24954 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 83 / Friday, April 28, 2000 / Notices

meeting facilities could limit the

number of participants. This action may

be of interest to farm worker groups,

agricultural employers, state

governments, county extension services,

and pesticide product manufacturers. If

you have any questions regarding the

applicability of this action to a

particular entity, consult the party listed

under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

CONTACT.

II. How Can I Get Copies of this

Document?

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/. You may also go directly

to the Federal Register listings at http:/

/www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/.

III. How Can I Participate in this

Meeting and is there a Deadline?

Yes. You may request to participate in

this meeting and register by phone, by

fax, through the mail, or electronically

by no later than May 20, 2000. Please

contact Meetings Management, Inc.,

P.O. Box 30045, Alexandria, Virginia

22310, Tel: (703) 922–7944, Fax: (703)

922–7780, E-mail:

Mmagnini@BellAtlantic.net.

List of Subjects

Environmental protection.

Dated: April 24, 2000.

Anne E. Lindsay,

Director, Field and External Affairs Division,

Office of Pesticide Programs.

[FR Doc. 00–10591 Filed 4–27–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560–50–F

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

AGENCY

[OPP–34222; FRL–6557–2]

Organophosphate Pesticides;

Availability of Revised Risk

Assessments

AGENCY: Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: This notices announces the

availability of the revised risk

assessments and related documents for

two organophosphate pesticides,

chlorpyrifos-methyl and trichlorfon. In

addition, this notice starts a 60-day

public participation period during

which the public is encouraged to

submit risk management ideas or

proposals. 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.

DATES: Comments, identified by docket

control numbers OPP–34202B for

chlorpyrifos-methyl and OPP–34207A

for trichlorfon, must be received by EPA

on or before June 27, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be

submitted by mail, electronically, or in

person. Please follow the detailed

instructions for each method as

provided in Unit III. of the

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. To ensure

proper receipt by EPA, it is imperative

that you identify docket control

numbers OPP–34202B for chlorpyrifosmethyl and OPP–34207A for trichlorfon

in the subject line on the first page of

your response.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Karen Angulo, Special Review and

Reregistration Division (7508C), Office

of Pesticide Programs, Environmental

Protection Agency, Ariel Rios Bldg.,

1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW.,

Washington, DC 20460; telephone

number: (703) 308–8004; e-mail address:

angulo.karen@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. 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 revised risk assessments

and submitting risk management

comments on chlorpyrifos-methyl and

trichlorfon, 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. As such, the Agency has not

attempted to specifically describe all the

entities potentially 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.’’

II. How Can I Get Additional

Information, Including Copies of this

Document or Other Related Documents?

A. Electronically. You may obtain

electronic copies of this document and

other related documents from the EPA

Internet Home Page at http://

www.epa.gov/. To access this

document, on the Home Page select

‘‘Laws and Regulations’’ 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

organophosphate pesticides and obtain

electronic copies of the revised risk

assessments and related documents

mentioned in this notice, you can also

go directly to the Home Page for the

Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) at

http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/op/.

B. In person. The Agency has

established an official record for this

action under docket control numbers

OPP–34202B for chlorpyrifos-methyl

and OPP–34207A for trichlorfon. The

official record consists of the documents

specifically referenced in this action,

any public comments received during

an applicable comment period, and

other information related to this action,

including any information claimed as

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 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.

III. How Can I Respond to this Action?

A. 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

control numbers OPP–34202B for

chlorpyrifos-methyl and OPP–34207A

for trichlorfon in the subject line on the

first page of your response.

1. By mail. Submit comments to:

Public Information and Records

Integrity Branch, Information Resources

and Services Division (7502C), Office of

Pesticide Programs, Environmental

Protection Agency, Ariel Rios Bldg.,

1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW.,

Washington, DC 20460.

2. In person or by courier. Deliver

comments to: Public Information and

Records Integrity Branch, Information

Resources and Services Division, Office

of Pesticide Programs, 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.

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 83 / Friday, April 28, 2000 / Notices 24955

3. Electronically. Submit electronic

comments by e-mail to: ‘‘oppdocket@epa.gov,’’ or you can submit a

computer disk as described in this unit.

Do not submit any information

electronically that you consider to be

CBI. Electronic comments must be

submitted as an ASCII file, avoiding the

use of special characters and any form

of encryption. Comments and data will

also be accepted on standard computer

disks in WordPerfect 6.1/8.0 or ASCII

file format. All comments in electronic

form must be identified by the docket

control numbers OPP–34202B for

chlorpyrifos-methyl and OPP–34207A

for trichlorfon. Electronic comments

may also be filed online at many Federal

Depository Libraries.

B. How Should I Handle CBI

Information 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.

IV. What Action is EPA Taking in this

Notice?

EPA is making available for public

viewing the revised risk assessments

and related documents for two

organophosphate pesticides,

chlorpyrifos-methyl and trichlorfon.

These documents have been developed

as part of the pilot public participation

process that EPA and 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). 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. The documents being

released to the public through this

notice provide information on the

revisions that were made to the

chlorpyrifos-methyl and trichlorfon

preliminary risk assessments, which

where released to the public October 6,

1999 (64 FR 193) (FRL–6387–9) for

chlorpyrifos-methyl and November 10,

1999 (64 FR 217) (FRL–6393–9) for

trichlorfon through notices in the

Federal Register.

In addition, this notice starts a 60-day

public participation period during

which the public is encouraged to

submit risk management proposals or

otherwise comment on risk

managements for chlorpyrifos-methyl

and trichlorfon. The Agency is

providing an opportunity, through this

notice, for interested parties to provide

written risk management proposals or

ideas to the Agency on the chemical

specified in this notice. Such comments

and proposals could address ideas about

how chlorpyrifos-methyl and trichlorfon

use sites or crops across the United

States or in a particular geographic

region of the country. To address dietary

risk, for example, commenters may

choose to discuss the feasibility of lower

application rates, increasing the time

interval between application and

harvest (‘‘pre-harvest intervals’’),

modifications in use, or suggest

alternative measures to reduce residues

contributing to dietary exposure. For

occupational risks, commenters may

suggest personal protective equipment

or technologies to reduce exposure to

workers and pesticide handlers. For

ecological risks, commenters may

suggest ways to reduce environmental

exposure, e.g., exposure to birds, fish,

mammals, and other non-target

organisms. EPA will provide other

opportunities for public participation

and comment on issues associated with

the organophosphate pesticide tolerance

reassessment program. Failure to

participate or comment as part of this

opportunity will in no way prejudice or

limit a commenter’s opportunity to

participate fully in later notice and

comment processes. All comments and

proposals must be received by EPA on

or before June 27, 2000 at the addresses

given under the ‘‘ADDRESSES’’ section.

Comments and proposals will become

part of the Agency record for the

organophosphate pesticides specified in

this notice.

List of Subjects

Environmental protection, Chemicals,

Pesticides and pests.

Dated: April 21, 2000.

Jack E. Housenger,

Acting Director, Special Review and

Reregistration Division, Office of Pesticide

Programs.

[FR Doc. 00–10589 Filed 4–27–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560–50–F

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

AGENCY

[OPP–00645A; FRL–6557–7]

Pesticide Tolerance Reassessment

and Reregistration; Proposed Public

Participation Process; Reopening of

Comment Period

AGENCY: Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice; reopening of comment

period.

SUMMARY: This notice announces EPA’s

extension of the comment period for the

proposal for a public participation

process for pesticide tolerance

reassessment and reregistration. This

proposal is in response to a joint

initiative between EPA and the

Department of Agriculture (USDA) to

increase transparency and stakeholder

involvement in the development of

pesticide risk assessments and risk

management documents and decisions.

EPA and USDA have been actively

employing a pilot public participation

process for tolerance reassessment and

reregistration of organophosphate

pesticides for over 1 year (since August

1998), which was developed in

consultation with the Tolerance

Reassessment Advisory Committee

(TRAC). Consideration must now be

given as to whether this public

participation process or some

modification of it should be adopted as

the final process, and whether it should

be used for tolerance reassessment and

reregistration of all pesticides.

DATES: Comments, identified by the

docket control number OPP–00645A,

must be received on or before May 15,

2000.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be

submitted by mail, electronically, or in