01-31937. Technical Briefing on the Preliminary Organophosphate Pesticide Cumulative Risk Assessment

AGENCY:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

EPA is announcing a public technical briefing on January 15, 2002, to discuss the exposure methodologies proposed for use in the organophosphate (OP) cumulative risk assessment for food, drinking water, and residential exposures. The briefing will provide the public with an explanation in non-technical terms of the proposed exposure methodologies. In addition, the briefing will cover how the computer software model calculates and combines these exposure estimates. This briefing follows the August 22, 2001, briefing on the hazard portion of the assessment, the October 3, 2001, briefing on the water exposure methodology, and the November 15, 2001, briefing on the food and residential methodologies. This technical briefing will complete the background briefings on the proposed OP cumulative risk assessment methodology.

DATES:

The technical briefing will be held on Tuesday, January 15, 2002, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. On Wednesday, January 16, 2002, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., EPA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture will hold a public meeting of the CARAT Workgroup on Cumulative Risk Assessment/Public Participation Process.

ADDRESSES:

The technical briefing and the CARAT Workgroup Meeting will be held at the Hilton Alexandria Old Town, 1767 King Street, Alexandria, VA. The telephone number for the hotel is [phone]. The hotel is located across from the King Street Metro Station.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

By mail: Karen Angulo, Special Review and Registration Division (7508C), Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: [phone]; e-mail address: [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. General Information

A. Does this Action Apply to Me?

This action applies to the public in general. As such, the Agency has not attempted to specifically describe all the entities potentially affected by this action. The Agency believes that a wide range of stakeholders will be interested in technical briefings on organophosphate pesticides, 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. 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/​. To access this document, 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/​.

To access information about organophosphate pesticides, you can also go directly to the Home Page for the Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) at http://www.epa.gov/​pesticides/​op/​. In addition, information about the cumulative process and the preliminary organophosphate cumulative risk assessment documents are found at http://www.epa.gov/​pesticides/​cumulative.

2. In person. The Agency has established an official record under docket control number OPP-34251. 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 [phone].

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

This meeting is open to the public. Outside statements by observers are welcome. Oral statements will be limited to 3 to 5 minutes, and it is preferred that only one person per organization present the statement. Any person who wishes to file a written statement may do so immediately before or after the meeting. These statements will become part of the permanent record and will be available for public inspection at the address listed in Unit I. of this document.

List of Subjects

• Environmental protection
• Organophosphate pesticides

Dated: December 19, 2001.

Lois A. Rossi,

Director, Special Review and Registration Division, Office of Pesticide Programs.