EPA Pesticide Program Update from EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs  08/06/02
http://www.epa.gov/pesticides

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IN THIS UPDATE:

1)EPA REASSESSES 42 ORGANOPHOSPHATE TOLERANCES

EPA has, in two actions, reassessed a total of 42 additional
organophosphate pesticide tolerances.  In these actions, which are part
of the review of existing organophosphate tolerances under the Food
Quality Protection Act, EPA has determined that three tolerances for
chlorpyrifos and 39 diazinon tolerances meet the safety standard in
section 408(b)(2) of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act and can be
reassessed.  EPA has concluded that these tolerances make, at most, a
negligible contribution to the cumulative risk from organophosphate
pesticides because they were found in no more than a small number of
samples in the U.S. Department of Agriculture Pesticide Data Program.

The Agency examined the monitoring data used in the organophosphate
cumulative risk assessment and found that pesticide residue was detected
only in an insignificant number of the samples that were analyzed for
these food commodity/organophosphate combinations, including the parent
chemical and the degradates that were tested.  In addition, the revised
organophosphate cumulative risk assessment indicates that relatively few
pesticide/crop combinations account for the vast majority of exposure.
These tolerances are not among those pesticide/crop combinations that
are major contributors to risk.

Federal Register notices further describing these actions will be
published soon.  EPA has previously announced similar reassessment
decisions.  Information on these reassessments is available at
www.epa.gov/pesticides/cumulative/tolerance.htm; see "Reassessment of
Diazinon Non-Contributor Tolerances" and "Reassessment of More
Non-Contributing Commodity Tolerances."   EPA expects that additional
tolerances will be appropriate for reassessment based on the kind of
approach described in this Notice.

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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