. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/USA/206
17 December 1999
(99-5457)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  English
NOTIFICATION
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  UNITED STATES
If applicable, name of local government involved:           
2. Agency responsible:  Environmental Protection Agency - EPA
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national schedules
deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers may be provided in addition, whereapplicable).  Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or
practicable:  Organophosphate pesticide
4. Title and number of pages of the notified document:  Organophosphate Pesticides:
Availability of Revised Risk Assessments for Methidathion and Oxydemeton Methyl
(3 pages plus related documents)
5. Description of content: This notice announces the availability of the revised risk
assessments and related documents for two organophosphate pesticides, methidathion
and oxydemeton methyl.  In addition, this notice starts a 60-day public participation
period during which the public is encouraged to submit risk management ideas orproposals. These actions are in response to a joint initiative between EPA and the
Department of Agriculture (USDA) to increase transparency in the tolerance
reassessment process for organophosphate pesticides.
6. Objective and rationale: [  X ] food safety,  [     ] animal health,  [     ] plant protection,
[    ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [     ] protect territory from
other damage from pests           
7. An international standard, guideline or recommendation does not exist [    ].
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate
reference and briefly identify deviations:  Some differences currently exist between the
United States MRLs for organophosphate pesticides and CXLs under Codex Alimentarius.
Making these documents available at this stage is meant to increase transparency and public
involvement in the US tolerance reassessment process for organophosphate pesticides.
8. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  64 FR 68679,
8 December 1999 (Available in English)
9. Proposed date of adoption:  To be determined.
10. Proposed date of entry into force:  To be determined.G/SPS/N/USA/206
Page 2
11. Final date for comments:  7 February 2000
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [     ] National notification
authority, [     ] National enquiry point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if
available) of other body:  Environmental Protection Agency
Detailed instruction on where and how to send comments is in the body of the full text -
which will be sent upon request to the address in paragraph 12.
12. Texts available from: [  X ] National notification authority, [  X ] National enquiry point
or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:
United States SPS Enquiry Point/Notification Authority
USDA/FAS/FSTSD
ATTN: Carolyn F. Wilson
Room 5545 South Agriculture Building
Stop 1027
1400 Independence Avenue, S.W.Washington, D.C. 20250
Phone (202) 720-2239
Fax (202) 690-0677
E-mail Address: ofsts@fas.usda.gov