[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 10 (Tuesday, January 15, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1973-1975]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-960]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OPP;-00756;FRL-6820-1]


FIFRA Scientific Advisory Panel; Notice of Public Meeting

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: There will be a 4-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 methods used to conduct a 
preliminary cumulative risk assessment for organophosphorous 
pesticides. 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 February 5th-8th, 2002 from 8:30 
a.m. to 5 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Sheraton Crystal City Hotel, 
1800 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, VA 22202. The telephone number 
for the Sheraton Crystal City Hotel is (703) 486-1111.
    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

[[Page 1974]]

OPP-00756 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, (7201M), 
Environmental Protection Agency, Ariel Rios Bldg., 1200 Pennsylvania 
Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (202) 564-8450; fax 
number: (202) 564-8382; 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 who are or may be required to 
conduct testing of chemical substances under the Federal Food, Drug, 
and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), FIFRA and FQPA. 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 and background documents 
relevant to this meeting are now available. The EPA's position paper 
and questions to the FIFRA SAP, and Panel composition (i.e. SAP members 
and consultants) will be available as soon as possible, but no later 
than mid January. In addition, the Agency may provide additional 
background 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 FIFRA SAP 
Internet Home Page at http://www.epa.gov/scipoly/sap. To access this 
document on the Home Page select Federal Register notice announcing 
this meeting. 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 OPP-00756. The 
administrative record consists of the documents specifically referenced 
in this notice, any public comments received during an applicable 
comment period, and other material information, 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 
background 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-00756 in 
the subject line on the first page of your request. Public statements 
presented at the meetings should not be repetitive of previously 
submitted oral or written statements.
    Oral comments: Although requests for oral comments are accepted 
until the date of the meeting (unless otherwise stated), to the extent 
that time permits, interested persons may be permitted by the Chair of 
the FIFRA SAP to present oral statements at the meeting. Each 
individual or group wishing to make a brief oral presentation to the 
SAP is strongly advised to submit their request to the person listed 
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT no later than noon Eastern 
Standard Time, Thursday, January 31, 2002 in order to be included on 
the meeting agenda. 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). Oral 
statements before the Panel are limited to approximately 5 minutes 
unless prior arrangements have been made. In addition, the speaker 
should bring to the meeting 30 copies of their comments and 
presentation slides for distribution to the Panel at the meeting.
    Written comments: Although requests for written comment are 
accepted until the date of the meeting (unless otherwise stated), the 
Agency encourages that written statements be submitted no later than 
noon Eastern Standard Time, Thursday, January 31, 2002 to provide Panel 
members the time necessary to consider and review the comments. There 
is no limit on the extent of written comments for consideration by the 
Panel. Persons wishing to submit written comments at the meeting should 
contact the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT and 
submit 30 copies.
    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-00756. 
You may also file a request online at many Federal Depository 
Libraries.

II. Background

A. Purpose of the Meeting

    The Food Quality Protection Act of 1996 amended the FIFRA and the 
FFDCA. One of the major changes is the requirement that EPA consider 
risk posed by pesticides acting by common mechanism of toxicity. For 
such groups of pesticides, EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) has 
treated cumulative risk, under FQPA, as the risk of a common toxic 
effect associated with concurrent exposure by all relevant pathways and 
routes.
    Organophosphorous pesticides were assigned priority for tolerance 
reassessment early during the process of FQPA implementation. OPP 
considered whether this group of pesticides caused common toxic effects 
by a common mechanism of toxicity using EPA's ``guidance for 
identifying pesticide chemicals and other substances that have a common 
mechanism of toxicity.'' The inhibition of acetylcholinesterase was a 
focal point given that most

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organophosphorous pesticides cause this response as their critical and 
common effect. When acetylcholinesterase is inhibited, acetylcholine 
accumulates and cholinergic toxicity results due to continuous 
stimulation of cholinergic receptors throughout the central and 
peripheral nervous systems which innervate virtually every organ in the 
body. Cholinergic effects associated with exposures to OP pesticides 
have been found in both humans and animals.
    OPP proceeded with the methodology and risk assessment development 
in a step by step process. The approach to the risk assessment was 
evaluated using a case study of 3 organophosphorous pesticides. That 
assessment was reviewed by the SAP (September and December, 1999), who 
recommended that OPP proceed with a more comprehensive case study. OPP 
developed the hazard, dose-response and exposure assessment for twenty 
four OP pesticides and brought it to the SAP for comment in September 
and December of 2000. Based on the comments, the hazard and dose-
response assessment was revised and again reviewed by the SAP in 
September, 2001.
    The exposure assessment of the OP pesticides presented here 
incorporates probabilistic approaches in all pathways considered: Food, 
drinking water, and residential/non-occupational. The methodology for 
conducting a preliminary cumulative risk assessment for the 
organophosphorous pesticides presented here is a first time that the 
Agency has assessed risk combining multiple sources of exposure for 
multiple chemicals acting via a common mechanism of toxicity. The 
general methodology and the specific approach have been under 
development for 5 years and have been subject to extensive peer review 
and public comment.

B. Panel Report

    The Panel will prepare a report of its recommendations to the 
Agency in approximately 60 days. The 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: January 8, 2002.
  Vanessa Vu,
Director, Office of Science Coordination and Policy
[FR Doc. 02-960 Filed 1-14-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-S