[Federal Register: December 19, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 244)]
[Notices]
[Page 77783-77784]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr19de02-60]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[OPP-2002-0307; FRL-7281-1]
Organophosphate Pesticide; Availability of Naled Interim Risk
Management Decision Document
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of the interim risk
[[Page 77784]]
management decision (IRED) document for the organophosphate pesticide
naled. This decision document has been developed as part of the public
participation process that EPA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture
(USDA) are now using for involving the public in the reassessment of
pesticide tolerances under the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA), and
the reregistration of individual organophosphate pesticides under the
Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA).
DATES: The interim risk management decision document is available in
the OPP Docket under docket ID number OPP-2002-0307.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tom Myers, Special Review and
Reregistration Division (7508C), Office of Pesticide Programs,
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW.,
Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone number: (703) 308-8589; e-mail
address: myers.tom@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. General Information
A. Does this Action Apply to Me?
This action is directed to the public in general, nevertheless, a
wide range of stakeholders will be interested in obtaining the interim
risk management decision document for naled, 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. Since other entities 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 ID number OPP-2002-0307. The official public docket
consists of the document specifically referenced in this action, any
public comments received, and other information related to this action.
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, 1921 Jefferson Davis Hwy., 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.
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 submit or view public
comments, 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.
For questions on the IRED in this document, contact the Chemical
Review Manager listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
III. What Action is the Agency Taking?
EPA has assessed the risks of naled and reached an IRED for this
organophosphate pesticide. Provided that risk mitigation measures are
adopted, naled fits into its own risk cup--its individual, aggregate
risks are within acceptable levels. Used mainly to control mosquitos
and to control insects on a variety of agricultural crops, naled
residues in food and drinking water do not pose risk concerns. Naled
may no longer be used in and around the home by residents or
professional applicators. However, residents can be exposed as
bystanders from wide-area mosquito control applications. With
mitigation limiting homeowners' and children's exposure, naled fits
into its own ``risk cup.'' With other mitigation measures, naled's
worker and ecological risks are also below levels of concern for
reregistration.
The interim risk management decision document for naled was made
through the organophosphate pesticide pilot public participation
process, which increases transparency and maximizes stakeholder
involvement in EPA's development of risk assessments and risk
management decisions. The pilot public participation process was
developed as part of the EPA-USDA Tolerance Reassessment Advisory
Committee (TRAC), which was established in April 1998, as a
subcommittee under the auspices of EPA's National Advisory Council for
Environmental Policy and Technology. A goal of the pilot public
participation process is to find a more effective way for the public to
participate at critical junctures in the Agency's development of
organophosphate pesticide risk assessments and risk management
decisions. EPA and USDA began implementing this pilot process in August
1998, to increase transparency and opportunities for stakeholder
consultation.
EPA worked extensively with affected parties to reach the decisions
presented in this interim risk management decision document, which
conclude, the pilot public participation process for naled. As part of
the pilot public participation process, numerous opportunities for
public comment were offered as this interim risk management decision
document was being developed. The naled interim risk management
decision document, therefore, is issued without a formal public comment
period concluding review of the individual organophosphate pesticide.
The docket remains open, however, and any comments submitted in the
future will be placed in the public docket.
The risk assessments for naled were released to the public through
notices published in the Federal Register on August 12, 1998 (63 FR
43175) (FRL-6024-3), and October 6, 1999 (64 FR 54298) (FRL-6387-6).
EPA's next step under FQPA is to complete a cumulative risk
assessment and risk management decision for the organophosphate
pesticides, which share a common mechanism of toxicity. This interim
risk management decision document on naled cannot be considered final
until this cumulative assessment is complete.
When the cumulative risk assessment for the organophosphate
pesticides has been completed, EPA will issue its final tolerance
reassessment decision for naled and further risk mitigation measures
may be needed.
List of Subjects
Environmental protection, Chemicals, Pesticides and pests.
Dated: December 7, 2002.
Betty Shackleford,
Acting Director, Special Review and Reregistration Division, Office of
Pesticide Programs.
[FR Doc. 02-31907 Filed 12-18-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-S