[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 96 (Thursday, May 17, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22976-22978]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-10577]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OPP-2017-0617; FRL-9977-37]


FIFRA Scientific Advisory Panel; Notice of 4-Day In-Person 
Meeting Location; Notice of Public Preparatory Webcast Meeting; Request 
for Comments on Prospective Candidate Ad Hoc Reviewers; Extension of 
Written Comment Periods

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The July 17-20, 2018, in-person meeting of the Federal 
Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act Scientific Advisory Panel 
(FIFRA SAP) to consider and review Resistance of Lepidopteran Pests to 
Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) Plant Incorporated Plants in the U.S will 
be held in the Rosslyn Ballroom at the Holiday Inn Rosslyn at Key 
Bridge, 1900 North Fort Myer Drive, Arlington, VA 22209. For additional 
information on this in-person meeting, please refer to the March 5, 
2018 Federal Register (FRL-9971-35). There will be a 2-hour preparatory 
webcast meeting on June 5, 2018 to consider and review the scope and

[[Page 22977]]

clarity of the draft charge questions before the July 17-20, 2018 
meeting. In addition, the EPA is announcing and inviting comments on 
the experts currently under consideration as prospective candidates for 
ad hoc participation in this review.

DATES: The preparatory webcast meeting will be held on June 5, 2018, 
from approximately 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. (EDT). This is an open public 
meeting that will be conducted via webcast using Adobe Connect and 
telephone. Registration is required to participate during this meeting. 
Please visit: http://www.epa.gov/sap to register.
    The EPA is extending the written public comment period for the June 
5 preparatory webcast until June 1, 2018 and the July 17-20 in-person 
meeting until June 18, 2018.
    Comments. Written comments on the experts currently under 
consideration as prospective candidates for ad hoc participation in 
this review should be submitted on or before May 31, 2018. Written 
comments for the preparatory webcast meeting should be submitted on or 
before June 1, 2018 and June 18, 2018 for the in-person meeting. FIFRA 
SAP may not be able to fully consider written comments submitted after 
the respective due dates previously listed. Requests to make oral 
comments should be submitted on or before May 24, 2018 by contacting 
the Designated Federal Official (DFO) listed under FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT. For additional instructions, see Unit I.C. of the 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

ADDRESSES: 
    Meeting: The July 17-20, 2018 in-person meeting will be held at the 
Holiday Inn Rosslyn at Key Bridge, Rosslyn Ballroom, 1900 North Fort 
Myer Drive, Arlington, VA 22209.
    Comments. Submit your comments, identified by docket identification 
(ID) number EPA-HQ-OPP-2017-0617, by one of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the online instructions for submitting comments. Do not submit 
electronically any information you consider to be Confidential Business 
Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted 
by statute.
     Mail: OPP Docket, Environmental Protection Agency Docket 
Center (EPA/DC), (28221T), 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 
20460-0001.
     Hand Delivery: To make special arrangements for hand 
delivery or delivery of boxed information, please follow the 
instructions at http://www.epa.gov/dockets/contacts.html.
    Additional instructions on commenting or visiting the docket, along 
with more information about dockets generally, is available at http://www.epa.gov/dockets.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tamue L. Gibson, DFO, Office of 
Science Coordination and Policy (7201M), Environmental Protection 
Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone 
number: 202-564-7642; email address: [email protected].
    Special accommodations. For information on access or services for 
individuals with disabilities, and to request accommodation of a 
disability, please contact the DFO at least 10 days prior to the 
meeting to allow EPA time to process your request.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. General Information

A. Does this action apply to me?

    This action is directed to the public in general. This action may 
be of interest to persons who are or may be required to conduct testing 
of chemical substances under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act 
(FFDCA) and FIFRA. Since other entities may also be interested, the 
Agency has not attempted to describe all the specific entities that may 
be affected by this action.

B. What should I consider as I prepare my comments for EPA?

    1. Submitting CBI. Do not submit CBI information to EPA through 
regulations.gov or email. If your comments contain any information that 
you consider to be CBI or otherwise protected, please contact the DFO 
listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT to obtain special 
instructions before submitting your comments.
    2. Tips for preparing your comments. When preparing and submitting 
your comments, see the commenting tips at http://www.epa.gov/dockets/comments.html.

C. How may I participate in this meeting?

    You may participate in this meeting by following the instructions 
in this unit. To ensure proper receipt by EPA, it is imperative that 
you identify docket ID number EPA-HQ-OPP-2017-0617 in the subject line 
on the first page of your request.
    1. Written comments. Written comments on the experts currently 
under consideration as prospective candidates for ad hoc participation 
in this review should be submitted on or before May 31, 2018. Written 
comments for both the preparatory webcast and in-person meetings should 
be submitted, using the instructions in ADDRESSES and Unit I.B., on or 
before June 1, 2018 (preparatory webcast) and June 18, 2018 for the in-
person meeting, to provide FIFRA SAP the time necessary to consider and 
review the written comments. The FIFRA SAP may not be able to fully 
consider written comments submitted after the respective due dates 
listed above.
    2. Oral comments. Registration is required to participate in the 
June 5 preparatory webcast meeting. Please visit: http://www.epa.gov.sap to register. Each individual or group wishing to make 
brief oral comments to FIFRA SAP during the preparatory webcast should 
submit their request by registering with the DFO listed under FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT on or before noon May 24, 2018. Oral 
comments before FIFRA SAP during the preparatory webcast are limited to 
approximately 5 minutes due to the time constraints of this webcast.
    The Agency encourages each individual or group wishing to make 
brief oral comments to FIFRA SAP during the in-person meeting to submit 
their request to the DFO listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT 
on or before May 24, 2018, to be included on the meeting agenda. 
Requests to present oral comments during the in-person meeting will be 
accepted until the date of the meeting and, to the extent that time 
permits, the Chair of FIFRA SAP may permit the presentation of oral 
comments at the meeting by interested persons who have not previously 
requested time. Oral comments during the in-person meeting are limited 
to approximately 5 minutes unless arrangements have been made prior to 
May 24, 2018. The request should identify the name of the individual 
making the presentation, the organization (if any) the individual will 
represent, and any requirements for audiovisual equipment. In addition, 
each speaker should bring 15 copies of his or her oral remarks and 
presentation slides (if required) for distribution to FIFRA SAP at the 
meeting by the DFO.
    3. Webcast. The June 5 preparatory meeting will be webcast only. 
Please refer to the FIFRA SAP website at http://www.epa.gov/sap for 
information on how to access the webcast. Registration is required.

[[Page 22978]]

II. Background

A. Purpose of FIFRA SAP Preparatory Webcast

    FIFRA SAP serves as a primary scientific peer review mechanism of 
EPA's Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP) and is 
structured to provide scientific advice, information and 
recommendations to the EPA Administrator on pesticides and pesticide-
related issues as to the impact of regulatory actions on health and the 
environment. FIFRA SAP is a Federal advisory committee established in 
1975 under FIFRA that operates in accordance with requirements of the 
Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. Appendix). FIFRA SAP is 
composed of a permanent panel consisting of seven members who are 
appointed by the EPA Administrator from nominees provided by the 
National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation. The 
FIFRA SAP is assisted in their reviews by ad hoc participation from the 
Science Review Board (SRB). As a scientific peer review mechanism, 
FIFRA SAP provides comments, evaluations, and recommendations to 
improve the effectiveness and quality of analyses made by Agency 
scientists. The FIFRA SAP is not required to reach consensus in its 
recommendations to the Agency.

B. Public Meeting

    During the preparatory webcast meeting scheduled for June 5, 2018, 
the FIFRA SAP will review and consider the scope and clarity of the 
Charge Questions for the Panel's July 17-20, 2018 Meeting on the 
Resistance of Lepidopteran Pests to Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) Plant 
Incorporated Protectants in the United States. The SAP will receive a 
short background briefing on lepidopteran adaptation to Bt toxins in 
the U.S., including the EPA's assessment as to whether it is warranted 
scientifically to develop a resistance management plan for western bean 
cutworm. In addition, the panel members will have the opportunity to 
comment on the scope and clarity of the draft charge questions. 
Subsequent to this webcast, final charge questions will be provided for 
the FIFRA SAP's deliberation on the white paper, and supplemental 
information during the in-person meeting to be held July 17-20, 2018.

C. FIFRA SAP Documents and Meeting Minutes

    EPA's background paper, charge/questions to FIFRA SAP, and related 
supporting materials will be available in early May. In addition, a 
list of prospective candidates currently under consideration for ad hoc 
participation in this review is now available for public comment until 
May 31, 2018. You may obtain electronic copies of most meeting 
documents, including FIFRA SAP composition (i.e., members and ad hoc 
members for this meeting) and the meeting agenda, at http://www.regulations.gov and the FIFRA SAP website at http://www.epa.gov/sap.

    Authority: 7 U.S.C. 136 et. seq.; 21 U.S.C. 301 et seq.

    Dated: May 8, 2018.
Stanley Barone Jr.,
Acting Director, Office of Science Coordination and Policy.
[FR Doc. 2018-10577 Filed 5-16-18; 8:45 am]
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