[Federal Register: November 7, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 216)]
[Notices]
[Page 63085-63088]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr07no03-60]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[OPP-2003-0367; FRL-7334-9]
Atrazine; Notice of Availability of Revised Atrazine Interim
Reregistration Eligibility Decision (IRED)
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of the revised Interim
Reregistration Eligibility Decision (IRED) document for the pesticide
active ingredient atrazine. EPA has completed its revised IRED for
atrazine consistent with the August 8, 2002, consent decree
[[Page 63086]]
between the Natural Resources Defense Council and EPA and with the
January 31, 2003, Atrazine IRED released to the public through notices
published in the Federal Register on February 28, 2003 (68 FR 9652)
(FRL-7456-2). As required in the consent decree, the revision to the
January 31, 2003 IRED addresses the potential association between
atrazine exposure and the incident of prostate cancer and other cancers
in humans and the potential effects of atrazine on amphibian
endocrinology and development. The revised IRED also includes an
ecological level of concern consistent with the Office of Water's (OW)
draft aquatic life criteria document that is being released concurrent
with the revision to the IRED. In addition, the revised IRED includes a
monitoring program in vulnerable watersheds to determine if atrazine
levels exceed the Agency's level of concern. The revised IRED
summarizes the conclusions in the January 31, 2003, IRED, developments
since the IRED, and the Agency's next steps.
DATES: Comments, identified by docket ID number OPP-2003-0367, must be
received on or before February 5, 2004.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted electronically, by mail, or
through hand delivery/courier. Follow the detailed instructions as
provided in Unit I. of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Eric R. Olson, Special Review and
Reregistration Division (7508C), Office of Pesticide Programs,
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW.,
Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone number: (703) 308-8067; fax number: (703) 308-8041; e-mail address: olson.eric@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. General Information
A. Does this Action Apply to Me?
This action is directed to the public in general. This action may,
however, be of interest to persons who are or may be required to
conduct testing of chemical substances under the Federal Insecticide,
Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) or the Federal Food, Drug, and
Cosmetic Act (FFDCA); environmental, human health, and agricultural
advocates; pesticide users; and members of the public interested in the
use of pesticides. Since other entities may also be interested, the
Agency has not attempted to describe all the specific entities that may
be affected by this action. If you have any questions regarding the
applicability of this action to a particular entity, consult the person
listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
B. How Can I Get Copies of this Document and Other Related Information?
1. Docket. EPA has established an official public docket for this
action under docket identification (ID) number OPP-2003-0367. The
official public docket consists of the documents specifically
referenced in this action, any public comments received, and other
information related to this action. Although a part of the official
docket, the public docket does not include Confidential Business
Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted
by statute. The official public docket is the collection of materials
that is available for public viewing at the Public Information and
Records Integrity Branch (PIRIB), Rm. 119, Crystal Mall 2,
1921 Jefferson Davis Hwy., Arlington, VA. This docket facility is open
from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal
holidays. The docket telephone number is (703) 305-5805.
2. Electronic access. You may access this Federal Register document
electronically through the EPA Internet under the ``Federal Register''
listings at http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/.
An electronic version of the revision to the atrazine IRED is
available electronically through the EPA Internet at http://www.epa.gov/oppsrrd1/reregistration/atrazine/
.
An electronic version of the public docket is available through
EPA's electronic public docket and comment system, EPA Dockets. You may
use EPA Dockets at http://www.epa.gov/edocket/ to submit or view public
comments, access the index listing of the contents of the official
public docket, and to access those documents in the public docket that
are available electronically. Once in the system, select ``search,''
then key in the appropriate docket ID number.
Certain types of information will not be placed in the EPA Dockets.
Information claimed as CBI and other information whose disclosure is
restricted by statute, which is not included in the official public
docket, will not be available for public viewing in EPA's electronic
public docket. EPA's policy is that copyrighted material will not be
placed in EPA's electronic public docket but will be available only in
printed, paper form in the official public docket. To the extent
feasible, publicly available docket materials will be made available in
EPA's electronic public docket. When a document is selected from the
index list in EPA Dockets, the system will identify whether the
document is available for viewing in EPA's electronic public docket.
Although not all docket materials may be available electronically, you
may still access any of the publicly available docket materials through
the docket facility identified in Unit I.B. EPA intends to work towards
providing electronic access to all of the publicly available docket
materials through EPA's electronic public docket.
For public commenters, it is important to note that EPA's policy is
that public comments, whether submitted electronically or in paper,
will be made available for public viewing in EPA's electronic public
docket as EPA receives them and without change, unless the comment
contains copyrighted material, CBI, or other information whose
disclosure is restricted by statute. When EPA identifies a comment
containing copyrighted material, EPA will provide a reference to that
material in the version of the comment that is placed in EPA's
electronic public docket. The entire printed comment, including the
copyrighted material, will be available in the public docket.
Public comments submitted on computer disks that are mailed or
delivered to the docket will be transferred to EPA's electronic public
docket. Public comments that are mailed or delivered to the docket will
be scanned and placed in EPA's electronic public docket. Where
practical, physical objects will be photographed, and the photograph
will be placed in EPA's electronic public docket along with a brief
description written by the docket staff.
C. How and to Whom Do I Submit Comments?
You may submit comments electronically, by mail, or through hand
delivery/courier. To ensure proper receipt by EPA, identify the
appropriate docket ID number in the subject line on the first page of
your comment. Please ensure that your comments are submitted within the
specified comment period. Comments received after the close of the
comment period will be marked ``late.'' EPA is not required to consider
these late comments. If you wish to submit CBI or information that is
otherwise protected by statute, please follow the instructions in Unit
I.D. Do not use EPA Dockets or e-mail to submit CBI or information
protected by statute.
1. Electronically. If you submit an electronic comment as
prescribed in this unit, EPA recommends that you include your name,
mailing address, and an e-
[[Page 63087]]
mail address or other contact information in the body of your comment.
Also include this contact information on the outside of any disk or CD
ROM you submit, and in any cover letter accompanying the disk or CD
ROM. This ensures that you can be identified as the submitter of the
comment and allows EPA to contact you in case EPA cannot read your
comment due to technical difficulties or needs further information on
the substance of your comment. EPA's policy is that EPA will not edit
your comment, and any identifying or contact information provided in
the body of a comment will be included as part of the comment that is
placed in the official public docket, and made available in EPA's
electronic public docket. If EPA cannot read your comment due to
technical difficulties and cannot contact you for clarification, EPA
may not be able to consider your comment.
i. EPA Dockets. Your use of EPA's electronic public docket to
submit comments to EPA electronically is EPA's preferred method for
receiving comments. Go directly to EPA Dockets at http://www.epa.gov/edocket/
, and follow the online instructions for submitting comments.
Once in the system, select ``search,'' and then key in docket ID number
OPP-2003-0367. The system is an ``anonymous access'' system, which
means EPA will not know your identity, e-mail address, or other contact
information unless you provide it in the body of your comment. ii. E-mail. Comments may be sent by e-mail to opp-docket@epa.gov,
Attention: Docket ID Number OPP-2003-0367. In contrast to EPA's
electronic public docket, EPA's e-mail system is not an ``anonymous
access'' system. If you send an e-mail comment directly to the docket
without going through EPA's electronic public docket, EPA's e-mail
system automatically captures your e-mail address. E-mail addresses
that are automatically captured by EPA's e-mail system are included as
part of the comment that is placed in the official public docket, and
made available in EPA's electronic public docket.
iii. Disk or CD ROM. You may submit comments on a disk or CD ROM
that you mail to the mailing address identified in Unit I.C.2. These
electronic submissions will be accepted in WordPerfect or ASCII file
format. Avoid the use of special characters and any form of encryption.
2. By mail. Send your comments to: Public Information and Records
Integrity Branch (PIRIB) (7502C), Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP),
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW.,
Washington, DC 20460-0001, Attention: Docket ID Number OPP-2003-0367.
3. By hand delivery or courier. Deliver your comments to: Public
Information and Records Integrity Branch (PIRIB), Office of Pesticide
Programs (OPP), Environmental Protection Agency, Rm. 119, Crystal Mall
2, 1921 Jefferson Davis Hwy., Arlington, VA, Attention: Docket
ID Number OPP-2003-0367. Such deliveries are only accepted during the
docket's normal hours of operation as identified in Unit I.B.1.
D. How Should I Submit CBI To the Agency?
Do not submit information that you consider to be CBI
electronically through EPA's electronic public docket or by e-mail. You
may claim information that you submit to EPA as CBI by marking any part
or all of that information as CBI (if you submit CBI on disk or CD ROM,
mark the outside of the disk or CD ROM as CBI and then identify
electronically within the disk or CD ROM the specific information that
is CBI). Information so marked will not be disclosed except in
accordance with procedures set forth in 40 CFR part 2.
In addition to one complete version of the comment that includes
any information claimed as CBI, a copy of the comment that does not
contain the information claimed as CBI must be submitted for inclusion
in the public docket and EPA's electronic public docket. If you submit
the copy that does not contain CBI on disk or CD ROM, mark the outside
of the disk or CD ROM clearly that it does not contain CBI. Information
not marked as CBI will be included in the public docket and EPA's
electronic public docket without prior notice. If you have any
questions about CBI or the procedures for claiming CBI, please consult
the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
E. What Should I Consider as I Prepare My Comments for EPA?
You may find the following suggestions helpful for preparing your
comments:
1. Explain your views as clearly as possible.
2. Describe any assumptions that you used.
3. Provide any technical information and/or data you used that
support your views.
4. If you estimate potential burden or costs, explain how you
arrived at your estimate.
5. Provide specific examples to illustrate your concerns.
6. Offer alternatives.
7. Make sure to submit your comments by the comment period deadline
identified.
8. To ensure proper receipt by EPA, identify the appropriate docket
ID number in the subject line on the first page of your response. It
would also be helpful if you provided the name, date, and Federal
Register citation related to your comments.
II. Background
A. What Action is the Agency Taking?
EPA has completed its revised IRED for atrazine consistent with the
August 8, 2002, consent decree between the Natural Resources Defense
Council and EPA and consistent with the January 31, 2003, Atrazine IRED
released to the public through a notice published in the Federal
Register on February 28, 2003 (68 FR 9652) (FRL-7456-2). As required in
the consent decree, the revision to the January 31, 2003, IRED
addresses the potential association between atrazine exposure and the
incident of prostate cancer and other cancers in humans and the
potential effects of atrazine on amphibian endocrinology and
development. In each section, the document summarizes the conclusions
in the January 31, 2003, IRED, developments since the IRED, including
Scientific Advisory Panel meetings, and next steps, as appropriate.
The revised IRED also includes an ecological monitoring and
mitigation program developed to address indirect ecological effects of
atrazine in watersheds. The ecological level of concern and the
monitoring and mitigation program were developed by a cross-Agency
workshop that includes the Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP), Office
of Water (OW), and the Office of Research and Development (ORD), along
with Syngenta Crop Protection, Inc. Concurrent with the release of the
revision to the atrazine IRED, EPA's OW is publishing its draft aquatic
life criteria document for atrazine for comment elsewhere in this issue
of the Federal Register. The OW Draft aquatic life criteria document
for atrazine is available electronically through the EPA Internet at
http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/criteria/atrazine/.
Provided that the measures outlined in the revised IRED are
adopted, atrazine remains eligible for reregistration. EPA's next step
under FQPA is to complete a cumulative risk assessment and risk
management decision for the triazine pesticides, which share a common
mechanism of toxicity. This revision to the IRED document for atrazine
cannot be considered a final reregistration
[[Page 63088]]
eligibility decision until the cumulative assessment is complete.
When the cumulative risk assessment for the triazine pesticides has
been completed, EPA will issue its final tolerance reassessment
decision for atrazine and further risk mitigation measures may be
needed.
B. What is the Agency's Authority for Taking this Action?
The legal authority for this IRED falls under FIFRA, as amended in
1988 and 1996. Section 4(g)(2)(A) of FIFRA directs that, after
submission of all data concerning a pesticide active ingredient, ``the
Administrator shall determine whether pesticides containing such active
ingredient are eligible for reregistration,'' before calling in product
specific data on individual end-use products, and either reregistering
products or taking ``other appropriate regulatory action.''
List of Subjects
Environmental protection, chemicals, pesticide(s) and pests.
Dated: November 3, 2003.
Betty Shackleford,
Acting Director, Special Review and Reregistration Division, Office of
Pesticide Programs.
[FR Doc. 03-28101 Filed 11-6-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-S