 
assessing cumulative risk in support of the Food Quality Protection Act 
1996. This session will focus on key hazard and dose response issues 
involved with cumulating risk from exposure to two or more chemicals 
that are toxic by a common mechanism. These issues deal with, for 
example: (1) End point selection; (2) application of adjustment and 
group uncertainty factors; (3) interspecies dose adjustments; (4) 
utilization of dose-response data and selection of a point of 
departure; and (5) methods for combining toxicity data. In addition, 
science policy issues such as assumptions concerning dose addition and 
dose response relationships will be presented. The Agency needs input 
from the SAP and the public on the hazard and toxicological issues that 
concern cumulative risk assessment.
    Session V concerns the review of the American Cyanamid Company's 
April 22, 1999 probabilistic assessment (MRID No. 448098-01) for 
chlorfenapyr. In December 1994, the Agency received a

[[Page 48396]]

request for registration for the use of the pyrrole insecticide, 
chlorfenapyr on cotton. As a part of the registration package, American 
Cyanamid Company submitted a probabilistic assessment. The Agency is 
seeking SAP input regarding: (1) American Cyanamid's probabilistic 
assessment and how it may be improved; (2) the Agency's review of the 
assessment; and (3) the utility of using this assessment to 
characterize the risk of chlorfenapyr use on cotton to birds in cotton 
agroenvironments.

IV. How Can I Request To Participate in this Meeting?

    Members of the public wishing to submit comments should contact 
either Paul Lewis or Laura Morris at the address or the telephone 
number given under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT to confirm that the 
meeting date and the agenda have not been modified or changed. 
Interested persons are permitted to file written statements before the 
meeting. To the extent that time permits, and upon advanced written 
request to either Paul Lewis or Laura Morris, interested persons may be 
permitted by the Chair of the SAP to present oral statements at the 
meeting. The request should identify the name of the individual making 
the presentation, the organization (if any) the individual will 
represent, and any requirements for audiovisual equipment (e.g., 
overhead projector, 35 mm projector, and chalkboard). There is no limit 
on the length of written comments for consideration by the Panel, but 
oral statements before the Panel are limited to approximately 5 
minutes. The Agency also urges the public to submit written comments in 
lieu of oral presentations. Persons wishing to make oral and/or written 
statements should notify either Paul Lewis or Laura Morris and submit 
40 copies of the summary information. The Agency encourages that 
written statements be submitted before the meeting to provide Panel 
Members the time necessary to consider and review the comments.
    Electronic comments must be submitted as an ASCII file avoiding the 
use of special characters and any form of encryption. Comments and data 
also will be accepted on disks in WordPerfect in 5.1/6/7/8.0 file 
format or ASCII file format. All comments and data in electronic form 
must be identified by the docket control number ``OPP-00620.'' 
Electronic comments may be filed online at many Federal Depository 
Libraries.
    Information submitted as a comment in response to this notice may 
be claimed confidential by marking any part or all of that information 
as CBI. Information marked CBI will not be disclosed except in 
accordance with procedures set forth in 40 CFR part 2. An edited copy 
of the comment that does not contain the CBI material must be submitted 
for inclusion in the public docket. Information not marked confidential 
will be included in the public docket. All comments and materials 
received will be made part of the public record and will be considered 
by the Panel.

List of Subjects

    Environmental protection.

    Dated: August 31, 1999.
Marcia E. Mulkey,
Director, Office of Pesticide Programs.
[FR Doc. 99-23053 Filed 8-31-99; 2:58 pm]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-F