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The California Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) is the lead agency for the implementation of the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986 (Proposition 65). The Developmental and Reproductive Toxicant (DART) Identification Committee of OEHHA's Science Advisory Board advises and assists OEHHA in compiling the list of chemicals known to the State to cause reproductive toxicity which is mandated by Health and Safety Code Section 25249.8. The Committee serves as the State's qualified experts for rendering an opinion whether a chemical has been clearly shown through scientifically valid testing according to generally accepted principles to cause reproductive toxicity.

Metribuzin was under consideration for listing under the authoritative bodies provision of Proposition 65. It was formally identified in 1994 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) under its Toxic Release Inventory Program as causing developmental toxicity. Subsequently in 1997, U.S. EPA under its Office of Pesticide Programs formed a different interpretation of the developmental toxicity of metribuzin based on essentially the same scientific information. Given the ambiguity in the record regarding how U.S. EPA views the developmental toxicity of metribuzin, it will be referred to the DART Identification Committee to determine whether, in the Committee's opinion, metribuzin has been clearly shown through scientifically valid testing according to generally accepted principles to cause reproductive toxicity.

In accordance with OEHHA's process for preparing information on candidate chemicals for review by the State's qualified experts, OEHHA will review the available literature and data on metribuzin and develop a hazard identification document based on the evidence of its reproductive toxicity. The DART Identification Committee will consider the hazard identification document before rendering an opinion on whether metribuzin causes reproductive and developmental toxicity.

Interested parties or members of the public wishing to provide information relevant to an assessment of the reproductive and developmental toxicity of metribuzin should forward such information to the address given below. The publication of this notice marks the start of a 30-day data call-in period. This period ends on Monday, March 29, 2000. The information received during this data call-in period will be reviewed and considered by OEHHA as it develops the draft reproductive and developmental toxicity hazard identification document on metribuzin.

OEHHA welcomes public participation and public input as part of these scientific assessments. If there is sufficient public interest, a public workshop or other public forum will be held to encourage scientific dialogue prior to completion of the draft hazard identification document.

Notification of the availability of the draft hazard identification document and of the time, date, location, and agenda of any workshop and of the meeting of the DART Identification Committee where metribuzin will be discussed will be provided in future notices published in the California Regulatory Notice Register and posted on OEHHA's Home Page at www.oehha.ca.gov. The draft hazard identification document will be made available for public comment prior to the committee meeting at which the chemical is considered.

Relevant information on metribuzin should be sent in triplicate by mail or fax to:

Cynthia Oshita
Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment
Post Office Box 4010
Sacramento, CA 95812-4010
Fax (916) 327-1097
Telephone: (916) 445-6900

Relevant information may also be delivered in person or by courier to the above address. In order to be considered, the relevant information must be postmarked (if sent by mail) or received at OEHHA (if hand-delivered or sent by fax) by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, March 29, 2000.

Follow this link to download a copy of this notice as a PDF file.

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For questions regarding Proposition 65, please contact the Cynthia Oshita in the Proposition 65 Implementation Program

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