| 
| 
| 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
OPMP Monthly and RNN Archives | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
9 to 9:30 a.m. |
Introduction |
|
9:30 to 10:45 a.m. |
Water Quality |
|
10:45 to 12:00 noon |
Food Safety |
|
1:00 to 2:30 p.m. |
Pest Management (PIAP, FQPA, and Methyl Bromide) |
|
2:30 to 4:00 p.m. |
Other Issues |
December 27 Comment Deadline: Preliminary Chlorpyrifos Risk Assessment
In response to feedback about the unusual complexity of this assessment,
the OPMP will soon provide guidelines for interested parties, to help
direct attention to notable parts of the assessment. The guidelines will
be developed in a meeting with the registrant and distributed to recipients
of the OPMP Monthly in early December.
January 26-27: Meetings to Cover NAFTA-related Pesticide Issues
The OPMP and Foreign Agricultural Service are organizing a meeting
with representatives of various US agricultural grower associations to
identify NAFTA trade irritants. One objective of the meeting is to develop
a list of pesticides that are available to growers in Canada but are not
registered in the U.S. After a work meeting on January 26, 2000, in Washington
DC, participants will meet on January 27 to discuss the outcomes with
USDA and Ag Canada officials. For more information, contact Ms. Dhol Herzi
(phone: 202-720-2664; fax: 202-720-3191; e-mail: dherzi@ars.usda.gov.
Crop Profiles Total 180
A collection of crop profiles developed under the auspices of the land-grant
universities, primarily through the Pesticide Impact Assessment Program,
and the OPMP, now includes 180 profiles. October and November additions
are listed below and can be found at on the web http://ipmwww.ncsu.edu/opmppiap/.
|
California |
green beans, mushrooms, spinach |
|
Delaware |
snap beans and spinach (final versions; replace drafts) |
|
Guam |
watermelon |
|
Kentucky |
alfalfa, apple and corn (addition of disease and weed sections) |
|
Michigan |
dry beans and sugarbeets |
|
North Dakota |
sunflower |
|
Pennsylvania |
nectarines |
|
South Dakota |
spring wheat |
|
Texas |
potato, sugarcane and watermelon |
|
Utah |
barley |
Biotechnology Website Introduced
USDA opened a new Internet web page that provides easy access to the Department's
vast information on agricultural biotechnology issues http://www.aphis.usda.gov/biotechnology.
The new site offers answers to some of the most frequently asked biotechnological
questions along with recent speeches by Secretary Glickman on agricultural
biotechnology. The site also includes pages on biotechnology and trade,
regulations, and research. It will be updated regularly as new reports
and information are released by USDA. Links to many of the other government
agencies involved in biotechnology are provided.
PMAP/FQPA Workshop Proceedings and FY '99 Projects on Web
Proceedings from the May 11 Pest Management Alternatives (PMAP) Food Quality
Protection Act (FQPA) Workshop and reports on the Fiscal Year 1999 PMAP
funded projects are now posted on the web at the following location: http://www.csrees.usda.gov/ipm/pmap.htm.
Need USDA Information?
The newly updated directory, "How To Get Information From USDA," is located
at: http://www.usda.gov/news/howto/howto.htm.
Status Announced on Two FQPA Science Policy Papers
The draft of one science policy paper and the revised version of another
are now available on the EPA website. The papers will serve as nonbinding
guidance documents for implementation of the Food Quality Protection Act.
Go to http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr
for a detailed summary of each; look under EPA-PEST for November 10 and
select "Pesticides; Policy Issues..."
The draft policy paper addresses performing aggregate exposure and risk assessments. It is open to public comment until January 10. For more information, contact: Carol Christensen, 703-305-7147 or christensen.carol@epa.gov.
The revised policy paper is entitled, "Estimating the drinking water component of a dietary exposure assessment." For more information, contact: Nelson Thurman, 703-308-0465, thurman.nelson@epa.gov.
Preliminary Risk Assessments for Dicrotophos and Trichlorfon
January 10 comment deadline: EPA has announced the availability
of preliminary human health risk assessments and related documents for
trichlorfon, and the preliminary human health and ecological risk assessments
and related documents for dicrotophos. Directions on what to comment on
and how to comment are in the Federal Register notice (64 FR 61332), which
can be viewed on EPA's web site at http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/.
Look under EPA-PEST for November 10 and select "Organophosphate Pesticides..."
Contact: Karen Angulo, 703-308-8004 or angulo.karen@epa.gov.
About This Issue
This issue (Oct. 29, 1999) comes delayed but with plenty of informative
news. The delay reflects the time taken by our communications director,
Suzanne Deatherage, to move back and settle in at her job with the Texas
Agricultural Extension Service. Suzanne had relocated to work six months
on an interagency personnel assignment here at the Office of Pest Management
Policy. Now she'll continue some OPMP work on a part-time basis from Texas.
For a direct "howdy," call Suzanne at 409-845-3789. For e-mail, use s-deatherage@tamu.edu.--Dr.
Allen Jennings, Director, USDA Office of Pest Management Policy.
Each OPMP Monthly may contain several notifications and may have been modified to highlight pertinent information for the Western Region. Additional information will be included when relevant.
The seventh and final meeting of the Tolerance Reassessment Advisory Committee, Oct. 20-21, provided an opportunity for discussion about the year-long pilot process that has involved USDA and stakeholders in the review of EPA organophosphate risk assessments--a TRAC-supported effort that has produced a lasting improvement in the transparency of the regulatory process. In light of the pilot experience, questions include: whether to adopt the current pilot as the final process; whether to modify, eliminate or expand certain phases; whether to enhance public involvement or interagency governmental review earlier in the process; and whether to use the same process for tolerance reassessment and reregistration of pesticides other than the OPs. To learn more, see the TRAC web site at .http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/trac/10-20doc.htm.
Transition Report Released for Apple Production Region
Also presented at the TRAC meeting was the recently completed USDA report
on pest management "transition" needs for apple production in the Mid-Atlantic,
Appalachian and Southeastern region. The report takes a pest-by-pest approach
to anticipating needs that are developing in the wake of the Food Quality
Protection Act. The report is posted on the EPA web site as part of the
background materials for last week's TRAC meeting.
Similar reports are being prepared or planned for California peaches, Southeastern peaches, California almonds, Northwest pome fruits and other commodities. This office welcomes your suggestions about the report as well as implementation of the recommendations.
Just signed by the President, the FY2000 USDA budget includes $5 million dollars for two new programs supported by this office: $1 million for the Crops at Risk (CAR) program and $4 million for the Risk Avoidance and Mitigation Program (RAMP). Both pertain to implementation of the 1996 Food Quality Protection Act and both will be administered through the budget's new "Integrated Activities" fund. Allocations from this fund may be made only via competitive grants, as provided by Section 406 of the 1998 Agriculture, Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act.
The national Pesticide Impact Assessment Program (PIAP), as well as the Food Safety and Water Quality Programs, were shifted to the Integrated Activities account. So future funding for these programs must be sought through competitive grants; however, upstart on the request-for-proposals (RFP) process may take many months.
Here at the Office of Pest Management Policy, PIAP personnel have been essential partners in the USDA review of EPA pesticide risk assessments and in the development of crop profiles and commodity transition plans. The Department remains committed to continuing these activities. OPMP and Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service are working on options to maintain the PIAP network during the conversion to competitive grants funding.
FY 2000 funding remained level for IPM, IR-4 (minor crops) and the Pest Management Alternatives Program (PMAP). The Pesticide Data Program received $1.487 million and $911,000 more for FQPA support and water sampling, respectively. The National Agricultural Statistics Service received new allocations of $2.5 million, $800,000 and $250,000 for fruit and vegetable surveys, a nursery crop survey and a new Puerto Rico office, respectively. For new FQPA implementation activities, the Agricultural Research Service received $250,000.
Below is a recap of the CAR and RAMP programs. Watch the OPMP Monthly for an announcement when the RFP is ready.
IR-4, the USDA-supported group that develops pest control registrations for minor crops, hosted its state and commodity liaisons, regional and headquarters staff, as well as CSREES, ARS and EPA cooperators in Washington D.C., October 4-7. The symposium focused on three topics:
IR-4 staff also demonstrated a newly expanded and updated web site. It is now possible to find the status of 200+ current IR-4 research projects involving pesticides and biopesticides on food crops and ornamentals. Other links identify products that already have been submitted to EPA for registration, new clearances listed by pesticide and by crop, cumulative clearances, new pesticide chemistries, and an electronic version of the Pesticide Clearance Request form. Ready access to this information should facilitate the pest control transition strategies needed for the Food Quality Protection Act.
To subscribe to the IR-4 Newsletter, contact Prof. George Markle at IR-4 Headquarters (732-932-9575x606) or markle@aesop.rutgers.edu. --submitted by Sandy Perry, IR-4 Outreach Specialist.
Past grants from the EPA Office of Pesticide Programs have supported research projects only, because of the narrow authority stated in Section 20 of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act.
However, new FIFRA wording is included in the EPA fiscal year 2000 appropriation and will apply to future pest management grants. The provision states that "...beginning in FY 2000 and thereafter, grants awarded under Section 20 of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, as amended, shall be available for research, public education, training, monitoring, demonstrations, and studies."
The organophosphate risk assessments currently in review by USDA and the land-grant universities are oxydemeton methyl, dimethoate and ethyl parathion. Comments were received from reviewers and sent to EPA for another OP, methidathion. These comments are to be evaluated and a response sent to USDA before EPA's revised risk assessment is released to the public. In place of a technical briefing, EPA will hold a stakeholder meeting for methidathion and oxydemeton methyl in California sometime in very early December. After that meeting the revised risk assessments will be released to the public for comment on risk management measures.
New OPMP Web Site
A joint OPMP/PIAP web site has hosted much of the information available
from this office and will continue to do so. But a new front door is available
at http://www.ars.usda.gov/opmp/.
That's where you'll find introductory information about this office as well
as links to the many programs related to pest management throughout the
USDA.
Coming Soon: Pesticides and Human Health Risk Assessment
This new 82-page publication provides a comprehensive, understandable
review of the policies, processes and procedures related to the human
health risk assessment of pesticides. Produced by the Purdue University
Cooperative Extension Service, the printed version is expected November
1 and can be ordered from Purdue Media Distribution Center. (Call 888-398-4636
and refer to order number PPP-48.) Fred Whitford, coordinator of Purdue
Pesticide Programs, reports that the document will be available on the
World Wide Web about mid-November at http://www.btny.purdue.edu/PPP/SIPIAP.
Now Available: Pest Management in U.S. Agriculture
USDA's Economic Research Service issued this report October 1 [Agricultural
Handbook No. 717 (AH-717)]. Based mainly on 1996 data, it describes the
use of pest management practices, including IPM, for major field crops
and selected fruits and vegetables. For a printed copy, order through
the USDA Order Desk, which has a link with the electronic copy posted
at http://www.ers.usda.gov/epubs/pdf/ah717.
EPA Reports on FQPA Implementation Status
At the FQPA web page maintained
by the EPA, there's a link worth reviewing and monitoring. It's entitled,
"Implementation Status."
For more information, see our home page at http://www.ars.usda.gov/opmp. To join this notification, address an e-mail to Majordomo@ars-grin.gov, leave the subject line blank, and type "subscribe opmp" in the message. Direct questions and comments to opmp@ars.usda.gov or 202-720-4074, fax 202-720-3191.
Pesticides other than organophosphates are coming up for reregistration eligibility decisions (REDs) by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Unlike organophosphates, non-OPs are subject to a scheduling procedure that pre-dates the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) and does not include OP-type reviews and comment periods.
While revisions to the RED scheduling procedure for non-OPs are likely, EPA has not officially published or announced them. The current schedule starts collecting use and usage information from registrants early in the RED development. Real world data are essential for regulatory decision-making and are particularly needed when the RED is being refined.
This fall EPA will make several reregistration decisions for non-OPs, including the products listed below. To inform EPA of any critical uses you have for a product, contact the product's chemical review manager, who also is listed.
|
Tillam/pebulate |
Patty Moe, 703-308-8011 |
|
Phaltan/folpet |
Christina Scheltema, 703-308-2201 |
|
Captan |
Kathryn Boyle, 703-305-6304 |
|
Lamprecide/niclosamide |
Laura Parsons, 703-305-5776 |
|
Eptam/EPTC |
Jamul Mixon, 703-308-8032 |
|
TPTH/triphenyltin hydroxide |
Loan Phan, 703-308-8008 |
|
Bendiocarb |
Diane Isbel, 703-308-8154 |
|
Carzol/formetanate hydrocloride |
Michael Goodis, 703-308-8157 |
