[Federal Register: June 29, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 124)]
[Notices]
[Page 37391-37392]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr29jn05-63]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[OPP-2005-0168; FRL-7722-8]
Soil Fumigant Assessments; Notice of Public Meeting
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: EPA will hold a public meeting to present to interested
stakeholders the Agency's risk assessments for four soil fumigant
pesticides: dazomet, metam sodium, methyl bromide, and 1,3-D or Telone.
This public meeting, known as a ``Technical Briefing,'' will provide an
opportunity for stakeholders to learn more about the data, information,
and methodologies that the Agency used in developing its risk
assessments for these pesticides. EPA is concurrently assessing six
soil fumigants, including these four pesticides, to ensure that its
risk assessment approaches are consistent, and to ensure that risk
tradeoffs and economic outcomes can be adequately predicted in reaching
risk management decisions. Risk assessments for two other soil
fumigants, chloropicrin and a new active ingredient, iodomethane, will
follow about a month later due to recently submitted data which are
currently under review.
DATES: The meeting will be held on July 13, 2005, from 8:30 a.m. to 5
p.m.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at Sheraton Suites Alexandria, 801
North Saint Asaph St., Alexandria, VA 22314; telephone number: (703)
836-4700.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Leahy, Special Review and
Reregistration Division (7508C), Office of Pesticide Programs,
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW.,
Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone number: (703) 305-6703; fax
number: (703) 308-8005; e-mail address: leahy.john@epa.gov.
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
interest to a wide range of stakeholders including environmental, human
health, and agricultural advocates; the chemical industry; pesticide
users; and members of the public interested in the sale, distribution,
or use of pesticides. Since others also may 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.
B. How Can I Get Copies of this Document and Other Related Information?
1. Docket. EPA has established an official public docket for this
action under docket identification (ID) number OPP-2005-0168. The
official public docket consists of this Federal Register Notice, and
other information related to the Technical Briefing. 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. The official public docket is the collection of
materials that is available for public viewing at the Public
Information and Records Integrity Branch (PIRIB), Rm. 119, Crystal Mall
2, 1801 S. Bell St., Arlington, VA. This docket facility is
open from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal
holidays. The docket telephone number is (703) 305-5805.
[[Page 37392]]
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/.
An electronic version of the public docket is available through
EPA's electronic public docket and comment system, EPA Dockets. You may
use EPA Dockets at http://www.epa.gov/edocket/ to view public comments,
to access the index listing of the contents of the official public
docket, and to access those documents in the public docket that are
available electronically. Although not all docket materials may be
available electronically, you may still access any of the publicly
available docket materials through the docket facility identified in
Unit I.B.1. Once in the system, select ``search,'' then key in the
appropriate docket ID number.
II. Background
This document announces EPA's intent to hold a public meeting or
Technical Briefing to present to interested stakeholders the Agency's
risk assessments for the soil fumigant pesticides dazomet, metam
sodium, methyl bromide, and 1,3-D or Telone. EPA is assessing risks and
will develop risk management decisions for five soil fumigants,
including dazomet, metam sodium, and methyl bromide, plus chloropicrin
and a new active ingredient, iodomethane. 1,3-D risks will be discussed
for comparative purposes; however, the Agency's risk management
decision for 1,3-D was completed in September 1998. Risk assessments
for chloropicrin and iodomethane will follow about a month later due to
recently submitted data which are currently under review. The Technical
Briefing is part of EPA's process to involve the public in developing
pesticide registration and reregistration eligibility decisions.
Through these programs, the Agency is ensuring that all pesticides meet
current health and safety standards.
At the Technical Briefing, EPA will describe the risk assessments
and the data, information and methodologies used in developing them.
Stakeholders will have an opportunity to ask clarifying questions. On
the day of the Technical Briefing, the soil fumigant risk assessments
and related documents will be available in their respective pesticide
Dockets and EDOCKET on the Agency's web site. These docket ID numbers
will be as follows: Methyl bromide (OPP-2005-0123), 1,3-D (OPP-2005-
0124), metam sodium (OPP-2005-0125), and dazomet (OPP-2005-0128). EPA
will solicit public comment on the risk assessments and related
documents through Federal Register notices of availability, which are
scheduled to be published on the day of the Technical Briefing.
After considering public comments received, EPA will revise the
risk assessments for dazomet, metam sodium, methyl bromide, and 1,3-D
(and later for chloropicrin and iodomethane) and develop any needed
risk mitigation. Stakeholders and the public will have opportunities,
including stakeholder meetings during public comment periods, to review
the revised risk assessments and provide ideas and recommendations on
risk mitigation options.
EPA is evaluating the soil fumigants to ensure that its risk
assessment approaches are consistent, and to ensure that risk tradeoffs
and economic outcomes can be adequately predicted in reaching risk
management decisions. Using this approach, the Agency expects to
address risks of concern while maintaining key use benefits.
List of Subjects
Environmental protection, Pesticides and pests.
Dated: June 23, 2005.
Debra Edwards,
Director, Special Review and Reregistration Division, Office of
Pesticide Programs.
[FR Doc. 05-12917 Filed 6-28-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-S