[Federal Register: February 23, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 35)]
[Notices]               
[Page 8813-8814]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr23fe99-83]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OPP-00584; FRL-6060-4]

 
Rodenticide Stakeholder Workgroup; Open Meeting

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces a public meeting of the Rodenticide 
Stakeholder Workgroup. The Rodenticide Stakeholder Workgroup is a 
workgroup of the Pesticide Programs Dialogue Committee (PPDC). The 
Rodenticide Stakeholder process is to develop a risk mitigation 
strategy to protect young children from rodenticide products while 
preserving the public health benefits of these products. The meeting 
will involve and potentially affect products with the following active 
ingredients: brodifacoum, bromadiolone, bromethalin, chlorophacinone, 
cholecalciferol, difethialone, diphacinone (and its sodium salt), pival 
(and its sodium salt), red squill (scilliroside), warfarin (and its 
sodium salt) and/or zinc phosphide. Anyone interested in these products 
may attend.

DATES: The meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 30, 1999, from 8:30 
am to 5:00 pm.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at: The Sheraton Crystal City 
Hotel, 1800 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington,

[[Page 8814]]

Virginia 22202; Telephone number (703) 486-1111.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: By mail: Michael McDavit or Dennis 
Deziel, Special Review and Reregistration Division (7508W), Office of 
Pesticide Programs, Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M St., SW., 
Washington, DC 20460. Office locations and telephone numbers: 6th 
floor, Crystal Mall 2 (CM #2), 1921 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, 
Virginia 22202; Michael McDavit, (703) 308-0325; Dennis Deziel, (703) 
308-8173. E-mail: mcdavit.michael@epamail.epa.gov., and 
deziel.dennis@epamail.epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Electronic Availability. As background information, electronic 
copies of the Rodenticide Cluster and Zinc Phosphide REDs and RED fact 
sheets are available on the internet. See http://www.epa.gov/REDs. 
Additional information concerning the schedule and activities of the 
Rodenticide Stakeholder Workgroup will in the future also be posted on 
the Agency's web page.
    The Rodenticide Stakeholder Workgroup is composed of a balanced 
group of participants from the following sectors: Federal agencies and 
State, local, and Tribal governments; consumer and environmental/public 
interest groups, including representatives from the general public; 
medical community; the public health community; pesticide/rodenticide 
industry; and user groups.
    Rodenticide Stakeholder Workgroup meetings are open to the public. 
Outside statements are welcome. Oral statements will be limited to 5 
minutes per individual or group. Any person who wishes to file a 
written statement can do so before or after a Workgroup meeting. These 
statements will become part of the permanent file and will be provided 
to the Workgroup members for their information.
    The Agency is concerned about accidental poisonings of young 
children by rodenticide products. Data collected by the American 
Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC) for 1995 showed 
approximately 15,000 exposure cases to children younger than 6 years of 
age. Of the total number of human exposure cases involving rodenticides 
in 1995, almost 6,500 were significant enough to result in treatment at 
a health care facility.
    During the Rodenticide Cluster Reregistration Eligibility Decision 
(RED) and the Zinc Phosphide RED process, the Agency investigated 
several regulatory measures that could mitigate these risks, but wanted 
to ensure that any adopted measures were consistent with public health 
values and priorities. Therefore, the Agency is initiating a 
rodenticide stakeholder process to develop a risk mitigation strategy 
to protect young children from rodenticide products while preserving 
the public health benefits of these products. The stakeholder process 
will consist of a series of meetings that will be open to the public. 
The workgroup is made up of individuals or representatives from 
organizations who will discuss and analyze several mitigation 
proposals, ultimately concluding with recommendations to the PPDC and 
the Agency on how to further mitigate risks to young children from 
rodenticide poisonings.
    The Rodenticide Stakeholder Workgroup will hold its first meeting 
March 30, 1999, at the Sheraton Crystal City Hotel, 1800 Jefferson 
Davis Highway, Arlington, Virginia. The Agency envisions holding three 
more meetings. The Agency proposes the following tentative dates for 
the other three meetings: May 6; June 10, and July 14, 1999. Specific 
times and locations will be announced.

List of Subjects

    Environmental protection.

    Dated: February 5, 1999.

Lois Rossi,
Director, Special Review and Reregistration Division, Office of 
Pesticide Programs.

[FR Doc. 99-4319 Filed 2-18-99; 11:54 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-F