EPA Pesticide Program Update from EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs 05/30/01

http://www.epa.gov/pesticides

IN THIS UPDATE:

• 1. EPA Conditionally Registers New BT Corn Product
  
• 2. EPA Announces Public Meeting on CCA Wood
  

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1. EPA CONDITIONALLY REGISTERS NEW BT CORN PRODUCT

A new Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) corn plant-incorporated protectant has been conditionally registered for use until September 30, 2001. EPA granted this conditional registration after reviewing the results of experimental trials, analyzing numerous scientific studies looking at both human health and environmental impacts, considering public comments, and consulting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Following this thorough review and consultation process, EPA determined that granting a conditional registration for this use would not pose unreasonable risks to public health or to the environment. The active pesticidal protein, called Cry1F, can help protect corn crops from such corn insect pests as the European corn borer, the Southwestern corn borer, the fall armyworm and the black cutworm. The product was developed by Mycogen Seeds (a Dow AgroSciences company) and Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. (a Dupont company). In conjunction with the Agency's ongoing comprehensive reassessment of all Bt plant-incorporated protectants, EPA will use data from this time-limited registration as one component of its comprehensive reassessment of all Bt plant-incorporated protectants, scheduled for completion in September 2001. For a fact sheet on Cry1F, visit our Web site at <a href="http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/biopesticides/factsheets/bt_cry1f.htm">Website</a>

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2. EPA ANNOUNCES PUBLIC MEETING ON CCA-TREATED WOOD

EPA is announcing a June 7, 2001, public meeting that will focus on improving the

dissemination of consumer information regarding proper use and handling precautions for wood

treated with chromated copper arsenicals (CCA).

The meeting will address a new proposed action plan developed by the CCA-treated wood industry to strengthen the current Consumer Awareness Program. This meeting is a follow-up to two meetings held on May 9, 2001, which sought to evaluate current efforts for informing the public about the safe use and handling of CCA-treated wood. During the first meeting, EPA met with representatives from public interest groups; during the second meeting EPA met with

representatives from the wood preservers industry, home retailers, and manufacturers of CCA.

Representatives from the University of Florida, the Florida Department of Agriculture, and the

Consumer Product Safety Commission also attended both meetings. The June 7 meeting will bring these stakeholders together for a joint discussion and provide the public with an opportunity to comment. The public meeting will be held at the Hilton Crystal City, 2399 Jefferson Davis Hwy, Arlington, VA, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Additional information on the meeting is available at <a href="http://www.epa.gov/pesticides">EPA</a>

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EPA distributes its Pesticide Program Updates to external stakeholders and citizens who have expressed an interest in OPP activities and decisions. We have established an electronic listserve 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 information about ongoing activities in the Office of Pesticide Programs, visit our homepage at: http://www.epa.gov/pesticides

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