[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 230 (Wednesday, December 1, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67262-67263]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-31049]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[OPP-34143A; FRL-6397-4]
Dimethoate, Revised Pesticide Risk Assessment; 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 one organophosphate pesticide, dimethoate, 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 dimethoate. In addition,
representatives of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will also
provide ideas on possible risk management for dimethoate.
DATES: The technical briefing will be held on Tuesday, December 14,
1999, from 9 a.m. to noon.
ADDRESSES: The technical briefing will be held at Holiday Inn Hotel and
Suites-Old Town, 625 First St., Alexandria, VA, telephone number: 703-
548-6300.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: By mail: Karen Angulo, Special Review
and
[[Page 67263]]
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 under ``FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT.''
B. How Can I Get Additional Information, Including Copies of this
Document and 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/.
To access information about organophosphate pesticides, you can
also go directly to the Home Page for the Office of Pesticide Programs
(OPP) at http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/op/. In addition, a brief
summary of the dimethoate 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.
2. In person. The Agency has established an official record for the
organophosphate dimethoate under docket control number OPP-34143A. The
official record consists of the documents specifically referenced in
this action, and other information related to this action, including
any 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 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.
II. What Action is the Agency Taking?
This document announces the Agency's intention to hold a technical
briefing for the organophosphate pesticide dimethoate. The Agency is
presenting the revised risk assessments for dimethoate to interested
stakeholders. This technical briefing is 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 assessment affected the revised risk assessment; and the pesticide
use information/data that was used in developing the revised risk
assessment. Stakeholders will have an opportunity to ask clarifying
questions. In addition, representatives of the USDA will provide ideas
on possible risk management.
The technical briefing is 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 briefing, in addition to making copies
available at the meeting site, the Agency will also release for public
viewing the dimethoate 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. In addition, the
Agency will issue a Federal Register notice to provide an opportunity
for a 60-day 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: November 23, 1999.
Lois Rossi,
Director, Special Review and Reregistration Division, Office of
Pesticide Programs.
[FR Doc. 99-31049 Filed 11-30-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-F