FIFRA Scientific Advisory Panel; Notice of Rescheduled Public Meeting, 4910-4912 [E6-1106]

Agencies

• ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 19 (Monday, January 30, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4910-4912]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-1106]



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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OPP-2005-0471; FRL-7760-1]


FIFRA Scientific Advisory Panel; Notice of Rescheduled Public 
Meeting

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The February 14 - 16, 2006, Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, 
and Rodenticide Act Scientific Advisory Panel (FIFRA SAP) meeting to 
consider the Review of Worker Exposure Assessment Methods has been 
rescheduled.

DATES: The meeting will now be held on April 4 - 6, 2006, from 8:30 
a.m. to approximately 5 p.m., eastern time.
    Comments: For the deadlines for the submission of requests to 
present oral comments and submission of written comments, see Unit I.C. 
of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
    Nominations: Nominations of scientific experts to serve as ad hoc 
members of the FIFRA SAP for this meeting should be provided on or 
before February 13, 2006.
    Special accommodations: For information on access or services for 
individuals with disabilities, and to request accommodation of a 
disability, please contact the Designated Federal Official (DFO) listed 
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT at least 10 business days prior 
to the meeting, to give EPA as much time as possible to process your 
request.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Holiday Inn Rosslyn at Key 
Bridge, 1900 North Fort Myer Drive, Arlington, VA 22209. The telephone 
number for the Holiday Inn Rosslyn at Key Bridge is (703) 807-2000.
    Comments: Submit your comments, identified by docket identification 
(ID) number EPA-HQ-OPP-2005-0471, by one of the following methods:
     https://www.regulations.gov/. Follow the on-line 
instructions for submitting comments.
     E-mail: opp-docket@epa.gov.
     Mail: Public Information and Records Integrity Branch 
(PIRIB) (7502C), Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP), Environmental 
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460-
0001.
     Hand Delivery: Public Information and Records Integrity 
Branch (PIRIB) (7502C), Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP), 
Environmental Protection Agency, Rm. 119, Crystal Mall 2, 1801 
S. Bell St., Arlington, VA, Attention: Docket ID number EPA-HQ-OPP-
2005-0471. The docket facility is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday 
through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The telephone number for the 
docket facility is (703) 305-5805. Such deliveries are only accepted 
during the Docket's normal hours of operation, and special arrangements 
should be made for deliveries of boxed information.
    Instructions: Direct your comments to docket ID number EPA-HQ-OPP-
2005-0471. EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included 
in the public docket without change and may be made available on-line 
at https://www.regulations.gov/, including any personal information 
provided, unless the comment includes information claimed to be 
Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose 
disclosure is restricted by statute. Do not submit information that you 
consider to be CBI or otherwise protected through regulations.gov or e-
mail. The regulations.gov website is an ``anonymous access'' system, 
which means EPA will not know your identity or contact information 
unless you provide it in the body of your comment. If you send an e-
mail comment directly to EPA without going through regulations.gov, 
your e-mail address will be captured automatically and included as part 
of the comment that is placed in the public docket and made available 
on the Internet. If you submit an electronic comment, EPA recommends 
that you include your name and other contact information in the body of 
your comment and with any disk or CD ROM you submit. If EPA cannot read 
your comment due to technical difficulties and cannot contact you for 
clarification, EPA may not be able to consider your comment. Electronic 
files should avoid the use of special characters, any form of 
encryption, and be free of any defects or viruses. For additional 
information about EPA's public docket, visit the EPA Docket Center 
homepage at https://www.epa.gov/epahome/docket.htm/.
    Docket: All documents in the docket are listed in the 
regulation.gov index. Although listed in the index, some information is 
not publicly available, i.e., CBI or other information whose disclosure 
is restricted by statute. Certain other material, such as copyrighted 
material, will be publicly available only in hard copy. Publicly 
available docket materials are available either electronically at 
https://www.regulations.gov/ or in hard copy at the Public Information 
and Records Integrity Branch (PIRIB) (7502C), Office of Pesticide 
Programs (OPP), Environmental Protection Agency, Rm. 119, Crystal Mall 
2, 1801 S. Bell St., Arlington, VA. The docket facility is 
open from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal 
holidays. The telephone number for the docket facility is (703) 305-
5805.
    Nominations, requests to present oral comments, and special 
accommodations: See Unit I.C. of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Myrta R. Christian, DFO, Office of 
Science Coordination and Policy (7201M), Environmental Protection 
Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone 
number: (202) 564-8498; fax number: (202) 564-8382; e-mail address: 
christian.myrta@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. General Information

A. Does this Action Apply to Me?

    This action is directed to the public in general. This action may, 
however, be of interest to persons who are or may be required to 
conduct testing of chemical substances under the Federal Food, Drug, 
and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), FIFRA, and the Food Quality Protection Act of 
1996 (FQPA). 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 DFO 
listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

B. What Should I Consider as I Prepare My Comments for EPA?

    When preparing and submitting comments, remember to use these tips:
    1. Identify the document by docket number and other identifying 
information (subject heading,Federal Register date and page number).
    2. Follow directions. The agency may ask you to respond to specific 
questions or organize comments by referencing a Code of Federal 
Regulations (CFR) part or section number.
    3. Explain why you agree or disagree; suggest alternatives and 
substitute language for your requested changes.
    4. Describe any assumptions and provide any technical information 
and/or data that you used.
    5. If you estimate potential costs or burdens, explain how you 
arrived at your estimate in sufficient detail to allow for it to be 
reproduced.
    6. Provide specific examples to illustrate your concerns, and 
suggest alternatives.
    7. Explain your views as clearly as possible, avoiding the use of 
profanity or personal threats.

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    8. Make sure to submit your comments by the comment period deadline 
identified.

C. How May I Participate in this Meeting?

    You may participate in this meeting by following the instructions 
in this unit. To ensure proper receipt by EPA, it is imperative that 
you identify docket ID number EPA-HQ-OPP-2005-0471 in the subject line 
on the first page of your request.
    1. Oral comments. Oral comments presented at the meetings should 
not be repetitive of previously submitted oral or written comments. 
Although requests to present oral comments are accepted until the date 
of the meeting (unless otherwise stated), to the extent that time 
permits, interested persons may be permitted by the Chair of FIFRA SAP 
to present oral comments at the meeting. Each individual or group 
wishing to make brief oral comments to FIFRA SAP is strongly advised to 
submit their request to the DFO listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
CONTACT no later than noon, eastern time, March 28, 2006, in order to 
be included on the meeting agenda. The request should identify the name 
of the individual making the presentation, the organization (if any) 
the individual will represent, and any requirements for audiovisual 
equipment (e.g., overhead projector, 35 mm projector, chalkboard). Oral 
comments before FIFRA SAP are limited to approximately 5 minutes unless 
prior arrangements have been made. In addition, each speaker should 
bring 30 copies of his or her comments and presentation slides for 
distribution to FIFRA SAP at the meeting.
    2. Written comments. Although written comments will be accepted 
until the date of the meeting (unless otherwise stated), the Agency 
encourages that written comments be submitted, using the instructions 
in ADDRESSES, no later than noon, eastern time, March 21, 2006, to 
provide FIFRA SAP the time necessary to consider and review the written 
comments. It is requested that persons submitting comments directly to 
the docket also notify the DFO listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
CONTACT. There is no limit on the extent of written comments for 
consideration by FIFRA SAP. Persons wishing to submit written comments 
at the meeting should bring 30 copies.
    3. Seating at the meeting. Seating at the meeting will be on a 
first-come basis. Individuals requiring special accommodations at this 
meeting, including wheelchair access and assistance for the hearing 
impaired, should contact the DFO at least 10 business days prior to the 
meeting using the information under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT so 
that appropriate arrangements can be made.
    4. Request for nominations of prospective candidates for service as 
ad hoc members of the FIFRA SAP for this meeting. As part of a broader 
process for developing a pool of candidates for each meeting, the FIFRA 
SAP staff routinely solicit the stakeholder community for nominations 
of prospective candidates for service as ad hoc members of the FIFRA 
SAP. Any interested person or organization may nominate qualified 
individuals to be considered as prospective candidates for a specific 
meeting. Individuals nominated for this meeting should have expertise 
in one or more of the following areas: Occupational exposure 
assessment, occupational exposure monitoring, agricultural practices 
(especially hand labor practices), statistics, and risk assessment. 
Nominees should be scientists who have sufficient professional 
qualifications, including training and experience, to be capable of 
providing expert comments on the scientific issues for this meeting. 
Nominees should be identified by name, occupation, position, address, 
and telephone number. Nominations should be provided to the DFO listed 
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT on or before [insert date 12 days 
after date of publication in the Federal Register]. The Agency will 
consider all nominations of prospective candidates for this meeting 
that are received on or before this date. However, final selection of 
ad hoc members for this meeting is a discretionary function of the 
Agency.
    The selection of scientists to serve on the FIFRA SAP is based on 
the function of the panel and the expertise needed to address the 
Agency's charge to the panel. No interested scientists shall be 
ineligible to serve by reason of their membership on any other advisory 
committee to a Federal department or agency or their employment by a 
Federal department or agency (except the EPA). Other factors considered 
during the selection process include availability of the potential 
panel member to fully participate in the panel's reviews, absence of 
any conflicts of interest or appearance of lack of impartiality, 
independence with respect to the matters under review, and lack of 
bias. Though financial conflicts of interest, the appearance of lack of 
impartiality, lack of independence, and bias may result in 
disqualification, the absence of such concerns does not assure that a 
candidate will be selected to serve on the FIFRA SAP. Numerous 
qualified candidates are identified for each panel. Therefore, 
selection decisions involve carefully weighing a number of factors 
including the candidates' areas of expertise and professional 
qualifications and achieving an overall balance of different scientific 
perspectives on the panel. In order to have the collective breadth of 
experience needed to address the Agency's charge for this meeting, the 
Agency anticipates selecting approximately 12 ad hoc scientists.
    If a prospective candidate for service on the FIFRA SAP is 
considered for participation in a particular session, the candidate is 
subject to the provisions of 5 CFR part 2634, Executive Branch 
Financial Disclosure, as supplemented by the EPA in 5 CFR part 6401. As 
such, the FIFRA SAP candidate is required to submit a Confidential 
Financial Disclosure Form for Special Government Employees Serving on 
Federal Advisory Committees at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 
(EPA Form 3110-48 5-02) which shall fully disclose, among other 
financial interests, the candidate's employment, stocks and bonds, and 
where applicable, sources of research support. The EPA will evaluate 
the candidate's financial disclosure form to assess that there are no 
financial conflicts of interest, no appearance of lack of impartiality 
and no prior involvement with the development of the documents under 
consideration (including previous scientific peer review) before the 
candidate is considered further for service on the FIFRA SAP.
    Those who are selected from the pool of prospective candidates will 
be asked to attend the public meetings and to participate in the 
discussion of key issues and assumptions at these meetings. In 
addition, they will be asked to review and to help finalize the meeting 
minutes. The list of FIFRA SAP members participating at this meeting 
will be posted on the FIFRA SAP web site or may be obtained by 
contacting the PIRIB at the address or telephone number listed under 
ADDRESSES.

II. Background

A. Purpose of the FIFRA SAP

    Amendments to FIFRA enacted November 28, 1975 (7 U.S.C. 136w(d)), 
include a requirement under section 25(d) of FIFRA that notices of 
intent to cancel or reclassify pesticide registrations pursuant to 
section 6(b)(2) of FIFRA, as well as proposed and final forms of 
regulations pursuant to section 25(a) of FIFRA, be submitted to a SAP 
prior to being made public or issued to

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a registrant. In accordance with section 25(d) of FIFRA, the FIFRA SAP 
is to have an opportunity to comment on the health and environmental 
impact of such actions. The FIFRA SAP also shall make comments, 
evaluations, and recommendations for operating guidelines to improve 
the effectiveness and quality of analyses made by Agency scientists. 
Members are scientists who have sufficient professional qualifications, 
including training and experience, to be capable of providing expert 
comments as to the impact on health and the environment of regulatory 
actions under sections 6(b) and 25(a) of FIFRA. The Deputy 
Administrator appoints seven individuals to serve on the FIFRA SAP for 
staggered terms of 4 years, based on recommendations from the National 
Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation.
    Section 104 of FQPA (Public Law 104-170) established the FQPA 
Science Review Board (SRB). These scientists shall be available to the 
FIFRA SAP on an ad hoc basis to assist in reviews conducted by the 
FIFRA SAP.

B. Public Meeting

    The FIFRA SAP will meet to consider the Review of Worker Exposure 
Assessment Methods. The Agency issued its first occupational exposure 
testing guidelines in the early 1980s. These guidelines were intended 
to standardize the methodology used to conduct the studies necessary to 
allow the Agency to determine the potential exposures, and 
consequently, risks associated with the activities surrounding 
pesticide exposures. These activities included handling pesticides 
(i.e., mixing, loading and applying) as well as exposures resulting 
from working in fields following pesticide applications (e.g., 
harvesting, thinning, weeding). In the early 1990s, the Pesticide 
Handlers Exposure Database was constructed in order to estimate 
exposures resulting from mixing/loading/applying pesticides. The 
studies assembled for use in this database were taken from published 
literature as well as from industry-generated studies. This database 
has been used as the main source for estimating occupational exposures 
to workers handling pesticides for both registration and reregistration 
actions. In 1995, in order to develop a similar database, which could 
be used to address fieldworker exposures, the Agency issued a Data 
Call-In Notice (DCI) for post-application farmworker exposure data. As 
a result of this DCI, every pesticide registrant who manufactured 
products that could lead to post-application farmworker exposures 
needed to generate data that could be used to quantify exposures to 
their products.
    In response to the issuance of the 1995 DCI, most major pesticide 
registrants consolidated their efforts and formed the Agricultural 
Reentry Task Force (ARTF). For more details, see https://
www.exposuretf.com. The ARTF has generated the vast majority of the 
post-application farmworker exposure monitoring data since that time. 
It follows that the bulk of the data that have been generated by ARTF 
include exposure monitoring studies for a variety of hand-labor 
practices in a range of crops.
    The purpose of this meeting of the FIFRA Science Advisory Panel 
(SAP) is to evaluate certain methodologies used to generate exposure 
studies and how the Agency uses these and other studies to conduct 
occupational exposure assessments. Three key issues have been 
identified by the Agency as the focus of this review. These include:
     Hand exposure methods. Based upon review of the data, it 
appears that the hands are important contributors to overall exposures 
levels. In most monitoring studies used by the Agency, a wash 
technique, which is based on methods described in the scientific 
literature, is generally utilized to measure exposure to the hands. The 
goal of this evaluation is to identify issues associated with the use 
of this technique and to make recommendations with regard to how these 
data should be interpreted for exposure assessment purposes based on 
factors such as chemical properties and exposure duration.
     Predictive capability of exposure monitoring techniques. 
Most exposure data that are currently available are based on the use of 
passive dosimetry techniques (e.g., whole-body dosimeters and 
handwash). These data quantify the residues that result on the surface 
of the skin after completing a job task of some sort. The purpose of 
this evaluation is to characterize the performance of passive dosimetry 
as a predictive tool for risk assessment purposes (e.g., through 
comparison with biological monitoring data and other possible 
analyses).
     Clustering of hand labor tasks for exposure assessment 
purposes. The crops in the United States that require hand labor for 
successful production are extremely varied and range from field crops 
such as lettuce (e.g., harvest is a key labor requirement) to tree 
fruit such as apples (e.g., thinning and harvest are key labor 
requirements). Based on the currently available data and a need to 
address exposures related to hand labor across agriculture, the Agency 
has created clusters or groups that represent categories of exposures 
that are believed to be similar for assessment purposes. These 
categories allow the Agency to develop risk estimates for a wide range 
of crops and were defined based on agronomic and ergonomic similarities 
in crops and workers, respectively. The purpose of this evaluation is 
to characterize the methods used to define a representative cluster and 
analyze the monitoring data that pertains to that group, which are then 
used for exposure assessment purposes. An example based on vineyard and 
trellis crops will be used for illustrative purposes.

C. FIFRA SAP Documents and Meeting Minutes

    EPA's position paper, charge/questions to FIFRA SAP, FIFRA SAP 
composition (i.e., members and consultants for this meeting), and the 
meeting agenda will be available by March 2006. In addition, the Agency 
may provide additional background documents as the materials become 
available. You may obtain electronic copies of these documents, and 
certain other related documents that might be available electronically, 
from the regulation.gov Web site and the FIFRA SAP homepage at https://
www.epa.gov/scipoly/sap.
    The FIFRA SAP will prepare meeting minutes summarizing its 
recommendations to the Agency in approximately 90 days after the 
meeting. The meeting minutes will be posted on the FIFRA SAP web site 
or may be obtained by contacting the PIRIB at the address or telephone 
number listed under ADDRESSES.

List of Subjects

    Environmental protection, Pesticides and pests.

    Dated: January 24, 2006.
Clifford J. Gabriel,
Director, Office of Science Coordination and Policy.
[FR Doc. E6-1106 Filed 1-27-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-S