[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 183 (Wednesday, September 23, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48542-48543]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-22809]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-HQ-OPP-2009-0218; FRL-8421-5]
Estimating the Drinking Water Component of a Dietary Exposure
Assessment; Science Policy, Notice of Withdrawal
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: EPA hereby withdraws the pesticide science policy document
entitled ``Estimating the Drinking Water Component of a Dietary
Exposure Assessment,'' that was issued in November 1999. This science
policy was developed during the implementation of the new safety
standard in section 408 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, as
amended by the Food Quality Protection Act of 1996. EPA's assessment of
exposure to residues in drinking water no longer involves performing
screening level assessments as described in this policy paper. Instead,
the Agency now routinely develops estimates of exposure to pesticides
in drinking after using the more advanced methods that EPA has
described in other science policy papers.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Elizabeth Behl, Environmental Fate and
Effects Division, Office of Pesticide Programs (7507P), Environmental
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460-
0001; telephone number: 703-305-6128; fax number: 703-305-6309; e-mail
address: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. General Information
A. Does this Action Apply to Me?
This action is directed to the public in general. This action,
however, may be of interest to persons who produce or formulate
pesticides or who register pesticide products. Since other entities may
also 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?
EPA has established a docket for this action under docket
identification (ID) number EPA-HQ-OPP-2009-0218. 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 Dr., 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 (703) 305-5805.
II. Background
The Food Quality Protection Act of 1996 (FQPA) significantly
amended the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA)
and the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA). Among other
changes, FQPA established a stringent health-based standard (``a
reasonable certainty of no harm'') for pesticide residues in foods to
assure protection from unacceptable pesticide exposure and strengthened
health protections for infants and children from pesticide risks.
During 1998 and 1999, EPA and the United States Department of
Agriculture (USDA) established a subcommittee of the National Advisory
Council for Environmental Policy and Technology (NACEPT), the Tolerance
Reassessment Advisory Committee (TRAC), to address FFDCA issues and
implementation. TRAC was comprised of more than 50 representatives of
affected user, producer, consumer, public health, environmental,
states, and other interested groups. The TRAC met from May 27, 1998,
through April 29, 1999.
In order to continue the constructive discussions about FFDCA, EPA
and USDA established, under the auspices of NACEPT, the Committee to
Advise on Reassessment and Transition (CARAT). The CARAT provided a
forum for a broad spectrum of stakeholders to consult with and advise
the Agency and the Secretary of Agriculture on pest and pesticide
management transition issues related to the tolerance reassessment
process. The CARAT was intended to further the valuable work initiated
by earlier advisory committees toward the use of sound science and
greater transparency in regulatory decision-making, increase
stakeholder participation, and advise on reasonable transition
strategies that reduce risks without jeopardizing American agriculture
and farm communities.
As a result of the 1998 and 1999 TRAC process, EPA decided that the
implementation process and related policies would benefit from
providing notice and comment on major science policy issues. The TRAC
identified nine science policy areas it believed were key to
implementation of tolerance reassessment. EPA agreed to provide one or
more documents for comment on each of the nine issues by announcing
their availability in the Federal Register. In a notice published in
the Federal Register of October 29, 1998 (63 FR 58038) (FRL-6041-5),
EPA described its intended approach. Since then, EPA has issued a
series of draft and revised documents concerning the nine science
policy issues. Publication of this notice is intended to update the
public on the status of the science paper ``Estimating the Drinking
Water Component of a Dietary Exposure Assessment.''
III. Summary: Why this Policy is No Longer Needed
As a result of the new procedures for estimating concentrations of
pesticide residues in drinking water, this notice announces the
withdrawal of ``Estimating the Drinking Water Component of a Dietary
Exposure Assessment,'' http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-PEST/1999/November/Day-10/6044.pdf.
In assessing the risks of pesticide exposure, scientists frequently
use mathematical models to predict pesticide concentrations in food,
water, residential, and occupational environments. This notice pertains
to how the Agency determines pesticide risk from drinking water. (For
more information on the models the Agency uses to estimate
concentrations of pesticides in drinking water see http://www.epa.gov/oppefed1/models/water/models4.htm). The current approach provides a
more realistic estimate of exposure through drinking water since actual
drinking water consumption data and reported body weight from the
Combined Survey of Food Intake by Individuals (CSFII) are used, rather
than the standard assumptions used in the approach discussed in
``Estimating the Drinking Water Component of a Dietary Exposure
Assessment.''
[[Page 48543]]
This action is also responsive to the recommendations made by EPA's
Office of Inspector General during its review of EPA's implementation
of FQPA. In its report ``Opportunities to Improve Data Quality and
Children's Health through the FQPA'' issued January 10, 2006, http://www.epa.gov/oig/reports/2006/20060110-2006-P-00009.pdf, the Office of
Inspector General recommended that EPA update the status of its Science
Policy issue papers. This Federal Register notice updates the public on
the status of one of the Science Policy papers which has been
superseded by other guidance.
List of Subjects
Environmental protection, Administrative practice and procedure,
Agricultural commodities, Pesticides and pests.
Dated: September 16, 2009.
Stephen A. Owens,
Assistant Administrator, Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic
Substances.
[FR Doc. E9-22809 Filed 9-22-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-S