[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 114 (Wednesday, June 13, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31915-31916]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-14905]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OPP-00724; FRL-6787-6]


FIFRA Scientific Advisory Panel; Notice of Public Meeting

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: There will be a 2-day meeting of the Federal Insecticide, 
Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and Food Quality Protection Act 
(FQPA) Scientific Advisory Panel (SAP) to review a set of issues being 
considered by the Agency pertaining to an assessment of additional 
scientific information concerning StarLink<SUP>TM</SUP> corn. Members 
of the public may submit written comments for consideration by the SAP. 
In addition, EPA will provide an opportunity during the public meeting 
for the public to make brief oral remarks to the SAP. The procedures 
governing submission of written comments and the presentation of oral 
comments are described below. Seating at the meeting will be on a 
first-come basis. Individuals requiring special accommodations at this 
meeting, including wheelchair access, should contact Paul Lewis at the 
address listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT at least 5 
business days prior to the meeting so that appropriate arrangements can 
be made.

DATES: The meeting will be held on July 17 and July 18 from 
approximately 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Sheraton Crystal City Hotel, 
1800 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, VA 22202. The telephone number 
for the Sheraton Crystal City Hotel is (703) 486-1111.
    Requests to participate may be submitted by mail, electronically, 
or in person. Please follow the detailed instructions for each method 
as provided in Unit I. of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. To ensure 
proper receipt by EPA, your request must identify docket control number 
OPP-00724 in the subject line on the first page of your response.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul Lewis, Designated Federal 
Official, Office of Science Coordination and Policy (7202C), 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., 
Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (703) 305-5369; fax number: 
(703) 605-0656; e-mail address: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#ee828b99879dc09e8f9b82ae8b9e8fc0898198"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="9cf0f9ebf5efb2ecfde9f0dcf9ecfdb2fbf3ea">[email protected]</span></a>.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. General Information

A. Does this Action Apply to Me?

    This action is directed to the public in general. This action may, 
however, 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. If you have any questions 
regarding the applicability of this action to a particular entity, 
consult the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

[[Page 31916]]

B. How Can I Get Additional Information, Including Copies of this 
Document and Other Related Documents?

    1. Electronically. A meeting agenda and several background 
documents relevant to this meeting are now available. EPA's primary 
position, paper, and questions to the FIFRA SAP should be available as 
soon as possible, but no later than late June. In addition, the Agency 
expects to provide additional background documents as the material 
become available. You may obtain electronic copies of these documents, 
and certain other related documents that might be available 
electronically, from the FIFRA SAP Internet Home Page at http://www.epa.gov/scipoly/sap. To access this document on the Home Page 
select Federal Register notice announcing this meeting. You can also go 
directly to the Federal Register listings at http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/.
    2. In person. The Agency has established an official record for 
this meeting under docket control number OPP-00724. The official record 
consists of the documents specifically referenced in this notice, any 
public comments received during an applicable comment period, and other 
material information, 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. In addition, the Agency may 
provide additional background documents as the material becomes 
available. The public version of the official record, which includes 
printed, paper versions of any electronic comments that may be 
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 22202, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, 
excluding legal holidays. The PIRIB telephone number is (703) 305-5805.

C. How Can I Request to Participate in this Meeting?

    You may submit a request to participate in this meeting through the 
mail, in person, or electronically. Do not submit any information in 
your request that is considered CBI. To ensure proper receipt by EPA, 
it is imperative that you identify docket control number OPP-00724 in 
the subject line on the first page of your request. Interested persons 
are permitted to file written statements before the meeting. To the 
extent that time permits, and upon advance written request to the 
person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, interested persons 
may be permitted by the Chair of the FIFRA SAP to present oral 
statements at the meeting. 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 (e.g., overhead projector, 35 mm projector, chalkboard). 
There is no limit on the extent of written comments for consideration 
by the Panel, but oral statements before the Panel are limited to 
approximately 5 minutes. The Agency also urges the public to submit 
written comments in lieu of oral presentations. Persons wishing to make 
oral and/or written statements at the meeting should contact the person 
listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT and submit 30 copies of 
their presentation and/or remarks to the panel. The Agency encourages 
that written statements be submitted before the meeting to provide 
panel members the time necessary to consider and review the comments.
    1. By mail. You may submit a request to: Public Information and 
Records Integrity Branch (PIRIB), Information Resources and Services 
Division (7502C), Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP), Environmental 
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460.
    2. In person or by courier. Public Information and Records 
Integrity Branch (PIRIB), Information Resources and Services Division 
(7502C), Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP), Environmental Protection 
Agency, Rm. 119, Crystal Mall #2, 1921 Jefferson Davis Hwy., Arlington, 
VA 22202. 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.
    3. Electronically. You may submit your request electronically by e-
mail to: ``<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#69061919440d060a020c1d290c1908470e061f"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="f49b8484d9909b979f9180b4918495da939b82">[email protected]</span></a>.'' Do not submit any information 
electronically that you consider to be CBI. Use WordPerfect 6.1/8.0 or 
ASCII file format and avoid the use of special characters and any form 
of encryption. Be sure to identify by docket control number OPP-00724. 
You may also file a request online at many Federal Depository 
Libraries.

II. Background

A. Purpose of the Meeting

    On November 28, 2000, the FIFRA SAP met to review the potential 
allergenicity, sensitization, and dietary exposure to 
StarLink<SUP>TM</SUP> corn. The Panel concluded that based on the 
available information at that time, there was a medium likelihood that 
the Cry9C protein was a potential allergen. However, the Panel also 
concluded that ``while not conclusive, the likely levels of the Cry9C 
protein in the U.S. diet provide sufficient evidence of a low 
probability of allergenicity in the exposed population.'' The Panel 
recommended that certain additional information would be valuable to 
refining the risk assessment. The Panel recommended that the highest 
priority was for follow-up on those individuals who had claimed that 
they had suffered some type of allergic reaction after eating a corn 
product that might have contained StarLink<SUP>TM</SUP> corn and to 
determine if there were antibodies for Cry9C in the blood serum of 
these individuals.
    The SAP also recommended collecting additional information to 
improve the estimate of the levels of Cry9C protein in the food supply.
    The SAP will be meeting to assess additional scientific information 
concerning StarLink<SUP>TM</SUP> corn. The SAP will review EPA's paper 
on the possible presence of Cry9C protein in processed human foods from 
wet milling of corn, the work the United States Department of 
Agriculture and Aventis Crop Sciences have done to reduce the amount of 
StarLink<SUP>TM</SUP> corn going into the food supply, the scientific 
data in Aventis Crop Sciences petition for a tolerance for Cry9C 
protein of 20 parts per billion in corn grain, validation of new 
detection methods for Cry9C protein in finished foods, and the Food and 
Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's 
efforts to develop a test method for blood serum from individuals who 
reported having allergic type responses after eating foods containing 
corn.

B. Panel Report

    The Panel will prepare a report of its recommendations to the 
Agency. The report will be posted on the FIFRA SAP web site or may be 
obtained by contacting the PIRIB at the address or telephone number 
listed in Unit I. of this document.

List of Subjects

    Environmental protection.


    Dated: June 4, 2001.
Vanessa Vu,
Director, Office of Science Coordination and Policy.
[FR Doc. 01-14905 Filed 6-12-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-S


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