[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 76 (Wednesday, April 19, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20978-20979]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-9797]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OPP-00652; FRL-6552-2]


Pesticides; Guidance for Pesticide Registrants on First Aid 
Instructions

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: EPA is announcing the availability of guidance which provides 
revised first aid instructions for all pesticide products. Pesticide 
Registration (PR) Notice 2000-3 is effective now, but comments will be 
accepted for 30 days, after which the Agency may revise the notice. The 
first aid instructions have been revised to reflect more medically 
correct information and to make them easier to find and be understood.

DATES: Comments, identified by docket control number OPP-00652, must be 
received on or before May 19, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted by mail, electronically, or in 
person. Please follow the detailed instructions for each method as 
provided in Unit I.C. of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. To ensure 
proper receipt by EPA, it is imperative that you identify docket 
control number OPP-00652 in the subject line on the first page of your 
response.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Amy Breedlove, Field and External 
Affairs Division (7506C), Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental 
Protection Agency, Ariel Rios Bldg., 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., 
Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (703) 308-9069; fax number: 
(703) 305-5884; 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. Although this 
action may be of particular interest to those persons who register or 
regulate pesticides, as well as poison control centers, and the medical 
community, 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 information in this notice, 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 the PR Notice from the Office of Pesticide Programs' Home 
Page at http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/. You can also go directly to the 
listings 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. Fax on Demand. You may request a faxed copy of the PR Notice 
titled ``First Aid Statements on Pesticide Product Labels,'' by using a 
faxphone to call (202) 401-0527 and selecting item 6126. You may also 
follow the automated menu.
    3. In person. The Agency has established an official record for 
this action under docket control number OPP-00652. 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, 1921 Jefferson Davis Highway, 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 docket control number OPP-00652 in the subject line on the 
first page of your response.
    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 Highway, 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, 
Suite 8, or ASCII file format. All comments in electronic form must be 
identified by docket control number OPP-00652. 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

[[Page 20979]]

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 identified 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 or collection 
activity.
    7. Make sure to submit your comments by the deadline in this 
notice.
    8. To ensure proper receipt by EPA, be sure to identify the docket 
control number assigned to this action in the subject line on the first 
page of your response. You may also provide the name, date, and Federal 
Register citation.

II. Background

A. What Guidance Does this PR Notice Provide?

    The PR Notice provides revised recommended first aid instructions 
for all pesticide products, unless they are determined to be medically 
inappropriate. Some of the major changes include revising the ingestion 
first aid statements so that inducing vomiting is only recommended by a 
doctor or poison control center, not the label; the first aid 
statements are now the same for all toxicity categories; the 
instructions have been revised to be easier to understand and, in some 
cases, more explicit. The heading ``First Aid'' is being recommended 
for use in place of ``Statement of Practical Treatment.'' In addition, 
a format using non-narrative text and a box or table to highlight the 
information is being suggested. The PR Notice provides separate 
instructions for products containing petroleum distillates. The 
recommendation is now being made to avoid ingesting any water (or other 
liquids) for these products, unless data shows it is advantageous.
    While the PR Notice is effective now, we will accept comments for 
30 days. If the PR Notice is revised, EPA will issue an updated notice.

B. Why is a PR Notice Guidance and Not a Rule?

    The PR Notice discussed in this notice is intended to provide 
guidance to EPA personnel and decision-makers, and to the public. As a 
guidance document and not a rule, this policy is not binding on either 
EPA or any outside parties. Although this guidance document provides a 
starting point for EPA decisions, EPA will depart from this policy 
where the facts or circumstances warrant. In such cases, EPA will 
explain why a different course was taken. Similarly, outside parties 
remain free to assert that this policy is not appropriate for a 
specific pesticide or that the specific circumstances demonstrate that 
this policy should be abandoned.
    EPA has stated in this notice that it will make available revised 
guidance after consideration of public comment, if necessary. Public 
comment is not being solicited for the purpose of converting this 
guidance document into a binding rule. EPA will not be codifying this 
policy in the Code of Federal Regulations. EPA is allowing for comments 
so as to ensure the revised guidance is complete and medically 
accurate.
    The ``revised'' guidance will not be an unalterable document. Once 
a ``revised'' guidance document is issued, EPA will continue to treat 
it as guidance, not a rule. Accordingly, on a case-by-case basis, EPA 
will decide whether it is appropriate to depart from the guidance or to 
modify the overall approach in the guidance. In the course of 
commenting on this guidance document, EPA would welcome comments that 
specifically address how the guidance document can be structured so 
that it provides meaningful guidance without imposing binding 
requirements.

List of Subjects

    Environmental protection, Administrative practice and procedure, 
Agricultural commodities, Pesticides and pests, First aid.

    Dated: April 14, 2000.
Marcia E. Mulkey,
Director, Office of Pesticide Programs.
[FR Doc. 00-9797 Filed 4-18-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-F