[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