E8-19423. Pesticide Program Dialogue Committee Work Group on Comparative Safety Statements or Logos for Pesticide Product Labeling; Notice of Public Meeting

AGENCY:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, EPA gives notice of a public meeting of the Pesticide Program Dialogue Committee (PPDC) Work Group on Comparative Safety Statements or Logos for Pesticide Product Labeling on September 10, 2008. An agenda is under development and will be posted on EPA's website by August 25, 2008.

DATES:

The PPDC meeting will be held on Wednesday, September 10, 2008, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

To request accommodation of a disability, please contact the person listed under For Further Informationn Contact, preferably at least 10 days prior to the meeting, to give EPA as much time as possible to process your request.

ADDRESSES:

The meeting will be held in the Conference Center on the lobby level at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's location at One Potomac Yard (South Bldg.), 2777 S. Crystal Drive, Arlington, VA. This location is approximately a mile from the Crystal City Metro Station.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Margie Fehrenbach, Office of Pesticide Programs (7501P), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone number: [phone]; fax number: [phone]; e-mail address: [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. General Information

A. Does this Action Apply to Me?

This action is directed to the public in general, and may be of particular interest to persons who work in agricultural settings or persons who are concerned about implementation of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA); the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA); and the amendments to both of these major pesticide laws by the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) of 1996. Potentially affected entities may include, but are not limited to: Agricultural workers and farmers; pesticide industry and trade associations; environmental, consumer, and farmworker groups; pesticide users and growers; pest consultants; State, local and Tribal governments; academia; public health organizations; food processors; and the public. If you have 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 Copies of this Document and Other Related Information?

1. Docket. EPA has established a docket for this action under docket identification (ID) number EPA-HQ-OPP-2008-0630. Although a part of the official docket, the public docket does not include Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Publicly available docket materials are available either in the electronic docket at http://www.regulations.gov, or, if only available in hard copy, at the Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) Regulatory Public Docket in Rm. S-4400, One Potomac Yard (South Bldg.), 2777 S. Crystal Drive, Arlington, VA. The hours of operation of this Docket Facility are from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The Docket Facility telephone number is [phone].

2. Electronic access. You may access this Federal Register document electronically through the EPA Internet under the “Federal Register” listings at http://www.epa.gov/​fedrgstr. A draft agenda is under development and will be posted by August 25, 2008, on EPA's website at: http://www.epa.gov/​pesticides/​ppdc/​.

II. Background

EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) is entrusted with the responsibility to help ensure the safety of the American food supply, the education and protection from unreasonable risk of those who apply or are exposed to pesticides occupationally or through use of products, and general protection of the environment and special ecosystems from potential risks posed by pesticides.

The Charter for the Environmental Protection Agency's Pesticide Program Dialogue Committee (PPDC) was established under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), Public Law 92-463, in September 1995, and was renewed November 2, 2007, for another 2-year period. The purpose of PPDC is to provide advice and recommendations to the EPA Administrator on issues associated with pesticide regulatory development and reform initiatives, evolving public policy and program implementation issues, and science issues associated with evaluating and reducing risks from use of pesticides. It is determined that PPDC is in the public interest in connection with the performance of duties imposed on the Agency by law. The following sectors are represented on the PPDC: Pesticide industry and trade associations; environmental/public interest, consumer, and animal rights groups; farm worker organizations; pesticide user, grower, and commodity groups; Federal and State/local/Tribal governments; the general public; academia; and public health organizations. The objective of the PPDC Work Group on Comparative Safety Statements or Logos for Pesticide Product Labeling is to address the interest being expressed by the public for possible development of Agency or third party endorsements/statements or logos on labels regarding comparative product safety. The work group will make recommendations to the full PPDC as to whether the government should pursue a policy and regulatory change in order to develop or allow these types of statements or logos.

Copies of the PPDC Charter are filed with appropriate committees of Congress and the Library of Congress and are available upon request.

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

PPDC meetings are open to the public and seating is available on a first-come basis. Persons interested in attending do not need to register in advance of the meeting.

List of Subjects

• Environmental protection
• Agricultural workers
• Agriculture
• Chemicals
• Foods
• Pesticides and pests
• Public health

Dated: August 14, 2008.

Debra Edwards,

Director, Office of Pesticide Programs.