[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 173 (Wednesday, September 6, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54002-54003]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-22823]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[OPP-34234; FRL-6739-6]
Organophosphate Pesticides; Availability of Interim Risk
Management Decision Documents
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of the interim risk
management decision documents for three organophosphate pesticides,
bensulide, cadusafos, and chlorethoxyfos. These decision documents have
been developed as part of the public participation process that EPA and
the United States Department of Agriculture (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 organophosphate pesticides under the Federal Insecticide,
Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA).
DATES: The interim risk management decision documents are available in
the OPP Docket under docket control OPP-34234, OPP-34132C for
bensulide, OPP-34142B for cadusafos, and OPP-34170B for chlorethoxyfos.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Karen Angulo, Special Review and
Reregistration Division (7508W), Office of Pesticide Programs,
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW.,
Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (703) 308-8004; 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, nevertheless, a
wide range of stakeholders will be interested in obtaining the interim
risk management decision documents for bensulide, cadusafos, and
chlorethoxyfos, 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. Since other
entities also may 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 this
document, and certain other related documents that might be available
electronically, from the EPA Internet Home Page at http://www.epa.gov/.
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/. In
addition, copies of the pesticide interim risk management decision
documents released to the public may also be accessed at http:
www.epa.gov/REDs.
2. In person. The Agency has established an official record for
this action under docket control OPP-34234, OPP-34132C for bensulide,
OPP-34142B for cadusafos, and OPP-34170B for chlorethoxyfos. The
official record consists of the documents specifically referenced in
this action, and other information related to this action, including
any information claimed as Confidential Business Information (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 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.
II. Background
What Action is the Agency Taking?
EPA has assessed the risks of bensulide and reached an Interim
Reregistration Eligibility Decision (IRED) for this organophosphate
pesticide. With the risk mitigation measures required, bensulide fits
into its own risk cup -- its individual, aggregate risks are within
acceptable levels. Bensulide also is eligible for reregistration,
pending a full reassessment of the cumulative risk from all
organophosphate pesticides. Bensulide residues in food and drinking
water do not pose risk concerns. With mitigation limiting homeowners'
and
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children's exposure via home lawns and other turf, bensulide fits into
its own risk cup. With other mitigation measures, bensulide's worker
and ecological risks also will be below levels of concern for
reregistration.
EPA has assessed the dietary risks of cadusafos and chlorethoxyfos
and prepared for each of these organophosphate pesticides a ``Report on
FQPA Tolerance Reassessment Progress and Interim Risk Management
Decision.'' Cadusafos and chlorethoxyfos fit into their own risk cups
and their individual risks are within acceptable levels. Cadusafos has
no U.S. registrations and only one import tolerance on bananas.
Cadusafos-treated bananas do not pose risk concerns, and no risk
mitigation is necessary at this time. Chlorethoxyfos was initially
registered after 1984, therefore it is not subject to reregistration.
The use of chlorethoxyfos on corn does not pose risk concerns and risk
mitigation is not necessary at this time.
The interim risk management decision documents on bensulide,
cadusafos, and chlorethoxyfos were made through the organophosphate
pilot public participation process, which increases transparency and
maximizes stakeholder involvement in EPA's development of risk
assessments and risk management decisions. 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 organophosphate 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.
EPA worked extensively with affected parties to reach the decisions
presented in the interim risk management decision documents, which
concludes the pilot public participation process for bensulide,
cadusafos, and chlorethoxyfos. As part of the pilot public
participation process, numerous opportunities for public comment were
offered as these interim risk management decisions were being
developed. The bensulide, cadusafos, and chlorethoxyfos interim risk
management decision documents therefore are issued in final, without a
formal public comment period. The docket remains open, however, and any
comments submitted in the future will be placed in the public docket.
The risk assessments for bensulide, cadusafos, and chlorethoxyfos
were released to the public through notices in the Federal Register on
June 16, 1999, 64 FR 32229 (FRL-6087-9) and August 12, 1998, 63 FR
43175 (FRL-6024-3) for bensulide; September 9, 1998, 63 FR 48213 (FRL-
6030-2) and July 7, 1999, 64 FR 36683 (FRL-6091-2) for cadusafos; and
January 15, 1999, 64 FR 2644 (FRL-6056-9) and August 18, 1999 64 FR
44921 (FRL-6095-3) for chlorethoxyfos.
EPA's next step under the FQPA is to complete a cumulative risk
assessment and risk management decision encompassing all the
organophosphate pesticides, which share a common mechanism of toxicity.
The interim risk management decision documents on bensulide, cadusafos,
and chlorethoxyfos cannot be considered final until this cumulative
assessment is complete. Further risk mitigation may be required at that
time.
To effect risk mitigation as quickly as possible, time frames for
making the changes required by the interim risk management decision
documents are shorter than those in a usual Reregistration Eligibility
Decision. The Agency is requiring that all labels must be amended to
include the above mitigation and submitted to the Agency within 90 days
after issuance of the interim risk management decision documents. When
the cumulative risk assessment for all organophosphate pesticides has
been completed, EPA will issue its final tolerance reassessment
decision for bensulide, cadusafos, and chlorethoxyfos and may require
further risk mitigation measures.
List of Subjects
Environmental protection, Chemicals, Pesticides and pests.
Dated: August 23, 2000.
Lois A. Rossi,
Director, Special Review and Reregistration Division, Office of
Pesticide Programs.
[FR Doc. 00-22823 Filed 9-5-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-S