UNITED
STATES
ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTION
AGENCY
WASHINGTON,
D.
C.
20460
OFFICE
OF
PREVENTION,
PESTICIDES
AND
TOXIC
SUBSTANCES
January
10,
2006
James
R.
Cranney,
Jr.
Vice
President
US
Apple
Association
6707
Old
Dominion
Dr.,
Suite
320
McLean,
VA
22101­
4556
Dear
Jim,

Thank
you
for
your
letters
of
Dec.
19
and
20
regarding
extending
the
comment
period
for
the
azinphos­
methyl
benefits
and
ecological
risk
assessments.
We
very
much
appreciate
your
commitment
on
behalf
of
the
US
Apple
to
make
every
effort
possible
to
submit
comments
by
the
Feb
6th
deadline.

If
for
some
reason
US
Apple
is
not
able
to
meet
the
deadline,
the
Agency
will
make
every
reasonable
effort
to
consider
your,
and
any
other
stakeholder's,
comments
that
provide
useful
information
and
are
submitted
within
a
reasonably
short
time,
i.
e.,
a
week
or
so,
after
the
close
of
the
comment
period.
We
recognize
that
with
the
new
FDMS
docketing
system
there
were
some
delays
in
accessing
the
documents
and,
as
you
note,
the
holidays
also
tend
to
shorten
the
time
available
for
some
stakeholders
to
comment.

Please
note,
however,
that
the
FDMS
system,
unlike
the
previous
edockets
system
will
not
accept
late
comments.
Therefore
if
your
comments
are
submitted
after
Feb.
6th,
they
should
be
submitted
directly
to
Diane
Isbell,
the
Chemical
Review
Manager
for
azinphosmethyl
at:
isbell.
diane@
epa.
gov
.
Diane
will
ensure
that
they
are
distributed
to
the
azinphos
technical
team
and
posted
to
the
docket
as
soon
as
possible.

Also,
it
is
important
to
understand
that
there
will
be,
according
to
the
current
plan,
one
more
comment
period
on
the
azinphos
methyl
human
health
assessment
and
the
Agency's
proposed
decision
on
the
Group
3
uses,
before
the
Agency
finalizes
its
decision.
Thus,
any
comments
that
are
not
addressed
during
the
comment
period
that
ends
Feb
6th,
will
be
considered
before
the
Agency's
final
decision.
Don't
hesitate
to
contact
me
or
Diane
if
you
have
any
other
questions
or
concerns
related
to
the
process
and
schedule
for
azinphos­
methyl.

Sincerely,

Margaret
Rice,
Chief
Reregistration
Branch
II
Special
Review
and
Reregistration
Division
