[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 39 (Monday, February 28, 2000)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 10401-10405]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-4661]



[[Page 10401]]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Part 180

[OPP-300973; FRL-6491-3]
RIN 2070-AB78


Ethoxylated Propoxylated C12-C15 Alcohols; 
Tolerance Exemption

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: This regulation establishes an exemption from the requirement 
of a tolerance for residues of a range of polymers -alkyl 
(C12-C15)--hydroxypoly (oxypropylene) 
poly (oxyethylene) copolymers (where the poly(oxypropylene) content is 
3-60 moles and the poly(oxyethylene) content is 5-80 moles) also known 
as ethoxylated propoxylated C12-C15 alcohols, CAS 
Reg. No. (68551-13-3) when used as an inert ingredient (surfactant) in 
or on growing crops, when applied to raw agricultural commodities after 
harvest, or to animals. Omnichem S. A. submitted a petition to EPA 
under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, as amended by the Food 
Quality Protection Act of 1996 requesting an exemption from the 
requirement of a tolerance. This regulation eliminates the need to 
establish a maximum permissible level for residues of -alkyl 
(C12-C15)--hydroxypoly (oxypropylene) 
poly (oxyethylene) copolymers (where the poly (oxypropylene) content is 
3-60 moles and the poly(oxyethylene) content is 5-80 moles).

DATES: This regulation is effective February 28, 2000. Objections and 
requests for hearings, identified by docket control number OPP-300973, 
must be received by EPA on or before April 28, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Written objections and hearing requests may be submitted by 
mail, in person, or by courier. Please follow the detailed instructions 
for each method as provided in Unit XI. of the ``SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION.'' To ensure proper receipt by EPA, your objections and 
hearing requests must identify docket control number OPP-300973 in the 
subject line on the first page of your response.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: By mail: Amelia M. Acierto, 
Registration Division (7505C), Office of Pesticide Programs, 
Environmental Protection Agency, Ariel Rios Bldg., 1200 Pennsylvania 
Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (703) 308-8377 and 
e-mail address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. General Information

A. Does This Action Apply to Me?

    You may be affected by this action if you are an agricultural 
producer, food manufacturer, or pesticide manufacturer. Potentially 
affected categories and entities may include, but are not limited to:

 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                        Examples of
             Categories              NAICS codes   Potentially Affected
                                                         Entities
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Industry                                     111  Crop production
                                             112  Animal production
                                             311  Food manufacturing
                                           32532  Pesticide
                                                   manufacturing
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    This listing is not intended to be exhaustive, but rather provides 
a guide for readers regarding entities likely to be affected by this 
action. Other types of entities not listed in the table could also be 
affected. The North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) 
codes have been provided to assist you and others in determining 
whether or not this action might apply to certain entities. If you have 
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/.
    2. In person. The Agency has established an official record for 
this action under docket control number OPP-300973. 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, (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.

II. Background and Statutory Findings

    In the Federal Register of May 26, 1999 (64 FR 28480) (FRL-6081-3), 
EPA issued a notice pursuant to section 408 of the Federal Food, Drug, 
and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), 21 U.S.C. 346a, as amended by the Food 
Quality Protection Act (FQPA) (Public Law 104-170) announcing the 
filing of a pesticide tolerance petition (PP 8E4950) by Omnichem S. A., 
Industrial Research Park, 1348 Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium. This notice 
included a summary of the petition prepared by the petitioner. The 
petition requested that 40 CFR 180.1001(c) be amended by establishing 
an exemption from the requirement of a tolerance for residues of 
-alkyl (C12-C15)--hydroxypoly 
(oxypropylene) poly (oxyethylene) copolymers (where the poly 
(oxypropylene) content is 3-60 moles and the poly (oxyethylene) content 
is 5-80 moles, CAS Reg. No. 68551-13-3). After publication of the 
Federal Register notice, Omnichem informed the Agency that their 
summary contained an error and that the exemption from the requirement 
of a tolerance should have requested C12-C15 not 
C12-C18. Since the desired C range is less than 
the range in the notice of filing, and there were no comments received 
in response to the notice, the Agency will establish the exemption from 
the requirement of a tolerance for the C12-C15 
range.
    Section 408(c)(2)(A)(i) of the FFDCA allows EPA to establish an 
exemption from the requirement for a tolerance (the legal limit for a 
pesticide chemical residue in or on a food) only if EPA determines that 
the tolerance is ``safe.'' Section 408(c)(2)(A)(ii) defines ``safe'' to 
mean that ``there is a reasonable certainty that no harm will result 
from aggregate exposure to the pesticide chemical residue, including 
all

[[Page 10402]]

anticipated dietary exposures and all other exposures for which there 
is reliable information.'' This includes exposure through drinking 
water and in residential settings, but does not include occupational 
exposure. Section 408(b)(2)(C) requires EPA to give special 
consideration to exposure of infants and children to the pesticide 
chemical residue in establishing an exemption from the requirement of a 
tolerance and to ``ensure that there is a reasonable certainty that no 
harm will result to infants and children from aggregate exposure to the 
pesticide chemical residue...'' and specifies factors EPA is to 
consider in establishing an exemption.

III. Inert Ingredient Definition

    Inert ingredients are all ingredients that are not active 
ingredients as defined in 40 CFR 153.125 and include, but are not 
limited to, the following types of ingredients (except when they have a 
pesticidal efficacy of their own): Solvents such as alcohols and 
hydrocarbons; surfactants such as polyoxyethylene polymers and fatty 
acids; carriers such as clay and diatomaceous earth; thickeners such as 
carrageenan and modified cellulose; wetting, spreading, and dispersing 
agents; propellants in aerosol dispensers; microencapsulating agents; 
and emulsifiers. The term ``inert'' is not intended to imply 
nontoxicity; the ingredient may or may not be chemically active. 
Generally, EPA has exempted inert ingredients from the requirement of a 
tolerance based on the low toxicity of the individual inert 
ingredients.

IV. Risk Assessment and Statutory Findings

    EPA establishes exemptions from the requirement of a tolerance only 
in those cases where it can be clearly demonstrated that the risks from 
aggregate exposure to pesticide chemical residues under reasonably 
foreseeable circumstances will pose no appreciable risks to human 
health. In order to determine the risks from aggregate exposure to 
pesticide inert ingredients, the Agency considers the toxicity of the 
inert in conjunction with possible exposure to residues of the inert 
ingredient through food, drinking water, and through other exposures 
that occur as a result of pesticide use in residential settings. If EPA 
is able to determine that a finite tolerance is not necessary to ensure 
that there is a reasonable certainty that no harm will result from 
aggregate exposure to the inert ingredient, an exemption from the 
requirement of a tolerance may be established.
    Consistent with section 408(b)(2)(D) of FFDCA, EPA has reviewed the 
available scientific data and other relevant information in support of 
this action and considered its validity, completeness and reliability 
and the relationship of this information to human risk. EPA has also 
considered available information concerning the variability of the 
sensitivities of major identifiable subgroups of consumers, including 
infants and children. In the case of certain chemical substances that 
are defined as polymers, the Agency has established a set of criteria 
to identify categories of polymers that should present minimal or no 
risk. The definition of a polymer is given in 40 CFR 723.250(b). The 
following exclusion criteria for identifying these low risk polymers 
are described in 40 CFR 723.250(d).
    1. The polymer, ethoxylated propoxylated C12-
C15 alcohols, is not a cationic polymer nor is it reasonably 
anticipated to become a cationic polymer in a natural aquatic 
environment.
    2. The polymer does contain as an integral part of its composition 
the atomic elements carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.
    3. The polymer does not contain as an integral part of its 
composition, except as impurities, any element other than those listed 
in 40 CFR 723.250(d)(2)(ii).
    4. The polymer is neither designed nor can it be reasonably 
anticipated to substantially degrade, decompose, or depolymerize.
    5. The polymer is not manufactured or imported from monomers and/or 
reactants that are already included on the TSCA Chemical Substance 
Inventory or manufactured under an applicable TSCA section 5 exemption.
    6. The polymer is not a water absorbing polymer with a number 
average molecular weight (MW) greater than or equal to 10,000 daltons.
    Additionally, the polymer, ethoxylated propoxylated C12-
C15 alcohols, also meets as required the following exemption 
criteria specified in 40 CFR 723.250(e).
    7. The polymer's minimum number average MW of 1,500 is greater than 
1,000 and less than 10,000 daltons. The polymer contains less than 10% 
oligomeric material below MW 500 and less than 25% oligomeric material 
below MW 1,000, and the polymer does not contain any reactive 
functional groups.
    Thus, ethoxylated propoxylated C12-C15 
alcohols meet all the criteria for a polymer to be considered low risk 
under 40 CFR 723.250. Based on its conformance to the above criteria, 
no mammalian toxicity is anticipated from dietary, inhalation, or 
dermal exposure to ethoxylated propoxylated C12-
C15 alcohols.

V. Aggregate Exposures

    For the purposes of assessing potential exposure under this 
exemption, EPA considered that ethoxylated propoxylated C12-
C15 alcohols could be present in all raw and processed 
agricultural commodities and drinking water, and that non-occupational 
non-dietary exposure was possible. The minimum number average MW of 
ethoxylated propoxylated C12-C15 alcohols is 
1,500 daltons. Generally, a polymer of this size would be poorly 
absorbed through the intact gastrointestinal tract or through intact 
human skin. Since ethoxylated propoxylated C12-
C15 alcohols conform to the criteria that identify a low 
risk polymer, there are no concerns for risks associated with any 
potential exposure scenarios that are reasonably foreseeable. Since the 
Agency has determined that there is a reasonable certainty that no harm 
will result from aggregate exposure to ethoxylated propoxylated 
C12-C15 alcohols, a tolerance is not necessary.

VI. Cumulative Effects

    Section 408(b)(2)(D)(v) of FFDCA requires that, when considering 
whether to establish, modify, or revoke a tolerance or tolerance 
exemption, the Agency consider ``available information'' concerning the 
cumulative effects of a particular chemical's residues and ``other 
substances that have a common mechanism of toxicity.'' The Agency has 
not made any conclusions as to whether or not ethoxylated propoxylated 
C12-C15 alcohols share a common mechanism of 
toxicity with any other chemicals. However, polyvinyl acetate, carboxyl 
modified sodium salt conform to the criteria that identify a low risk 
polymer. Due to the expected lack of toxicity based on the above 
conformance, the Agency has determined that a cumulative risk 
assessment is not necessary.

VII. Determination of Safety for U.S. Population

    Based on the conformance to the criteria used to identify a low 
risk polymer, EPA concludes that there is a reasonable certainty of no 
harm to the U.S. population from aggregate exposure to residues of 
ethoxylated propoxylated C12-C15 alcohols.

[[Page 10403]]

VIII. Determination of Safety for Infants and Children

    FFDCA section 408 provides that EPA shall apply an additional 
tenfold margin of safety for infants and children in the case of 
threshold effects to account for prenatal and postnatal toxicity and 
the completeness of the data base unless EPA concludes that a different 
margin of safety will be safe for infants and children. Due to the 
expected low toxicity of ethoxylated propoxylated C12-
C15 alcohols, EPA has not used a safety factor analysis to 
assess the risk. For the same reasons the additional tenfold safety 
factor is unnecessary.

IX. Other Considerations

A. Endocrine Disruptors

    There is no available evidence that ethoxylated propoxylated 
C12-C15 alcohols is an endocrine disruptor.

B. Existing Exemptions from a Tolerance

    There are no known exemptions from a tolerance for -alkyl 
(C12-C15)--hydroxypoly (oxypropylene) 
poly (oxyethylene) copolymers (where the poly(oxypropylene) content is 
3-60 moles and the poly (oxyethylene) content is 5-80 moles).

C. Analytical Enforcement Methodology

    An analytical method is not required for enforcement purposes since 
the Agency is establishing an exemption from the requirement of a 
tolerance without any numerical limitation.

D. International Tolerances

    The Agency is not aware of any country requiring a tolerance for 
ethoxylated propoxylated C12-C15 alcohols nor 
have any CODEX Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs) been established for any 
food crops at this time.

X. Conclusion

    Accordingly, EPA finds that exempting -alkyl 
(C12-C15)--hydroxypoly (oxypropylene) 
poly (oxyethylene) copolymers (where the poly (oxypropylene) content is 
3-60 moles and the poly (oxyethylene) content is 5-80 moles) also known 
as ethoxylated propoxylated C12-C15 alcohols from 
the requirement of a tolerance will be safe.

XI. Objections and Hearing Requests

    Under section 408(g) of the FFDCA, as amended by the FQPA, any 
person may file an objection to any aspect of this regulation and may 
also request a hearing on those objections. The EPA procedural 
regulations which govern the submission of objections and requests for 
hearings appear in 40 CFR part 178. Although the procedures in those 
regulations require some modification to reflect the amendments made to 
the FFDCA by the FQPA of 1996, EPA will continue to use those 
procedures, with appropriate adjustments, until the necessary 
modifications can be made. The new section 408(g) provides essentially 
the same process for persons to ``object'' to a regulation for an 
exemption from the requirement of a tolerance issued by EPA under new 
section 408(d), as was provided in the old FFDCA sections 408 and 409. 
However, the period for filing objections is now 60 days, rather than 
30 days.

A. What Do I Need To Do To File an Objection or Request a Hearing?

    You must file your objection or request a hearing on this 
regulation in accordance with the instructions provided in this unit 
and in 40 CFR part 178. To ensure proper receipt by EPA, you must 
identify docket control number OPP-300973 in the subject line on the 
first page of your submission. All requests must be in writing, and 
must be mailed or delivered to the Hearing Clerk on or before April 28, 
2000.
    1. Filing the request. Your objection must specify the specific 
provisions in the regulation that you object to, and the grounds for 
the objections (40 CFR 178.25). If a hearing is requested, the 
objections must include a statement of the factual issues(s) on which a 
hearing is requested, the requestor's contentions on such issues, and a 
summary of any evidence relied upon by the objector (40 CFR 178.27). 
Information submitted in connection with an objection or hearing 
request may be claimed confidential 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. A copy of the 
information that does not contain CBI must be submitted for inclusion 
in the public record. Information not marked confidential may be 
disclosed publicly by EPA without prior notice.
    Mail your written request to: Office of the Hearing Clerk (1900), 
Environmental Protection Agency, Ariel Rios Bldg., 1200 Pennsylvania 
Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460. You may also deliver your request to 
the Office of the Hearing Clerk in Rm. C400, Waterside Mall, 401 M St., 
SW., Washington, DC 20460. The Office of the Hearing Clerk is open from 
8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The 
telephone number for the Office of the Hearing Clerk is (202) 260-4865.
    2. Tolerance fee payment. If you file an objection or request a 
hearing, you must also pay the fee prescribed by 40 CFR 180.33(i) or 
request a waiver of that fee pursuant to 40 CFR 180.33(m). You must 
mail the fee to: EPA Headquarters Accounting Operations Branch, Office 
of Pesticide Programs, P.O. Box 360277M, Pittsburgh, PA 15251. Please 
identify the fee submission by labeling it ``Tolerance Petition Fees.''
    EPA is authorized to waive any fee requirement ``when in the 
judgement of the Administrator such a waiver or refund is equitable and 
not contrary to the purpose of this subsection.'' For additional 
information regarding the waiver of these fees, you may contact James 
Tompkins by phone at (703) 305-5697, by e-mail at [email protected], 
or by mailing a request for information to Mr. Tompkins at Registration 
Division (7505C), Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental 
Protection Agency, Ariel Rios Bldg., 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., 
Washington, DC 20460.
    If you would like to request a waiver of the tolerance objection 
fees, you must mail your request for such a waiver to: James Hollins, 
Information Resources and Services Division (7502C), Office of 
Pesticide Programs, Environmental Protection Agency, Ariel Rios Bldg., 
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20460.
    3. Copies for the Docket. In addition to filing an objection or 
hearing request with the Hearing Clerk as described in Unit VIII.A., 
you should also send a copy of your request to the PIRIB for its 
inclusion in the official record that is described in Unit I.B.2. Mail 
your copies, identified by docket control number OPP-300973, to: Public 
Information and Records Integrity Branch, Information Resources and 
Services Division (7502C), Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental 
Protection Agency, Ariel Rios Bldg., 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, 
Washington, DC 20460. In person or by courier, bring a copy to the 
location of the PIRIB described in Unit I.B.2. You may also send an 
electronic copy of your request via e-mail to: [email protected]. 
Please use an ASCII file format and avoid the use of special characters 
and any form of encryption. Copies of electronic objections and hearing 
requests will also be accepted on disks in WordPerfect 6.1/8.0 file 
format or ASCII file format. Do not include any CBI in your electronic 
copy. You may also submit an electronic copy of your request at many 
Federal Depository Libraries.

[[Page 10404]]

B. When Will the Agency Grant a Request for a Hearing?

    A request for a hearing will be granted if the Administrator 
determines that the material submitted shows the following: There is a 
genuine and substantial issue of fact; there is a reasonable 
possibility that available evidence identified by the requestor would, 
if established resolve one or more of such issues in favor of the 
requestor, taking into account uncontested claims or facts to the 
contrary; and resolution of the factual issues(s) in the manner sought 
by the requestor would be adequate to justify the action requested (40 
CFR 178.32).

XII. Regulatory Assessment Requirements

    This final rule establishes an exemption from the tolerance 
requirement under FFDCA section 408(d) in response to a petition 
submitted to the Agency. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has 
exempted these types of actions from review under Executive Order 
12866, entitled Regulatory Planning and Review (58 FR 51735, October 4, 
1993). This final rule does not contain any information collections 
subject to OMB approval under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), 44 
U.S.C. 3501 et seq., or impose any enforceable duty or contain any 
unfunded mandate as described under Title II of the Unfunded Mandates 
Reform Act of 1995 (UMRA) (Public Law 104-4). Nor does it require any 
prior consultation as specified by Executive Order 13084, entitled 
Consultation and Coordination with Indian Tribal Governments (63 FR 
27655, May 19, 1998); special considerations as required by Executive 
Order 12898, entitled Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice 
in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations (59 FR 7629, 
February 16, 1994); or require OMB review or any Agency action under 
Executive Order 13045, entitled Protection of Children from 
Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks (62 FR 19885, April 23, 
1997). This action does not involve any technical standards that would 
require Agency consideration of voluntary consensus standards pursuant 
to section 12(d) of the National Technology Transfer and Advancement 
Act of 1995 (NTTAA), Public Law 104-113, section 12(d) (15 U.S.C. 272 
note). Since tolerances and exemptions that are established on the 
basis of a petition under FFDCA section 408(d), such as the exemption 
in this final rule, do not require the issuance of a proposed rule, the 
requirements of the Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA) (5 U.S.C. 601 et 
seq.) do not apply. In addition, the Agency has determined that this 
action will not have a substantial direct effect on States, on the 
relationship between the national government and the States, or on the 
distribution of power and responsibilities among the various levels of 
government, as specified in Executive Order 13132, entitled Federalism 
(64 FR 43255, August 10, 1999). Executive Order 13132 requires EPA to 
develop an accountable process to ensure ``meaningful and timely input 
by State and local officials in the development of regulatory policies 
that have federalism implications.'' ``Policies that have federalism 
implications'' is defined in the Executive Order to include regulations 
that have ``substantial direct effects on the States, on the 
relationship between the national government and the States, or on the 
distribution of power and responsibilities among the various levels of 
government.'' This final rule directly regulates growers, food 
processors, food handlers and food retailers, not States. This action 
does not alter the relationships or distribution of power and 
responsibilities established by Congress in the preemption provisions 
of FFDCA section 408(n)(4).

XIII. Submission to Congress and the Comptroller General

    The Congressional Review Act, 5 U.S.C. 801 et seq., as added by the 
Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996, generally 
provides that before a rule may take effect, the agency promulgating 
the rule must submit a rule report, which includes a copy of the rule, 
to each House of the Congress and to the Comptroller General of the 
United States. EPA will submit a report containing this rule and other 
required information to the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House of 
Representatives, and the Comptroller General of the United States prior 
to publication of this rule in the Federal Register. This rule is not a 
``major rule'' as defined by 5 U.S.C. 804(2).

List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 180

    Environmental protection, Administrative practice and procedure, 
Agricultural commodities, Pesticides and pests, Reporting and 
recordkeeping requirements.

    Dated: February 15, 2000.
James Jones,
Director, Registration Division, Office of Pesticide Programs.
    Therefore, 40 CFR chapter I is amended as follows:

PART 180--[AMENDED]

    1. The authority citation for part 180 continues to read as 
follows:

    Authority: 21 U.S.C. 321(q), 346(a) and 371.
    2. In Sec. 180.1001 the tables in paragraphs (c) and (e) are 
amended by adding alphabetically the following inert ingredient to read 
as follows:


Sec. 180.1001  Exemptions from the requirement of a tolerance.

    *        *        *        *        *
    (c)    *        *        *

 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Inert ingredients               Limits               Uses
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
         *        *        *        *        *        *        *
-alkyl (C12-C15)--hydroxypoly (oxypropylene)    of pesticide
 poly (oxyethylene) copolymers     formulations
 (where the poly (oxypropylene)
 content is 3-60 moles and the
 poly (oxyethylene) content is 5-
 80 moles).
 
         *        *        *        *        *        *        *
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    (e)    *        *        *

[[Page 10405]]



 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Inert ingredients               Limits               Uses
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
         *        *        *        *        *        *        *
-alkyl (C12-C15)--hydroxypoly (oxypropylene)    of pesticide
 poly (oxyethylene) copolymers     formulations
 (where the poly (oxypropylene)
 content is 3-60 moles and the
 poly (oxyethylene) content is 5-
 80 moles).
 
         *        *        *        *        *        *        *
------------------------------------------------------------------------

[FR Doc. 00-4661 Filed 2-25-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-F