[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 71 (Friday, April 12, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17994-17996]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-9055]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OPP-2002-0008; FRL-6832-5]


Sodium Acifluorfen (Blazer); Availability of Revised Risk 
Assessments

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of the revised risk 
assessments, which include some new information not available at the 
time of the preliminary risk assessment, and related documents for the 
pesticide, sodium acifluorfen. In addition, this notice starts a 45-day 
public participation period during which the public is encouraged to 
submit comments on the new information not available previously in the 
preliminary risk assessments and comments on risk management ideas or 
proposals for sodium acifluorfen. This action is in response to a joint 
initiative between EPA and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to 
increase transparency in the tolerance reassessment process for all 
pesticides.

DATES: Comments, identified by docket control number OPP-2002-0008, 
must be received by EPA on or before May 28, 2002.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted by mail, electronically, or in 
person. Please follow the detailed instructions for each method as 
provided in Unit III. of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. To ensure 
proper receipt by EPA, it is imperative that you identify docket 
control number OPP-2002-0008 in the subject line on the first page of 
your response.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christina Scheltema, Special Review 
and Reregistration Division (7508C), Office of Pesticide Programs, 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, 
Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (703) 308-2201; e-mail 
address:[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. 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 revised 
risk assessments and submitting risk management comments on sodium 
acifluorfen, 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.

[[Page 17995]]

II. How Can I Get Additional Information, Including Copies of this 
Document or Other Related Documents?

    A. Electronically. You may obtain electronic copies of this 
document and other related documents 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 pesticides and obtain electronic copies 
of the revised risk assessments and related documents mentioned in this 
notice, you can also go directly to the Home Page for the Office of 
Pesticide Programs (OPP) at http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/op/.
    B. In person. The Agency has established an official record for 
this action under docket control number OPP-2002-0008. 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 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 Rm. 119, Crystal Mall 
#2, 1921 Jefferson Davis Hwy., Arlington, VA, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., 
Monday through Friday, excluding Federal holidays. The PIRIB telephone 
number is (703) 305-5805.

III. How Can I Respond to this Action?

A. How and to Whom Do I Submit Comments?

    You may submit comments through the mail, in person, or 
electronically.To ensure proper receipt by EPA, it is imperative that 
you identify docket control number OPP-2002-0008 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 
Pennsylvania 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-2002-0008. 
Electronic comments may also be filed online at many Federal Depository 
Libraries.

B. How Should I Handle CBI Information 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.

IV. What Action is EPA Taking in this Notice?

    EPA is making available for public viewing the revised risk 
assessments, which include some new information not available at the 
time of the preliminary risk assessments, and related documents for the 
pesticide, sodium acifluorfen. These documents have been developed as 
part of the pilot public participation process that EPA and 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 pesticides under the Federal Insecticide, 
Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). 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 
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. The 
documents being released to the public through this notice provide some 
new information on the human health effects of sodium acifluorfen, and 
information on the revisions that were made to the sodium acifluorfen 
preliminary risk assessments, which were released to the public July 
26, 2001 (66 FR 3904) (FRL-6789-4), through a notice in the Federal 
Register.
    In addition, this notice starts a 45-day public participation 
period during which the public is encouraged to submit comments on the 
new information not available previously during the earlier public 
comment period for the sodium acifluorfen preliminary risk assessment, 
and risk management proposals or other comments on risk management for 
sodium acifluorfen. The Agency is providing an opportunity, through 
this notice, for interested parties to provide written comments on the 
new sodium acifluorfen health effects information as well as risk 
management proposals or ideas on sodium acifluorfen. Such comments and 
proposals could address ideas about how to manage dietary, 
occupational, or ecological risks on specific sodium acifluorfen use 
sites or crops across the United States or in a particular geographic 
region of the country. To address dietary risk, for example, commenters 
may choose to discuss the feasibility of lower application rates, 
increasing the time interval between application and harvest 
(``preharvest intervals''), modifications in use, or suggest 
alternative measures to reduce residues contributing to dietary 
exposure. For occupational risks, commenters may

[[Page 17996]]

suggest personal protective equipment or technologies to reduce 
exposure to workers and pesticide handlers. For ecological risks, 
commenters may suggest ways to reduce environmental exposure, e.g., 
exposure to birds, fish, mammals, and other non-target organisms. All 
comments and proposals must be received by EPA on or before May 28, 
2002 at the addresses given under the ADDRESSES section. Comments and 
proposals will become part of the Agency record for the pesticide 
specified in this notice.

List of Subjects

    Environmental protection, Chemicals, Pesticides and pests.

    Dated: April 3, 2002.
  Lois A. Rossi,
Director, Special Review and Reregistration Division, Office of 
Pesticide Programs.
[FR Doc. 02-9055 Filed 4-10-02; 12:42 pm]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-S