[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 83 (Friday, April 28, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24955-24957]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-10590]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OPP-00645A; FRL-6557-7]


Pesticide Tolerance Reassessment and Reregistration; Proposed 
Public Participation Process; Reopening of Comment Period

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice; reopening of comment period.

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SUMMARY:  This notice announces EPA's extension of the comment period 
for the proposal for a public participation process for pesticide 
tolerance reassessment and reregistration. This proposal is in response 
to a joint initiative between EPA and the Department of Agriculture 
(USDA) to increase transparency and stakeholder involvement in the 
development of pesticide risk assessments and risk management documents 
and decisions. EPA and USDA have been actively employing a pilot public 
participation process for tolerance reassessment and reregistration of 
organophosphate pesticides for over 1 year (since August 1998), which 
was developed in consultation with the Tolerance Reassessment Advisory 
Committee (TRAC). Consideration must now be given as to whether this 
public participation process or some modification of it should be 
adopted as the final process, and whether it should be used for 
tolerance reassessment and reregistration of all pesticides.

DATES: Comments, identified by the docket control number OPP-00645A, 
must be received on or before May 15, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted by mail, electronically, or in

[[Page 24956]]

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-00645A in the subject line on the first page of your 
response.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Karen Angulo, Special Review and 
Reregistration Division (7508C), Office of Pesticide Programs, 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., 
Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (703) 308-8004; fax number: 
(703) 308-8005; 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; however, a wide 
range of stakeholders will be interested in submitting comments on the 
public participation process that EPA is proposing for tolerance 
reassessment and reregistration, 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. As 
such, the Agency has not attempted to specifically describe all the 
entities potentially 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 ``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 the pilot public participation process 
that is now being used for the organophosphate pesticides, you can also 
go directly to the Office of Pesticide Programs' (OPP) organophosphate 
pesticide web page 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-00645A. 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 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?

    As described in Unit III. A. of the notice published in the Federal 
Register of March 15, 2000 (65 FR 14199) (FRL-6496-2), you may submit 
your comments through the mail, in person, or electronically. Please 
follow the instructions that are provided in the proposed rule. Do not 
submit any information electronically that you consider to be CBI. To 
ensure proper receipt by EPA, be sure to identify docket control number 
OPP-00645A in the subject line on the first page of your response.
    1. By mail. Submit comments to: Public Information and Records 
Integrity Branch, Information Resources and Services Division (7502C), 
Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 
Pennsylvannia Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460.
    2. In person or by courier. Deliver comments to: Public Information 
and Records Integrity Branch, Information Resources and Services 
Division, Office of Pesticide Programs, 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. Submit electronic comments by e-mail to: ``[email protected],'' or you can submit a computer disk as described in 
this unit. Do not submit any information electronically that you 
consider to be CBI. Electronic comments must be submitted as an ASCII 
file, avoiding the use of special characters and any form of 
encryption. Comments and data will also be accepted on standard 
computer disks in WordPerfect 6.1/8.0 or ASCII file format. All 
comments in electronic form must be identified by the docket control 
number OPP-00645A. 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 proposed rule or 
collection activity.
    7. Make sure to submit your comments by the deadline in this 
reopening of the proposed rule comment period.
    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.

[[Page 24957]]

II. What Action is EPA Taking?

    EPA is extending the public comment period on the proposal for a 
public participation process for pesticide tolerance reassessment and 
reregistration. This proposed public participation process was 
developed with USDA.
    Public comment received as a result of this notice will be 
considered by EPA and USDA and a final public participation process 
will be developed and released to the public in a notice published in 
the Federal Register. Implementation of the final public participation 
process will begin according to a schedule established and published in 
the final notice.

III. Do Any Regulatory Assessment Requirements Apply to this 
Action?

    No. This action is not a rulemaking, it merely extends the date by 
which public comments must be submitted to EPA on a proposed pesticide 
public participation process that previously published in the Federal 
Register of March 15, 2000 (65 FR 14199) (FRL-6496-2).

List of Subjects

    Environmental protection, Chemicals, Pesticides and pests.

    Dated: April 21, 2000.
Joseph J. Merenda Jr.,
Acting Director, Office of Pesticide Programs.
[FR Doc. 00-10590 Filed 4-27-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-F