[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 216 (Tuesday, November 7, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66750-66751]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-28643]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OPP-00688; FRL-6754-7]


 FIFRA Scientific Advisory Panel; Notice of Public Meeting

AGENCY:  Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

 ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

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 SUMMARY:  There will be a 1-day meeting of the Federal Insecticide, 
Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and Food Quality Protection Act 
(FQPA) Scientific Advisory Panel (SAP) to review a set of issues being 
considered by the Agency pertaining to an assessment of scientific 
information concerning Starlink corn. The meeting is open to the 
public. Seating at the meeting will be on a first-come basis. 
Individuals requiring special accommodations at this meeting, including 
wheelchair access, should contact Paul Lewis at the address listed 
under For Further Information Contact at least 5 business days prior to 
the meeting so that appropriate arrangements can be made.

 DATES:  The meeting will be held on November 28 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 
p.m.

 ADDRESSES:  The meeting will be held at the Holiday Inn Rosslyn Hotel, 
1900 North Fort Myer Drive, Arlington, Virginia 22209. The telephone 
number for the Holiday Inn Rosslyn Hotel is (703) 807-2000.
    Requests to participate 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, your request must identify docket control number 
OPP-00688 in the subject line on the first page of your response.

 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Paul Lewis, Designated Federal 
Official, Office of Science Coordination and Policy, (7101C), 
Environmental Protection Agency, Ariel Rios Bldg., 1200 Pennsylvania 
Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (703) 305-5369; fax 
number: (703) 605-0656; 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. This action may, 
however, be of interest to persons interested in biotechnology and food 
plus issues related to the evaluation of allergens. Since other 
entities may also 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. A meeting agenda is currently available; EPA's 
primary background documents should be available the week of November 
6, 2000. In addition, the Agency may provide additional documents as 
the material becomes available. You may obtain electronic copies of 
these documents, 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,'' ``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.
    To access information about the meeting go directly to the FIFRA 
SAP Internet Home Page at http://www.epa.gov/scipoly/sap and select 
Federal Register notice announcing this meeting.
    2. In person. The Agency has established an administrative record 
for this meeting under docket control number OPP-00688. The 
administrative record consists of the documents specifically referenced 
in this notice, any public comments received during an applicable 
comment period, and other information related to Starlink corn, 
including any information claimed as Confidential Business Information 
(CBI). This administrative record includes the documents that are 
physically located in the docket, as well as the documents that are 
referenced in those documents. In addition, the Agency may provide 
additional documents as the material becomes available. The public 
version of the administrative record, which includes printed, paper 
versions of any electronic comments that may be 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 Can I Request to Participate in This Meeting?

    You may submit a request to participate in this meeting through the 
mail, in person, or electronically. Do not submit any information in 
your request that is considered CBI. To ensure proper receipt by EPA, 
it is imperative that you identify docket control number OPP-00688 in 
the subject line on the first page of your request. Interested persons 
are permitted to file written statements before the meeting. To the 
extent that time permits, and upon advance written request to the 
person listed under For Further Information Contact, interested persons 
may be permitted by the Chair of the FIFRA Scientific Advisory Panel to 
present oral statements at the meeting. The request should identify the 
name of the individual making the presentation, the organization (if 
any) the individual will represent, and any requirements for 
audiovisual equipment (e.g., overhead projector, 35 mm projector, 
chalkboard, etc.). There is no limit on the extent of written comments 
for consideration by the Panel, but oral statements before the Panel 
are limited to approximately 5 minutes. The Agency also urges the 
public to submit written comments in lieu of oral presentations. 
Persons wishing to make oral and/or written statements at the meeting 
should contact the person listed under For Further Information Contact 
and submit 30 copies of their presentation and/or remarks to the Panel. 
The

[[Page 66751]]

Agency encourages that written statements be submitted before the 
meeting to provide Panel Members the time necessary to consider and 
review the comments.
     1. By mail.  You may submit a request 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. 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 request electronically by e-
mail to: ``[email protected].'' Do not submit any information 
electronically that you consider to be CBI. Use WordPerfect 6.1/8.0 or 
ASCII file format and avoid the use of special characters and any form 
of encryption. Be sure to identify by docket control number OPP-00688. 
You may also file a request online at many Federal Depository 
Libraries.

II. Background

A. Purpose of the Meeting

    On October 25, 2000, Aventis CropScience USA, LP (Aventis) 
submitted new information in support of its petition (PP 9F5050) (PF-
867B) for an exemption from the requirement of a tolerance for the 
genetically engineered ``plant-pesticide'' in StarLink corn plant-
pesticide in Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. tolworthi Cry9c protein and 
the genetic material (DNA) necessary for the production of this 
protein. While the original petition requested an exemption covering 
both the DNA and Cry9C protein in all food commodities, this submission 
limits the request only to foods made from StarLink corn. The Aventis 
submission specifically addresses the potential allergenicity of the 
Cry9C protein that may be present in human food made from StarLink 
corn, a line of genetically modified corn developed by Aventis.
     On October 31, 2000, EPA issued a Notice in the Federal Register 
announcing receipt of the Aventis submission and the opportunity for 
the public to comment on the submission (65 FR 65245) (FRL-6754-3). 
This notice also indicated that EPA intended to hold a public meeting 
of a group of external independent scientists to conduct a peer review 
of scientific issues raised by the Aventis submission.
     Today's notice announces the date, location and purpose of that 
public meeting, topics for discussion and provides additional 
information of the procedures that will be used in this meeting. This 
will be a 1-day meeting of the FIFRA Scientific Advisory Panel. The 
purpose of this FIFRA SAP meeting is to consider the potential 
allergenicity, sensitization and dietary exposure of Starlink corn.

B. Panel Report

     The Agency anticipates that the Panel's report of their 
recommendations will be available as soon as possible but no later than 
December 1, 2000. The Panel's report will be posted on the FIFRA SAP 
web site or may be obtained by contacting the Public Information and 
Records Integrity Branch at the address or telephone number listed in 
Unit I. of this document.

List of Subjects

    Environmental protection.

    Dated: November 3, 2000.
Steven K. Galson,
Director, Office of Science Coordination and Policy, Office of 
Prevention, Pesticides, and Toxic Substances.

[FR Doc. 00-28643 Filed 11-3-00; 12:07 p.m.]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-S