EPA Pesticide Program Update

from EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs 01/02/02

http://www.epa.gov/pesticides

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IN THIS UPDATE: 01/02/02

1) COMMENT PERIOD ANNOUNCED FOR PRELIMINARY ORGANOPHOSPHORUS CUMULATIVE RISK ASSESSMENT

2) TECHNICAL BRIEFING ON PRELIMINARY CUMULATIVE RISK ASSESSMENT TO BE HELD JANUARY 15

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1) COMMENT PERIOD ANNOUNCED FOR PRELIMINARY ORGANOPHOSPHORUS

CUMULATIVE RISK ASSESSMENT

On December 3, 2001, EPA released the preliminary

cumulative risk assessment for the organophosphorus

pesticides. EPA will accept comments on this

assessment until March 8, 2002. The assessment

represents a new way of analyzing data about potential

exposure to pesticides. The Agency's methods result

in measurement of the probability of exposure to more

than one organophosphorus pesticide and assessment

of each such combined exposure. While EPA is

interpreting the results of these analyses and the

soundness of these methods, it is too soon to draw firm

conclusions about risks or consider risk management

possibilities. In a Federal Register notice published on

December 28, 2001, EPA provided information on how

to submit comments. The preliminary risk assessment is

available at www.epa.gov/pesticides/cumulative. The

Federal Register notice is available on EPA's web site at

http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPAFR-CONTENTS/2001/

December/Day-28/contents.htm

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2) TECHNICAL BRIEFING ON PRELIMINARY

CUMULATIVE RISK ASSESSMENT TO BE

HELD JANUARY 15

EPA will conduct a technical briefing on the preliminary cumulative risk assessment for the organophosphorus pesticides on January 15, 2002, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The briefing will discuss contents and the methods used in the preliminary assessment, which was released on December 3, 2001. It will include a discussion of how the computer software model calculates and combines exposure the estimates in the assessment. The preliminary risk assessment documents are available on EPA's web site: www.epa.gov/pesticides/cumulative.

On January 16, 2002 EPA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture will hold a public meeting of the Committee to Advise on Reassessment and Transition (CARAT) Workgroup on Cumulative Risk Assessment/Public Participation Process. This meeting, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., will further discuss issues and questions resulting from the January 15 technical briefing.

Both meetings will be held at the Hilton Alexandria

Old Town, 1767 King St., Alexandria, VA

(703-837-0440). The hotel is located across from

the King Street Metro Station.

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EPA distributes its Pesticide Program Updates to external

stakeholders and citizens who have expressed an interest

in O.P. activities and decisions. We have established an

electronic list serve for people who want to keep abreast

of pesticide issues and decisions. This update service is part

of EPA's continuing effort to improve public access to

Federal pesticide information.

For general questions on pesticides and pesticide

poisoning prevention, contact the National Pesticide

Telecommunications Network (NPTN), toll-free, at:

1-800-858-7378, by e-mail at nptn@ace.orst.edu,

or by visiting its Web site at: http://ace.orst.edu/info/nptn/.

For information about ongoing activities in the

Office of Pesticide Programs, visit our homepage

at: http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/.

Or call or write us directly at:

Communication Services Branch

Office of Pesticide Programs (7506C)

US Environmental Protection Agency

Ariel Rios Building

1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20004-2403

703-305-5017