[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 126 (Thursday, July 1, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39925-39926]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-14995]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-7781-2]


Symposium on Field Monitoring of Genetically Modified Crop Plants

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

ACTION: Notice announcing a public symposium.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing 
that the National Center for Environmental Assessment (NCEA) within the 
Office of Research and Development is sponsoring a three-day public 
symposium entitled, Symposium on Field Monitoring of Genetically 
Modified Crop Plants.

DATES: The symposium will be held Tuesday, August 3, 2004, through 
Thursday, August 5, 2004, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.

ADDRESSES: The symposium will be held at the Sheraton Hotel in Crystal 
City, 1800 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, VA 22202; telephone: 
703-769-3946. A limited number of rooms will be available at the 
Sheraton Hotel through July 3, 2004, for the special meeting rate of 
$150 per night. The meeting location is within walking distance of the 
Crystal City Metro Stop on the Blue and Yellow Lines. TN & Associates, 
an EPA contractor, is organizing, convening, and conducting the 
symposium. To attend the symposium, please preregister by July 30, 
2004, by calling Holly Stoddard (contractor) at (678) 355-5550 x0, 
register on line at [email protected]. On site registration will be 
accommodated on a space available basis.
    A preliminary program agenda will be available on the NCEA Web page 
at http://www.epa.gov/ncea. A conference report of the symposium will 
be made available on the NCEA Web page shortly after the meeting.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For symposium information, 
registration, and logistics, contact Holley Stoddard, TN & Associates, 
Inc.; telephone: 678-355-5550; facsimile: 678-355-5545; e-mail: 
[email protected].
    For further information the EPA contact is Dr. Robert Frederick, 
telephone: 202-564-3207; e-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: There is concern that the large scale 
adoption of crops with Plant Incorporated Protectants (PIPs) may have a 
significant environmental impact. Monitoring for resistant insects has 
been performed since 1991 to address the concern of developing insect 
resistance to specific PIPs. Other science based monitoring programs to 
assess possible environmental impacts of PIP crops have been limited. 
The National Center for Environmental Assessment (NCEA), a part of the 
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Office of Research and 
Development, is sponsoring a three-day public symposium on recently 
published scientific research and current theory on monitoring for 
environmental effects from plants with incorporated protectants. The 
focus of the symposium will be to review the state of the science of 
environmental monitoring with particular focus on PIP crops, and to 
discuss the strengths/weaknesses of these approaches. The symposium 
will also address criteria for selecting ecological indicators, the use 
of statistical analysis for developing monitoring strategies, and the 
feasibility

[[Page 39926]]

of large scale monitoring plans for PIP plants. The symposium is 
expected to be of interest to public interest groups, regulators, 
academics, and industry representatives involved in the field of 
genetically modified plants.
    At the end of each speaker's presentation, there will be a limited 
period for related questions from the audience. Members of the public 
may attend the symposium as observers and participate in question 
periods. Space is limited, and registrations will be accepted on a 
first-come, first-served basis. The focus of the symposium is the state 
of the science of environmental monitoring of genetically modified 
plants.

    Dated: June 25, 2004.
George W. Alapas,
Director, National Center for Environmental Assessment.
[FR Doc. 04-14995 Filed 6-30-04; 8:45 am]
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