[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 159 (Thursday, August 16, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43009-43010]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-20666]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OPPTS-00735; FRL-6797-7]


Technical Briefing on Background and Hazard Methodology; Revised 
Relative Potency Factor; Notice of Public Meeting

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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[[Page 43010]]

SUMMARY: EPA is announcing a public technical briefing for August 22, 
2001, to provide background information on cumulative risk assessment 
methods, in general, and the current status of the work on the 
organophosphate (OP) cumulative risk assessment. Particular attention 
will be given to the hazard portion of the OP assessment. For 
cumulative assessments, before a risk assessment can be done, the 
chemicals must be ranked according to their ability to produce the 
toxic effect of concern. This ability is quantified by a ``potency'' 
value. After the potency of each chemical is calculated, an index 
chemical is selected. This method to estimate the relative potency has 
been termed the ``relative potency factor'' method. The result of the 
method is the determination of a relative potency factor (RPF) for each 
chemical. The briefing will focus on the recently released paper, 
``Preliminary Cumulative Hazard and Dose-Response Assessment for 
Organophosphorus Pesticides and Points of Departure for Cholinesterase 
Inhibition,'' which explains the method that has been used to determine 
the relative potency factors for the OPs and the selection of the index 
chemical. This paper will also be the subject of a meeting of the 
Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) Scientific 
Advisory Panel (SAP) on September 5-6, 2001. At the technical briefing, 
the hazard methodology will be explained in some detail and in terms 
appropriate for a non-scientific audience.

DATES: The meeting will be held on Wednesday, August 22, 2001, from 9 
a.m. to 5 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Hilton Alexandria Old Town, 
1767 King Street, Alexandria, VA (directly across from the King Street 
Metro Station).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kathy Monk, Special Review and 
Reregistration Division, Office of Pesticides Program (7508C), 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., 
Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (703) 308-8071; e-mail address: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. General Information

A. Does this Notice Apply to Me?

    This action is directed to the public in general. This action may, 
however, be of interest to persons who are concerned about 
implementation of the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA). Passed in 
1996, this new law strengthens the nation's system for regulating 
pesticides on food. Participants may include environmental/public 
interest and consumer groups; industry and trade associations; 
pesticide user and grower groups; Federal, State, and local 
governments; food processors; academia; general public; etc. 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 or 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,'' ``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/.
    2. In person. The Agency has established an administrative record 
for this meeting under docket control number OPPTS-00735. The 
administrative record consists of the documents specifically referenced 
in this notice and other information related to the cumulative risk 
assessment of organophosphate pesticides. This administrative 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 administrative record is available for inspection 
in the Public Information and Records Integrity Branch (PIRIB), 
Information Resources and Services Division, 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 telephone number for the PIRIB is (703) 305-5805.

II. How Can I Request To Participate in this Meeting?

    This meeting is open to the public. Outside statements by observers 
are welcome. Oral statements will be limited to 3 to 5 minutes, and it 
is preferred that only one person per organization present the 
statement. Any person who wishes to file a written statement may do so 
before or after the meeting. These statements will become part of the 
permanent record and will be available for public inspection at the 
address listed in Unit II.B. of this document.

List of Subjects

    Environmental protection, Pesticides, agriculture, chemicals, 
cumulative risk.

    Dated: August 7, 2001.
  Marcia E. Mulkey,
Director, Office of Pesticide Programs.
[FR Doc. 01-20666 Filed 8-15-01; 8:45 am]
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