EPA to hold Pesticide Program Dialogue Committee

EPA’s Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) will hold a public meeting of the Pesticide Program Dialogue Committee (PPDC) on Thursday, April 29, from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, and Friday, April 30, from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm. The meeting will be held in OPP’s first floor conference center at One Potomac Yard South, 2777 South Crystal Drive, Arlington, VA 22202. Information on the location of EPA’s building and how to reach it by public transportation or car is available at http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/contacts/officelocation.htm.

A draft agenda is available on the PPDC Web site. Agenda topics include Endangered Species Act; National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System general permit for pesticide applications; Nanotechnology; Pollinator Protection; Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program Test Orders; reports from PPDC workgroup on 21st Century Toxicology/New Integrated Testing Strategies and the workgroup on Public Health. Brief updates will also be provided on several topics, including spray drift; public process for new pesticide registrations; fumigants implementation; total release foggers; worker safety; pet spot-on products.

In addition, the following PPDC work group meetings are scheduled to meet and are open to the public: PPDC PRIA Process Improvements Work Group; PPDC Public Health Workgroup and the 21st Century Toxicology/New Integrated Testing Strategies Work Group. Information about these work group meetings can be found on EPAs Web site.

Time will be allocated on both days of the PPDC meeting for public comment, and outside statements by observers are encouraged and welcomed. Each oral statement will, however, be limited to 3-5 minutes, and it is preferred that only one person per organization present a statement. Any person who wishes to file a written statement may do so before or after the meeting.

To request accommodation of a disability, please contact Margie Fehrenbach (fehrenbach.margie@epa.gov) or (703) 308-4775, preferably at least 10 days prior to the meeting, to give EPA as much time as possible to process your request.