. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/USA/289
13 June 2000
(00-2327)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  English
NOTIFICATION
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  UNITED STATES
If applicable, name of local government involved:           
2. Agency responsible: Environmental Protection Agency - EPA
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national schedules
deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable).
Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:  Methyl
parathion
4. Title and number of pages of the notified document:  Methyl Parathion; Notice of Proposed
Tolerance Revocations and Channels of Trade Provision Guidance (6 pages)
5. Description of content: The EPA proposes to revoke the tolerances for the insecticide methyl
parathion on the following commodities: apples, artichokes, beets (greens alone), beets (with or
without tops), birdsfoot trefoil forage, birdsfoot trefoil hay, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, carrots,
cauliflower, celery, cherries, collards, grapes, kale, lentils, kohlrabi, lettuce, mustard greens,nectarines, peaches, pears, plums (fresh prunes), rutabagas (with or without tops), rutabaga
tops, spinach, tomatoes, turnips (with or without tops), turnip greens, vegetables leafy Brassica
(cole), and vetch. Additionally, EPA proposes to amend the following tolerances: beans
(amend to beans, dried), peas (amend to peas, dried) so that methyl parathion is not used on
succulent beans and peas.  Note that methyl parathion may still be used on lentils; however,
residues on lentils are covered by the tolerance for peas, dried. Foods legally treated with
methyl parathion may continue to be marketed under the provisions of the Federal Food, Drug,and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA).  The regulatory acti ons proposed in this document are part of the
Agency's reregistration programme under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide
Act (FIFRA), and the tolerance reassessment requirements of the FFDCA.  By law, EPA is
required to reassess 66 per cent of the tolerances in existence on 2 August 1996, by August
2002, or about 6,400 tolerances.  These tolerances were established under section 408 of theFFDCA, 21 U.S.C. 346a.  EPA is proposing to revoke these tolerances because the Agency has
cancelled the pesticide registrations under FIFRA, 7 U.S.C. 136 et seq., associated with them.
EPA encourages you to comment on the tolerance revocations and on the proposed time frame
for tolerance revocation.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in a related notice also published in this issue of the
Federal Register is announcing the availability of a proposed guidance document presenting
FDA's policy on its planned enforcement approach for foods containing methyl parathion
residues.  This guidance will assist firms in understanding the types of showing under
408(1)(5) of the FFDCA (hereinafter referred to as the "channels of trade provision") that FDA
may find satisfactory in accordance with its planned enforcement approach for such section.EPA and FDA are cooperating on this effort. FDA will be asking for comment on this
proposed guidance and EPA also encourages you to comment on this guidance.G/SPS/N/USA/289
Page 2
6. Objective and rationale: [  X ] food safety,  [     ] animal health,  [    ] plant protection,
[    ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [     ] protect territory from other
damage from pests           
7. An international standard, guideline or recommendation does not exist [    ].
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate
reference and briefly identify deviations:  Codex Alimentarius currently has 24 commodity
CXLs (MRLs) for methyl parathion.  Methyl parathion is scheduled for Periodic Review(reassessment) by the JMPR in the Fall of 2000.
8. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available: 65 FR 35307,
2 June 2000 (Available in English)
9. Proposed date of adoption:  To be determined.
10. Proposed date of entry into force:  To be determined.
11. Final date for comments:  1 August 2000
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  Environmental Protection Agency.
[    ] National notification authority, [     ] National enquiry point, or address, fax number
and E-mail address (if available) of other body:  Detailed instruction on where and how to
send comments is in the body of the full text - which will be sent upon request to the address in
paragraph 12.
12. Texts available from: [  X ] National notification authority, [  X ] National enquiry point or
address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:
United States SPS Enquiry Point/Notification Authority
USDA/FAS/FSTSDAttn: Carolyn F. Wilson
Room 5545 South Agriculture Building
Stop 1027
1400 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20250Phone (202) 720-2239
Fax (202) 690-0677
E-mail Address: ofsts@fas.usda.gov