[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 8 (Wednesday, January 12, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1867-1869]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-627]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OPP-34214; FRL-6486-9]


Organophosphate Pesticides; Availability of Preliminary Risk 
Assessments

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of documents that were 
developed as part of the EPA's process for making reregistration 
eligibility decisions for the organophosphate pesticides and for 
tolerance reassessments consistent with the Federal Food, Drug, and 
Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), as amended by the Food Quality Protection Act of 
1996 (FQPA). These documents are the preliminary human health risk 
assessments and related documents for mevinphos and phosalone. This 
notice also starts a 60-day public comment period for the preliminary 
risk assessments. Comments are to be limited to issues directly 
associated with the two organophosphates that have the risk assessments 
placed in the docket and should be limited to issues raised in those 
documents. By allowing access and opportunity for comment on the 
preliminary risk assessments, EPA is seeking to strengthen stakeholder 
involvement and help ensure our decisions under FQPA are transparent 
and based on the best available information. The tolerance reassessment 
process will ensure that the United States continues to have the safest 
and most abundant food supply. The Agency cautions that these risk 
assessments are preliminary assessments only and that further 
refinements of the risk assessments will be appropriate for some, if 
not all, of these organophosphate pesticides. These documents reflect 
only the work and analysis conducted as of the time they were produced 
and it is appropriate that, as new information becomes available and/or 
additional analyses are performed, the conclusions they contain may 
change.

DATES: Comments on these assessments, identified by the docket control 
number for the particular organophosphate pesticide of interest, must 
be received on or before March 13, 2000. Use the table in Unit I.C. of 
the ``SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION'' to determine the docket control 
number.

ADDRESSES: 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 the docket 
control number for the particular organophosphate pesticide of interest 
in the subject line on the first page of your response. Use the table 
in Unit I.C. to determine the docket control number.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Karen Angulo, Special Review and 
Reregistration Division (7508C), Office of Pesticide Programs, 
Environmental Protection Agency, Ariel Rios Bldg., 1200 Pennsylvania 
Ave., NW., 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 is directed to the public in general, nevertheless, a 
wide range of stakeholders will be interested in obtaining the 
preliminary risk assessments for mevinphos and phosalone, 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. Since other entities also may 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/. 
On the Home Page select

[[Page 1868]]

``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/. In addition, copies of the preliminary risk assessments for 
the two organophosphate pesticides may also be accessed at http://
www.epa.gov/pesticides/op.
    2. In person. The Agency has established an official record for 
this action under docket control number OPP-34215 for mevinphos, and 
OPP-34216 for phosalone. 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.

C. How and to Whom Do I Submit Comments?

    You may submit comments through the mail, in person, or 
electronically. To ensure proper receipt by EPA, it is imperative that 
you identify the docket control number for the particular 
organophosphate pesticide of interest in the subject line on the first 
page of your response. Use the following table to determine the docket 
control number:


------------------------------------------------------------------------
                  Chemical                         OPP Docket no.
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Mevinphos                                   OPP-34215
Phosalone                                   OPP-34216
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    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, Ariel Rios Bldg., 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., 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, Crystal Mall #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-34215 for mevinphos, and OPP-
34216 for phosalone. Electronic comments may also be filed online at 
many Federal Depository Libraries.

D. How Should I Handle CBI That I Want to Submit to the Agency?

    Do not submit any information electronically that you consider to 
be CBI. You may claim information that you submit to EPA in response to 
this document as CBI by marking any part or all of that information as 
CBI. Information so marked will not be disclosed except in accordance 
with procedures set forth in 40 CFR part 2. In addition to one complete 
version of the comment that includes any information claimed as CBI, a 
copy of the comment that does not contain the information claimed as 
CBI must be submitted for inclusion in the public version of the 
official record. Information not marked confidential will be included 
in the public version of the official record without prior notice. If 
you have any questions about CBI or the procedures for claiming CBI, 
please consult the person listed under ``FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
CONTACT.''

E. What Should I Consider as I Prepare My Comments for EPA?

    You may find the following suggestions helpful for preparing your 
comments:
    1. Explain your views as clearly as possible.
    2. Describe any assumptions that you used.
    3. Provide copies of any technical information and/or data you used 
that support your views.
    4. If you estimate potential burden or costs, explain how you 
arrived at the estimate that you provide.
    5. Provide specific examples to illustrate your concerns.
    6. Offer alternative ways to improve the notice.
    7. Make sure to submit your comments by the deadline in this 
document.
    8. To ensure proper receipt by EPA, be sure to identify the docket 
control number assigned to the organophosphate pesticide of interest in 
the subject line on the first page of your response. You may also 
provide the name, date, and Federal Register citation.

II. Background

     EPA is making available preliminary risk assessments that have 
been developed as part of EPA's process for making reregistration 
eligibility decisions for the organophosphate pesticides and for 
tolerance reassessments consistent with the FFDCA, as amended by the 
FQPA. The Agency's preliminary risk assessments for two organophosphate 
pesticides are available in the individual organophosphate pesticide 
dockets: Mevinphos and phosalone.
     Included in the individual organophosphate pesticide dockets are 
the Agency's preliminary risk assessments. As additional comments, 
reviews, and risk assessment modifications become available, these will 
also be docketed for the two organophosphate pesticides listed in this 
notice. The Agency cautions that these risk assessments are preliminary 
assessments only and that further refinements of the risk assessments 
will be appropriate for the two organophosphate pesticides. These 
documents reflect only the work and analysis conducted as of the time 
they were produced and it is appropriate that, as new information 
becomes available and/or additional analyses are performed, the 
conclusions they contain may change.
     As the preliminary risk assessments for the remaining 
organophosphate pesticides are completed and registrants are given a 
30-day review period to identify possible computational or other clear 
errors in the risk assessments, these risk assessments and registrant 
responses will be placed in the individual organophosphate pesticide 
dockets. A notice of availability for subsequent assessments will 
appear in the Federal Register.
     The Agency is providing an opportunity, through this notice, for 
interested parties to provide written

[[Page 1869]]

comments and input to the Agency on the preliminary risk assessments 
for the pesticides specified in this notice. Such comments and input 
could address, for example, the availability of additional data to 
further refine the risk assessments, such as percent crop treated 
information or submission of residue data from food processing studies, 
or could address the Agency's risk assessment methodologies and 
assumptions as applied to these specific chemicals. Comments should be 
limited to issues raised within the preliminary risk assessments and 
associated documents. EPA will provide other opportunities for public 
comment on other science issues associated with the organophosphate 
pesticide tolerance reassessment program. Failure to comment on any 
such issues as part of this opportunity will in no way prejudice or 
limit a commenter's opportunity to participate fully in later notice 
and comment processes. All comments should be submitted by March 13, 
2000 at the address given under Unit I. Comments will become part of 
the Agency record for each individual organophosphate pesticide to 
which they pertain.

List of Subjects

     Environmental protection, Chemicals, Pesticides and pests.

    Dated: January 5, 2000.

Lois Rossi,

Director, Special Review and Reregistration Division, Office of 
Pesticide Programs.

[FR Doc. 00-627 Filed 1-11-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-F