[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 173 (Wednesday, September 6, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54002-54003]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-22823]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OPP-34234; FRL-6739-6]


Organophosphate Pesticides; Availability of Interim Risk 
Management Decision Documents

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of the interim risk 
management decision documents for three organophosphate pesticides, 
bensulide, cadusafos, and chlorethoxyfos. These decision documents have 
been developed as part of the public participation process that EPA and 
the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) are now using for 
involving the public in the reassessment of pesticide tolerances under 
the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA), and the reregistration of 
individual organophosphate pesticides under the Federal Insecticide, 
Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA).

DATES: The interim risk management decision documents are available in 
the OPP Docket under docket control OPP-34234, OPP-34132C for 
bensulide, OPP-34142B for cadusafos, and OPP-34170B for chlorethoxyfos.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Karen Angulo, Special Review and 
Reregistration Division (7508W), Office of Pesticide Programs, 
Environmental Protection Agency, 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 interim 
risk management decision documents for bensulide, cadusafos, and 
chlorethoxyfos, 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 ``Laws and Regulations'','' Regulations and 
Proposed Rules, 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 pesticide interim risk management decision 
documents released to the public may also be accessed at http: 
www.epa.gov/REDs.
    2. In person. The Agency has established an official record for 
this action under docket control OPP-34234, OPP-34132C for bensulide, 
OPP-34142B for cadusafos, and OPP-34170B for chlorethoxyfos. 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.

II. Background

What Action is the Agency Taking?

    EPA has assessed the risks of bensulide and reached an Interim 
Reregistration Eligibility Decision (IRED) for this organophosphate 
pesticide. With the risk mitigation measures required, bensulide fits 
into its own risk cup -- its individual, aggregate risks are within 
acceptable levels. Bensulide also is eligible for reregistration, 
pending a full reassessment of the cumulative risk from all 
organophosphate pesticides. Bensulide residues in food and drinking 
water do not pose risk concerns. With mitigation limiting homeowners' 
and

[[Page 54003]]

children's exposure via home lawns and other turf, bensulide fits into 
its own risk cup. With other mitigation measures, bensulide's worker 
and ecological risks also will be below levels of concern for 
reregistration.
    EPA has assessed the dietary risks of cadusafos and chlorethoxyfos 
and prepared for each of these organophosphate pesticides a ``Report on 
FQPA Tolerance Reassessment Progress and Interim Risk Management 
Decision.'' Cadusafos and chlorethoxyfos fit into their own risk cups 
and their individual risks are within acceptable levels. Cadusafos has 
no U.S. registrations and only one import tolerance on bananas. 
Cadusafos-treated bananas do not pose risk concerns, and no risk 
mitigation is necessary at this time. Chlorethoxyfos was initially 
registered after 1984, therefore it is not subject to reregistration. 
The use of chlorethoxyfos on corn does not pose risk concerns and risk 
mitigation is not necessary at this time.
    The interim risk management decision documents on bensulide, 
cadusafos, and chlorethoxyfos were made through the organophosphate 
pilot public participation process, which increases transparency and 
maximizes stakeholder involvement in EPA's development of risk 
assessments and risk management decisions. The pilot public 
participation process was developed as part of the EPA-USDA Tolerance 
Reassessment Advisory Committee (TRAC), which was established in April 
1998, as a subcommittee under the auspices of EPA's National Advisory 
Council for Environmental Policy and Technology. A goal of the pilot 
public participation process is to find a more effective way for the 
public to participate at critical junctures in the Agency's development 
of organophosphate pesticide risk assessments and risk management 
decisions. EPA and USDA began implementing this pilot process in August 
1998, to increase transparency and opportunities for stakeholder 
consultation.
    EPA worked extensively with affected parties to reach the decisions 
presented in the interim risk management decision documents, which 
concludes the pilot public participation process for bensulide, 
cadusafos, and chlorethoxyfos. As part of the pilot public 
participation process, numerous opportunities for public comment were 
offered as these interim risk management decisions were being 
developed. The bensulide, cadusafos, and chlorethoxyfos interim risk 
management decision documents therefore are issued in final, without a 
formal public comment period. The docket remains open, however, and any 
comments submitted in the future will be placed in the public docket.
    The risk assessments for bensulide, cadusafos, and chlorethoxyfos 
were released to the public through notices in the Federal Register on 
June 16, 1999, 64 FR 32229 (FRL-6087-9) and August 12, 1998, 63 FR 
43175 (FRL-6024-3) for bensulide; September 9, 1998, 63 FR 48213 (FRL-
6030-2) and July 7, 1999, 64 FR 36683 (FRL-6091-2) for cadusafos; and 
January 15, 1999, 64 FR 2644 (FRL-6056-9) and August 18, 1999 64 FR 
44921 (FRL-6095-3) for chlorethoxyfos.
    EPA's next step under the FQPA is to complete a cumulative risk 
assessment and risk management decision encompassing all the 
organophosphate pesticides, which share a common mechanism of toxicity. 
The interim risk management decision documents on bensulide, cadusafos, 
and chlorethoxyfos cannot be considered final until this cumulative 
assessment is complete. Further risk mitigation may be required at that 
time.
    To effect risk mitigation as quickly as possible, time frames for 
making the changes required by the interim risk management decision 
documents are shorter than those in a usual Reregistration Eligibility 
Decision. The Agency is requiring that all labels must be amended to 
include the above mitigation and submitted to the Agency within 90 days 
after issuance of the interim risk management decision documents. When 
the cumulative risk assessment for all organophosphate pesticides has 
been completed, EPA will issue its final tolerance reassessment 
decision for bensulide, cadusafos, and chlorethoxyfos and may require 
further risk mitigation measures.

List of Subjects

    Environmental protection, Chemicals, Pesticides and pests.


    Dated: August 23, 2000.

Lois A. Rossi,

Director, Special Review and Reregistration Division, Office of 
Pesticide Programs.
[FR Doc. 00-22823 Filed 9-5-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-S