[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 162 (Wednesday, August 21, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54206-54207]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-20874]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OPP-2002-0182; FRL-7193-5]


Guidance for Developing and Performing Quality Control of Water 
Modeling Standard Scenarios and Standard Scenario Metadata Files; 
Notice of Availability

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: EPA is soliciting comments on two documents, ``PRZM Field and 
Orchard Crop Scenario Metadata'' and ``Standard Procedures for 
Conducting Quality Control and Quality Assurance for Pesticide Root 
Zone Model (PRZM) Field and Orchard Crop Scenarios.'' Interested 
parties may request a copy of the draft proposed procedures and 
scenario documentation as a set in Unit I.B. of this notice. The PRZM 
Field and Orchard Crop Scenario Metadata documents the crop-specific 
parameters (specific value used and its reference) which are key 
elements of the exposure scenario used to determine surface water 
concentrations in ecological and drinking water assessments. Standard 
Procedures for Conducting Quality Control and Quality Assurance for 
PRZM Field and Orchard Crop Scenarios provides a defined set of steps 
(methods of selecting or estimating specific scenario values and 
available references) to develop and/or ensure the quality of a crop 
scenario. Both documents provide a transparent description of each 
environmental modeling scenario and the procedures used to create them 
while providing consistent and reproducible products.

DATES: Comments, identified by docket ID number OPP-2002-0182, must be 
received on or before October 21, 2002.

ADDRESSES: Comments 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, it is imperative that you identify docket ID number 
OPP-2002-0182 in the subject line on the first page of your response.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sid Abel, Environmental Fate and 
Effects Division (7507C), Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental 
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; 
telephone number: (703) 305-7346; fax number: (703) 305-6309; 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 those who are or may be conducting surface 
water modeling assessments on behalf of pesticide registration, risk 
assessments or those who may be involved in developing information 
directly related to data necessary to develop a modeling scenario. 
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. 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 Standard 
Procedures for Conducting Quality Control and Quality Assurance for 
Pesticide Root Zone Model (PRZM) Field and Orchard Crop Scenarios and 
PRZM Field and Orchard Crop Scenario Metadata, go directly to the Home 
Page for the Office of Pesticide Programs at: http://www.epa.gov/oppefed1/models/water/op_scenario_metadata_df_061602.htm and http://www.epa.gov/oppefed1/models/water/qa_qc_documentation_ver2 .htm
    2. By mail. You may obtain copies of these documents, and certain 
other related documents that might be available by contacting the 
person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

C. 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 ID number OPP-2002-0182 in the subject line on the 
first page of your response.
    1. By mail. Submit your comments to: Public Information and Records 
Integrity Branch (PIRIB), Information Resources and Services Division 
(7502C), Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP), Environmental Protection 
Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460.
    2. In person or by courier. Deliver your comments to: 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 comments electronically 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. Avoid the use of special characters and 
any form of encryption. Electronic submissions will be accepted in 
WordPerfect 6.1/8.0 or ASCII file format. All comments in electronic 
form must be identified by docket ID number OPP-2002-0182. Electronic 
comments may also be filed online at many Federal Depository Libraries.

[[Page 54207]]

D. How Should I Handle CBI 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.

E. What Should I Consider as I Prepare My Comments for EPA?

    You may find the following suggestions helpful for preparing your 
comments:
    1. Explain your views as clearly as possible.
    2. Describe any assumptions that you used.
    3. Provide copies of any technical information and/or data you used 
that support your views.
    4. If you estimate potential burden or costs, explain how you 
arrived at the estimate that you provide.
    5. Provide specific examples to illustrate your concerns.
    6. Offer alternative ways to improve the notice or collection 
activity.
    7. Make sure to submit your comments by the deadline in this 
notice.
    8. To ensure proper receipt by EPA, be sure to identify the docket 
ID number assigned to this action in the subject line on the first page 
of your response. You may also provide the name, date, and Federal 
Register citation.

II. What Action is the Agency Taking?

    The Agency is seeking comment on two documents that describe how 
EPA develops and uses pesticide surface water modeling scenarios in 
ecological and drinking water exposure and risk assessments. These 
documents are entitled ``Pesticide Root Zone Model (PRZM) Field and 
Orchard Crop Scenario Metadata'' and ``Standard Procedures for 
Conducting Quality Control and Quality Assurance for PRZM Field and 
Orchard Crop Scenarios'' and can be found at the following web 
addresses: http://www.epa.gov/oppefed1/models/water/op_scenario_metadata_df_061602.htm and http://www.epa.gov/oppefed1/models/water/qa_qc_documentation_ver2 .htm
    Modeling scenarios are defined as the set of characteristics of the 
agricultural crop to which a pesticide may be applied (e.g., cotton) 
and the field information on which the crop is actually grown (e.g., 
soils) that are necessary to estimate pesticide transport to surface 
water. The modeling sites, or scenarios, the OPP uses to estimate 
environmental concentrations in surface water are documented in and 
developed through the use of these documents.
    These documents were developed to support the following activities: 
OP Cumulative Risk Assessment, the Agency's Information Quality 
Guideline, data quality guidelines and to improve environmental 
assessments.
    The first document, ``PRZM Field and Orchard Crop Scenario 
Metadata,'' provides a detailed listing of the parameters and 
associated values specific to a crop and field combination (e.g., a 
cotton field in Yazoo County, Mississippi). OPP evaluated several 
approaches to documenting the parameters from a modeling scenario used 
to estimate environmental exposures. This format is believed to provide 
the most appropriate means to readily document and recall critical 
information contained in a given scenario. Users of this format, 
whether Agency staff or the public, will be able to quickly document a 
scenario in a consistent manner that meets quality standards 
implemented by the OPP. In addition, users who retrieve information or 
wish to understand the content of a crop-field scenario for a pesticide 
assessment will be assured of a standardized format which simplifies 
review. Information in this document reflects the results of the second 
document ``Standard Procedures for Conducting Quality Control and 
Quality Assurance for PRZM Field and Orchard Crop Scenarios.''
    Standard Procedures for Conducting Quality Control and Quality 
Assurance for PRZM Field and Orchard Crop Scenarios describes the set 
of procedures, methods, and references to ``construct'' or review for 
consistency the information contained in a crop-field scenario. The 
steps and recommendation described in this guidance provide a sound 
scientific basis for selecting information with relevance to what is 
observed in an actual agricultural field such as cotton. The 
methodology is intended to give the regulated community, decision-
makers and the public confidence that assessments resulting from the 
use of scenarios representing an agricultural field reflect conditions 
that are likely to occur in the ``real world.'' Numerous methods and 
sources of credible scientific information are given in this document 
and are considered readily available to the public through voice 
contact, public information sources (e.g., public libraries) or the 
world wide web. The Agency has identified and described as best 
possible information to support this guidance and seeks comments on 
what additional information would help improve modeling scenarios.

List of Subjects

    Environmental protection, Environmental modeling, Pesticide Root 
Zone Model, PRZM, Surface water exposure, Pesticides, Crops, Modeling 
Guidance.

    Dated: August 5, 2002.
Sidney Abel, III,
Chief, Environmental Risk Branch I, Office of Pesticide Programs.
[FR Doc. 02-20874 Filed 8-20-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-S