[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 96 (Thursday, May 17, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22976-22978]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-10577]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-HQ-OPP-2017-0617; FRL-9977-37]
FIFRA Scientific Advisory Panel; Notice of 4-Day In-Person
Meeting Location; Notice of Public Preparatory Webcast Meeting; Request
for Comments on Prospective Candidate Ad Hoc Reviewers; Extension of
Written Comment Periods
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The July 17-20, 2018, in-person meeting of the Federal
Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act Scientific Advisory Panel
(FIFRA SAP) to consider and review Resistance of Lepidopteran Pests to
Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) Plant Incorporated Plants in the U.S will
be held in the Rosslyn Ballroom at the Holiday Inn Rosslyn at Key
Bridge, 1900 North Fort Myer Drive, Arlington, VA 22209. For additional
information on this in-person meeting, please refer to the March 5,
2018 Federal Register (FRL-9971-35). There will be a 2-hour preparatory
webcast meeting on June 5, 2018 to consider and review the scope and
[[Page 22977]]
clarity of the draft charge questions before the July 17-20, 2018
meeting. In addition, the EPA is announcing and inviting comments on
the experts currently under consideration as prospective candidates for
ad hoc participation in this review.
DATES: The preparatory webcast meeting will be held on June 5, 2018,
from approximately 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. (EDT). This is an open public
meeting that will be conducted via webcast using Adobe Connect and
telephone. Registration is required to participate during this meeting.
Please visit: http://www.epa.gov/sap to register.
The EPA is extending the written public comment period for the June
5 preparatory webcast until June 1, 2018 and the July 17-20 in-person
meeting until June 18, 2018.
Comments. Written comments on the experts currently under
consideration as prospective candidates for ad hoc participation in
this review should be submitted on or before May 31, 2018. Written
comments for the preparatory webcast meeting should be submitted on or
before June 1, 2018 and June 18, 2018 for the in-person meeting. FIFRA
SAP may not be able to fully consider written comments submitted after
the respective due dates previously listed. Requests to make oral
comments should be submitted on or before May 24, 2018 by contacting
the Designated Federal Official (DFO) listed under FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT. For additional instructions, see Unit I.C. of the
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
ADDRESSES:
Meeting: The July 17-20, 2018 in-person meeting will be held at the
Holiday Inn Rosslyn at Key Bridge, Rosslyn Ballroom, 1900 North Fort
Myer Drive, Arlington, VA 22209.
Comments. Submit your comments, identified by docket identification
(ID) number EPA-HQ-OPP-2017-0617, by one of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.
Follow the online instructions for submitting comments. Do not submit
electronically any information you consider to be Confidential Business
Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted
by statute.
Mail: OPP Docket, Environmental Protection Agency Docket
Center (EPA/DC), (28221T), 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC
20460-0001.
Hand Delivery: To make special arrangements for hand
delivery or delivery of boxed information, please follow the
instructions at http://www.epa.gov/dockets/contacts.html.
Additional instructions on commenting or visiting the docket, along
with more information about dockets generally, is available at http://www.epa.gov/dockets.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tamue L. Gibson, DFO, Office of
Science Coordination and Policy (7201M), Environmental Protection
Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone
number: 202-564-7642; email address: [email protected].
Special accommodations. For information on access or services for
individuals with disabilities, and to request accommodation of a
disability, please contact the DFO at least 10 days prior to the
meeting to allow EPA time to process your request.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. General Information
A. Does this action apply to me?
This action is directed to the public in general. This action may
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) and FIFRA. 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.
B. What should I consider as I prepare my comments for EPA?
1. Submitting CBI. Do not submit CBI information to EPA through
regulations.gov or email. If your comments contain any information that
you consider to be CBI or otherwise protected, please contact the DFO
listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT to obtain special
instructions before submitting your comments.
2. Tips for preparing your comments. When preparing and submitting
your comments, see the commenting tips at http://www.epa.gov/dockets/comments.html.
C. How may I participate in this meeting?
You may participate in this meeting by following the instructions
in this unit. To ensure proper receipt by EPA, it is imperative that
you identify docket ID number EPA-HQ-OPP-2017-0617 in the subject line
on the first page of your request.
1. Written comments. Written comments on the experts currently
under consideration as prospective candidates for ad hoc participation
in this review should be submitted on or before May 31, 2018. Written
comments for both the preparatory webcast and in-person meetings should
be submitted, using the instructions in ADDRESSES and Unit I.B., on or
before June 1, 2018 (preparatory webcast) and June 18, 2018 for the in-
person meeting, to provide FIFRA SAP the time necessary to consider and
review the written comments. The FIFRA SAP may not be able to fully
consider written comments submitted after the respective due dates
listed above.
2. Oral comments. Registration is required to participate in the
June 5 preparatory webcast meeting. Please visit: http://www.epa.gov.sap to register. Each individual or group wishing to make
brief oral comments to FIFRA SAP during the preparatory webcast should
submit their request by registering with the DFO listed under FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT on or before noon May 24, 2018. Oral
comments before FIFRA SAP during the preparatory webcast are limited to
approximately 5 minutes due to the time constraints of this webcast.
The Agency encourages each individual or group wishing to make
brief oral comments to FIFRA SAP during the in-person meeting to submit
their request to the DFO listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
on or before May 24, 2018, to be included on the meeting agenda.
Requests to present oral comments during the in-person meeting will be
accepted until the date of the meeting and, to the extent that time
permits, the Chair of FIFRA SAP may permit the presentation of oral
comments at the meeting by interested persons who have not previously
requested time. Oral comments during the in-person meeting are limited
to approximately 5 minutes unless arrangements have been made prior to
May 24, 2018. 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. In addition,
each speaker should bring 15 copies of his or her oral remarks and
presentation slides (if required) for distribution to FIFRA SAP at the
meeting by the DFO.
3. Webcast. The June 5 preparatory meeting will be webcast only.
Please refer to the FIFRA SAP website at http://www.epa.gov/sap for
information on how to access the webcast. Registration is required.
[[Page 22978]]
II. Background
A. Purpose of FIFRA SAP Preparatory Webcast
FIFRA SAP serves as a primary scientific peer review mechanism of
EPA's Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP) and is
structured to provide scientific advice, information and
recommendations to the EPA Administrator on pesticides and pesticide-
related issues as to the impact of regulatory actions on health and the
environment. FIFRA SAP is a Federal advisory committee established in
1975 under FIFRA that operates in accordance with requirements of the
Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. Appendix). FIFRA SAP is
composed of a permanent panel consisting of seven members who are
appointed by the EPA Administrator from nominees provided by the
National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation. The
FIFRA SAP is assisted in their reviews by ad hoc participation from the
Science Review Board (SRB). As a scientific peer review mechanism,
FIFRA SAP provides comments, evaluations, and recommendations to
improve the effectiveness and quality of analyses made by Agency
scientists. The FIFRA SAP is not required to reach consensus in its
recommendations to the Agency.
B. Public Meeting
During the preparatory webcast meeting scheduled for June 5, 2018,
the FIFRA SAP will review and consider the scope and clarity of the
Charge Questions for the Panel's July 17-20, 2018 Meeting on the
Resistance of Lepidopteran Pests to Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) Plant
Incorporated Protectants in the United States. The SAP will receive a
short background briefing on lepidopteran adaptation to Bt toxins in
the U.S., including the EPA's assessment as to whether it is warranted
scientifically to develop a resistance management plan for western bean
cutworm. In addition, the panel members will have the opportunity to
comment on the scope and clarity of the draft charge questions.
Subsequent to this webcast, final charge questions will be provided for
the FIFRA SAP's deliberation on the white paper, and supplemental
information during the in-person meeting to be held July 17-20, 2018.
C. FIFRA SAP Documents and Meeting Minutes
EPA's background paper, charge/questions to FIFRA SAP, and related
supporting materials will be available in early May. In addition, a
list of prospective candidates currently under consideration for ad hoc
participation in this review is now available for public comment until
May 31, 2018. You may obtain electronic copies of most meeting
documents, including FIFRA SAP composition (i.e., members and ad hoc
members for this meeting) and the meeting agenda, at http://www.regulations.gov and the FIFRA SAP website at http://www.epa.gov/sap.
Authority: 7 U.S.C. 136 et. seq.; 21 U.S.C. 301 et seq.
Dated: May 8, 2018.
Stanley Barone Jr.,
Acting Director, Office of Science Coordination and Policy.
[FR Doc. 2018-10577 Filed 5-16-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P