EPA Pesticide Program Update
from EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs  08/16/02
http://www.epa.gov/pesticides

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IN THIS OPP UPDATE:

ATRAZINE EVALUATION DEADLINE EXTENSION

On Friday, Aug. 9, 2002, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) filed
a motion to amend a federal court consent decree to extend the deadline
for completion of the Interim Reregistration Eligibility Decision (IRED)
for the herbicide atrazine.  EPA was originally expected to complete the
IRED for atrazine by Aug. 3, 2002.  The Agency and the Natural Resources
Defense Council jointly agreed to request that the court extend the
deadline for the IRED to Jan. 31, 2003 to allow time to review new data
on atrazine's environmental effects.

The new schedule includes:
?     ab     an IRED issued by January 31, 2003, and
?     ab    a revised IRED by October 31, 2003.

The revised IRED will consider a number of additional new studies on
potential amphibian risk.  This additional information is expected to be
submitted in the coming months, and the Consent Decree obligates EPA to
review data relevant to these issues, submitted before February 28,
2003.  EPA will seek SAP guidance on the Agency's assessment of these
data and on other scientific issues concerning atrazine.  If the
determination is made, after the SAP review, that there is insufficient
data to warrant regulatory action based on amphibian risk, the Agency
will explain its decision to exclude the amphibian risk issue from the
IRED and take steps to insure that such additional data will be sought.

Throughout this process, EPA will seek extensive public and scientific
involvement, including inviting scientific peer review, holding
stakeholder meetings, and providing opportunity for public comment.
Announcements of meetings and opportunity for comment will be published
in the Federal Register and posted to EPA's website.  Additional
information on atrazine is available at:
http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/reregistration/atrazine/ .

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For general questions on pesticides and
pesticide poisoning prevention, contact the
National Pesticide Information Center(NPIC),
toll-free, at: 1-800-858-7378, by E-mail at
npic@ace.orst.edu, or by visiting their
website at: http://npic.orst.edu

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