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Pesticide News Story: Scientific Advisory Panel to Discuss Potential for Atrazine to Affect Amphibian Gonadal Development; White Paper Posted to Docket
For Release: September 24, 2007
On October 9-12, 2007, EPA will be presenting to the FIFRA Scientific Advisory Panel (SAP) the Agency’s analysis of the latest data from laboratory and field studies investigating a possible connection between amphibian gonadal development and the herbicide atrazine. Based on this thorough analysis, EPA finds that atrazine does not adversely affect amphibian gonadal development, and believes there is no compelling reason to pursue additional testing of atrazine for amphibian gonadal effects at this time. EPA is seeking comments and recommendations from the SAP on our analysis of the studies and our conclusions. This SAP meeting will focus on the Agency’s analysis of atrazine and amphibian gonadal development. The Agency is also awaiting the results of atrazine human cancer studies, and has received and is analyzing additional monitoring data from community water systems and data from an ecological watershed monitoring program.
In the October 2007 SAP meeting, EPA will be asking the Panel to comment on the Agency’s approach and criteria for evaluating all the studies. The Agency has also posed a number of specific questions to the SAP regarding studies that the registrant conducted at EPA's request. Because the Agency had access to all the raw data supporting these studies and conducted audits on the independent laboratories performing them, the Agency’s analysis of the studies conducted by Syngenta, the primary registrant, was very rigorous.
The June 29, 2007, FR notice announcing the SAP meeting included a solicitation for members of the public to present comments on this issue to the SAP. The meeting agenda puts a priority on public involvement, with almost the entire first day of the four-day meeting reserved for public comments.
Information concerning how to participate in this SAP meeting can be found at: https://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-MEETINGS/2007/June/Day-29/m12571.htm. You can find the White Paper and other background information on EPA’s regulatory actions and decisions for atrazine by referring to the atrazine docket, EPA-HQ-OPP-2007-0498, at regulations.gov.