00-17993. Pesticide Program Dialogue Committee (PPDC); Inert Disclosure Stakeholder Workgroup; Notice of Open Meeting

AGENCY:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION:

Notice of meeting.

SUMMARY:

This notice announces a conference call meeting of the Inert Disclosure Stakeholder Workgroup. The workgroup was established to advise the Pesticide Program Dialogue Committee on ways of making information on inert ingredients more available to the public while working within the mandates of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act and related confidential business information concerns.

DATES:

The meeting will be held by conference call on Tuesday, July 25, 2000, from noon to 3 p.m.

ADDRESSES:

Members of the public may listen to the meeting discussions on site at: Crystal Mall #2, Conference Room 1123, 1921 Jefferson Davis Hwy., Arlington, VA. Seating is limited and will be available on a first come first serve basis.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

By mail: Cameo Smoot, Field and External Affairs Division (7506C), Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460. Office location, telephone number, and e-mail address: 11th Floor, Crystal Mall #2, 1921 Jefferson Davis Hwy., Arlington, VA; [phone]; [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The Inert Disclosure Stakeholder Workgroup is composed of participants from the following sectors: Environmental/public interest and consumer groups; industry and pesticide users; Federal, State, and local governments; the general public; academia and public health organizations.

The Inert Disclosure Stakeholder Workgroup will advise EPA, through the Pesticide Program Dialogue Committee (PPDC), on potential measures to increase the availability to the public of information about inert ingredients (also called “other ingredients”) under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). Among the factors the workgroup has been asked to consider in preparing its recommendations are: Existing law regarding inert ingredients and confidential business information (CBI); current Agency processes and policies for disseminating inert ingredient information to the public, including procedures for the protection of CBI; informational needs for a variety of stakeholders; and business reasons for limiting the disclosure of inert ingredient information.

The Inert Disclosure Stakeholder Workgroup meeting is open to the public. Written public statements are welcome and should be submitted to the OPP administrative docket OPP-00439A. Any person who wishes to file a written statement can do so before or after the conference call. These statements will be provided to the workgroup members for their information.

How and to Whom Do I Submit Comments?

You may submit comments through the mail, in person, or electronically. To ensure proper handling by EPA, it is imperative that you identify docket control number OPP-00439A in the subject line on the first page of your response.

1. By mail. Submit your comments 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., Washington, DC 20460.

2. In person or by courier. Deliver your comments to: 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. The PIRIB is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The PIRIB telephone number is [phone].

3. Electronically. You may submit your comments and/or data electronically by e-mail to: “[e-mail],” or you can submit a computer disk as described in items 1 and 2 above. Do not submit any information electronically that you consider to be CBI. Avoid the use of special characters and any form of encryption. Electronic submissions will be accepted in WordPerfect 6.1/8.0 or ASCII file format. All comments in electronic form must be identified by docket control number OPP-00439A. Electronic comments may also be filed online at many Federal Depository Libraries.

List of Subjects

• Environmental protection
• Pesticides and pests

Dated: July 5, 2000.

Joseph J. Merenda,

Acting Director, Office of Pesticide Programs.