[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 17 (Wednesday, January 26, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4684-4686]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-1633]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-HQ-OPP-2010-0830; FRL-8854-2]
Pesticides; Science Policies; Notice of Withdrawal and Notice of
Availability
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: EPA announces the withdrawal of two pesticide science policy
documents that are no longer in use, entitled: ``The Incorporation of
Water Treatment Effects on Pesticide Removal and Transformations in
Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) Drinking Water Assessments,'' dated
October 25, 2001, and ``Drinking Water Screening Level Assessments,''
dated September 1, 2000. EPA also announces the availability of two
updated pesticide science policy documents, entitled: ``The Development
and Use of the Index Reservoir in Drinking Water Exposure
Assessments,'' dated April 15, 2010, and ``Guidance on Development and
Use of Percent Cropped Area Adjustment,'' dated September 9, 2010.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Marietta Echeverria, Environmental
Fate and Effects Division (7507P), Office of Pesticide Programs,
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW.,
Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone number: (703) 305-
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8578; fax number: (703) 308-6181; 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-2010-0830. 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 significantly amended the
Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) (7 U.S.C.
136 et seq.) and the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) (21
U.S.C. 346). 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.
Working with stakeholders and a Federal advisory committee, the
Agency identified several science policy issues that were key to the
implementation of FQPA and tolerance reassessment. In the Federal
Register of October 29, 1998 (63 FR 58038) (FRL-6041-5), EPA published
a framework to describe the issues, and the public participation
process that EPA would use to review the documents developed to address
the issues identified. Following that process, EPA then issued a series
of draft and revised documents concerning the nine science policy
issues that were identified. The documents are available at http://www.epa.gov/oppfead1/trac/science/. Since that time, EPA has
periodically identified the need to update the documents to ensure that
the policy and guidance provided is current. This Federal Register
notice announces the withdrawal of two obsolete documents and the
availability of two updated documents.
III. Status Update for Pesticide Science Policy Documents
A. Withdrawn Documents
EPA is withdrawing the pesticide science policy document ``The
Incorporation of Water Treatment Effects on Pesticide Removal and
Transformations in Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) Drinking Water
Assessments,'' dated October 25, 2001, because it is obsolete. When
drafted in 2001, this science policy document was developed with two
objectives: (1) To present a preliminary literature review on the
impact of different treatment processes on pesticide removal and
transformation in treated drinking water derived from ground and
surface water sources; and (2) to describe how OPP would consider the
impacts of drinking water treatment in drinking water exposure
assessments under FQPA. Since the issuance of this policy document, OPP
has adjusted its methods for estimating pesticide concentrations in
drinking water, using a variety of data and different models. Up to
date information on the methods, models and databases used for drinking
water exposure assessments is available at http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/science/models_db.htm.
EPA is also withdrawing the science policy document entitled:
``Drinking Water Screening Level Assessments,'' dated September 1,
2000, because the information it provided has been superseded by the
two updated documents whose availability is announced in the next
section.
B. Updated Documents
The updated science policy document entitled ``Development and Use
of the Index Reservoir in Drinking Water Exposure Assessments,'' dated
April 15, 2010, updates and supersedes the science policy document
entitled ``Guidance for Use of the Index Reservoir in Drinking Water
Exposure Assessments,'' dated November 16, 1999. It also reflects
changes in procedures, error corrections, and editorial modifications
to improve clarity and completeness. This science policy document is
intended to provide guidance on the development and use of the index
reservoir scenario for use in estimating pesticide concentrations in
drinking water derived from vulnerable surface water supplies. Between
1996, after passage of the FQPA, and 2000 the Agency used the
``standard pond'' as an interim scenario for drinking water exposure.
In 2000, the Agency began using the index reservoir scenario to
represent a watershed capable of supporting a drinking water facility
that is prone to high pesticide concentrations. With the use of the
index reservoir scenario, the Office of Pesticide Programs was able to
improve the quality and accuracy of its models for estimating pesticide
concentrations in drinking water. This updated pesticide science policy
document is available online at http://www.epa.gov/oppefed1/models/water/index_reservoir_dwa.html.
The updated science policy document entitled ``Development and Use
of Percent Cropped Area Adjustment Factors in Drinking Water Exposure
Assessments,'' dated September 9, 2010, merges two previous documents,
entitled ``Percent Crop Area Adjustment to Tier 2 Surface Water Model
Estimates for Pesticide Drinking Water Exposure Assessments,'' dated
December 7, 1999, and ``Use of Regional Percent Crop Area Factors in
Refined Drinking Water Assessments,'' dated July 23, 2003, and
supersedes both of them. The updated science policy document is
intended to provide guidance on the development and use of the percent
cropped area (PCA) adjustment factors in estimating the exposure in
drinking water derived from vulnerable surface water supplies. Since
the passage of FQPA in 1996 through 2000, the Agency assumed the entire
area of the watershed was planted with the crop of interest (i.e. crop
coverage). In 2000, the Agency began using the PCA adjustment factor to
account for the percentage of the watersheds planted with a crop,
recognizing that a watershed large enough to support a drinking water
facility will not usually be planted completely with a single crop. Use
of this factor improves the quality and accuracy of OPP's modeling of
drinking water exposure for pesticides. This updated pesticide science
policy document is available online at http://www.epa.gov/oppefed1/models/water/pca_adjustment_dwa.html.
IV. Policies Not Rules
The policy documents discussed in this notice are intended to
provide guidance to EPA personnel and decision makers, and to the
public. As a guidance
[[Page 4686]]
document and not a rule, the policies in this guidance are not binding
on either EPA or any outside parties. Although this guidance provides a
starting point for EPA risk assessments, EPA will depart from its
policy where the facts or circumstances warrant. In such cases, EPA
will explain why a different course was taken. Similarly, outside
parties remain free to assert that a policy is not appropriate for a
specific pesticide or that the circumstances surrounding a specific
risk assessment demonstrate that a policy should not be applied.
List of Subjects
Environmental protection, Administrative practice and procedure,
Agricultural commodities, Pesticides and pests.
Dated: January 19, 2011.
Stephen A. Owens,
Assistant Administrator, Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution
Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2011-1633 Filed 1-25-11; 8:45 am]
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