[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 249 (Wednesday, December 29, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 73045-73046]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-33628]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OPP-00637; FRL-6485-9]


FIFRA Scientific Advisory Panel; Open Meeting

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of Open Meeting.

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SUMMARY: There will be a 2-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 scientific 
issues being considered by the Agency pertaining to atrazine cancer 
risk assessment.
    The meeting is open to the public. Seating at the meeting will be 
on a first-come basis. Individuals requiring special accommodations at 
this meeting, including wheelchair access, should contact Laura Morris 
at the address listed under ``FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT'' at 
least 5 business days prior to the meeting so that appropriate 
arrangements can be made.

DATES: The meeting will be held on Thursday, January 27, and Friday, 
January 28, 2000, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
    Request to participate in the meeting must be received on or before 
January 27, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Sheraton Crystal City Hotel, 1800 Jefferson Davis Highway, 
Arlington, VA. The telephone number for the Sheraton Hotel is: (703) 
486-1111.
    Requests and/or comments may be submitted by mail, electronically, 
or in person. Please follow the detailed instructions for each method 
as provided in Unit I. of the ``SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.'' To ensure 
proper receipt by EPA, it is imperative that you identify docket 
control number OPP-00637 in the subject line on the first page of your 
response.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Laura Morris, Designated Federal 
Official, FIFRA SAP (7101C), Office of Science Coordination and Policy, 
Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M 
St., SW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (703) 308-6212; fax 
number: (703) 605-0656; e-mail address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. General Information

A. Does this Action Apply to Me?

    This action is directed to the public in general. 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. 
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/.
    A meeting agenda and copies of EPA background documents for the 
meeting will be available early January, 2000. The meeting agenda and 
EPA primary background documents will be available on the FIFRA SAP web 
site -- http://www.epa.gov/scipoly/sap/.
    2. In person. The Agency has established an official record for 
this action under docket control number OPP-00637. 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 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 (CM #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.

[[Page 73046]]

C. How Can I Request to Participte in this Meeting?

    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 number OPP-00637 in the subject line on the 
first page of your response. Members of the public wishing to submit 
comments should contact the persons listed 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 the persons listed under ``FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
CONTACT'', interested persons may be permitted by the Chair of the 
FIFRA 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, chalkboard, etc). 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 
the persons listed under ``FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT'' 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.
    1. By mail. Submit your comments to: Public Information and Records 
Integrity Branch (PIRIB), Information Resources and Services Division 
(7502C), Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP), Environmental Protection 
Agency, 401 M St., SW., Washington, DC 20460.
    2. In person or by courier. Deliver your comments to: Public 
Information and Records Integrity Branch (PIRIB), Information Resources 
and Services Division (7502C), Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP), 
Environmental Protection Agency, Rm. 119, CM #2, 1921 Jefferson Davis 
Hwy., 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. You may submit your comments electronically by 
e-mail to: ``[email protected],'' or you can submit a computer disk as 
described above. Do not submit any information electronically that you 
consider to be CBI. Avoid the use of special characters and any form of 
encryption. Electronic submissions will be accepted in WordPerfect 6.1/
8.0 or ASCII file format. All comments in electronic form must be 
identified by docket control number OPP-00637. Electronic comments may 
also be filed online at many Federal Depository Libraries.

II. Background

A. Purpose of the Meeting

    This 2-day meeting concerns the pesticide, atrazine, which is 
currently undergoing Special Review within the EPA/Office of Pesticide 
Programs (OPP). Atrazine is a mammary carcinogen. There are several 
issues surrounding the interpretation of experimental data pertaining 
to tumor response in test animals. Laboratory animal studies available 
on atrazine indicate that its mode of action involves a perturbation of 
the neuroendocrine system that results in prolonged exposure to 
endogenous estrogen and prolactin. This endogenous exposure to estrogen 
leads to effects on several endocrine organs and tissues. Given the 
complexity and multiplicity of effects that result from exposure to 
atrazine, OPP is at a point in its assessment of atrazine where 
external peer review by the FIFRA SAP would facilitate further 
development and refinement of the draft carcinogen assessment document. 
Furthermore, very little is understood about the long term consequences 
that may result from prenatal and early postnatal exposures to 
endocrine-perturbing chemicals. Presenting the atrazine cancer 
assessment to the FIFRA SAP at this time allows the Agency an 
opportunity to obtain comments on the adequacy of the approach taken by 
the Agency to address potential cancer hazard to children.
    The purpose of the session is not to discuss the dose-response 
assessment (i.e., quantification of potential risk). The focus of this 
session is to obtain advice and comments on the draft document on 
specific science issues, such as: the factors that should be considered 
in evaluating this particular endocrine mode of action; the relevance 
and implications of this type of perturbation in humans; the key 
biological events driving the hazard concern; and the potential 
cumulative effects and hazards on the developing brain that could 
result from the effects of atrazine on the function of the endocrine 
system.

B. Panel Report

    Copies of the Panel's report of their recommendations will be 
available approximately 45 working days after the meeting, and will be 
posted on the FIFRA SAP web site or may be obtained by contacting the 
Public Information and Records Integrity Branch at the address or 
telephone number listed in Unit I. of this document.

List of Subjects

    Environmental protection.

    Dated: December 21, 1999.

Martha K. Shimkin,
Acting Director, Office of Science Coordination and Policy, Office of 
Pesticides Programs.

[FR Doc. 99-33628 Filed 12-28-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-F