[Federal Register: January 14, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 9)]
[Notices]               
[Page 2231]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr14ja98-67]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

OPPTS-00231; FRL-5765-9]

 
Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act Scientific 
Advisory Panel; Panel on Bacillus Thuringiensis Plant Pesticides and 
Resistance Management; Notice of Meeting

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of open meeting.

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SUMMARY: There will be a 2-day meeting of a Federal Insecticide, 
Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) Scientific Advisory Panel (SAP) 
Subpanel on managing the emergence of resistance in insect pest 
populations to Bacillus Thuringiensis (Bt) plant-pesticides. The 
meeting will be open to the public. The Panel will discuss specific 
questions posed by the Agency based on an EPA report. This meeting will 
be the second in a series of SAP meetings the Agency intends to hold on 
resistance management and Bt. The first meeting was held on March 1, 
1995. EPA anticipates it will hold a third meeting in late 1998 or 
early 1999, to review a second report it intends to prepare issuing 
information submitted to EPA in late 1997 and 1998.

DATES: The meeting will be held on Monday and Tuesday, February 9 and 
10, 1998, starting at 9 a.m. and ending at 5 p.m. Should this meeting 
be canceled because of weather-related problems, the meeting will then 
be rescheduled for February 17 and 18, 1998.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at EPA, Crystal Mall #2, 1921 
Jefferson Davis Highway, Rm. 1126, Arlington, VA.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Creavery Lloyd, SAP Committee 
Management Assistant, Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic 
Substances, (MC-7101), Rm. E-625, 401 M St., SW., Washington, DC 20460. 
Telephone: 202-260-6900, Fax: 202-260-0949, E-mail: 
lloyd.creavery@epamail.epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Electronic Availability: Electronic copies of this document and the 
report are available from the EPA Home Page at the Federal Register--
Environmental Documents entry for this document under ``Laws and 
Regulations'' (http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/).
    The Panel will discuss specific questions posed by the Agency based 
on an EPA report. The report evaluates scientific data generated by 
companies in the 1996 growing season and submitted to EPA on plants 
expressing Bt delta endotoxins, i.e., Bt field corn, Bt cotton, and Bt 
potato. The report also analyzes information gathered on the 1996 
bollworm infestation in Brazos Valley in Texas in 1996. Finally, the 
report compiles and analyzes testimony offered at the two public 
hearings held by EPA under FIFRA section 21 on March 21, 1997, in 
Washington, DC and on May 21, 1997, in College Station, TX. The EPA 
report may be found in the docket for this meeting. EPA anticipates 
crops other than corn, cotton, or potato may be modified to express 
various Bt toxins and believes its experience with corn, cotton, and 
potato expressing various Bt toxins may be useful in determining 
whether and what components of a management program would be 
appropriate for such crops.
    The public will be given an opportunity to comment at the meeting. 
Members of the public are requested to contact the Agency in advance 
concerning their desire to comment at the meeting. Attendance by the 
public will be limited by available space. Persons interested in 
attending or making public comment should contact Creavery Lloyd, and 
forward a copy of any public comments, no later than February 2, 1998.

    Dated: January 8, 1998.
Lynn R. Goldman,
Assistant Administrator for Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic 
Substances.

[FR Doc. 98-926 Filed 1-13-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-F