[Federal Register: February 21, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 34)]
[Notices]
[Page 7873-7875]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr21fe07-29]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-HQ-OPP-2006-0694; FRL-8115-9]
Pine Oil and Propylene Glycol and Dipropylene Glycol
Reregistration Eligibility Decisions; Notice of Availability
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of EPA's
Reregistration Eligibility Decisions (REDs) for the pesticides pine oil
and propylene glycol and dipropylene glycol and opens a public comment
period on these documents. The Agency's risk assessments and other
related documents also are available in the pine oil and propylene
glycol and dipropylene glycol Dockets. Pine oil is an antimicrobial
used for sanitizing and disinfecting in residential and commercial/
institutional settings. Propylene glycol is used in air sanitization
and hard surface disinfection and dipropylene glycol is used in air
sanitization. EPA has reviewed pine oil and propylene glycol and
dipropylene glycol through the public participation process that the
Agency uses to involve the public in developing pesticide
reregistration and tolerance reassessment decisions. Through these
programs, EPA is ensuring that all pesticides meet current health and
safety standards.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before April 23, 2007.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by docket identification
(ID) number, by one of the following methods: For pine oil, docket
identification (ID) number EPA-HQ-OPP-2004-0302 and for propylene
glycol and dipropylene glycol, docket identification (ID) number EPA-
HQ-OPP-2006-0831.
Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.
Follow the on-line instructions for submitting comments.
Mail: Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) Regulatory
Public Docket (7502P), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200
Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001.
Delivery: OPP Regulatory Public Docket (7502P),
Environmental Protection Agency, Rm. S-4400, One Potomac Yard (South
Bldg.), 2777 S. Crystal Dr., Arlington, VA. Deliveries are only
accepted during the Docket's normal hours of operation (8:30 a.m. to 4
p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays). Special
arrangements should be made for deliveries of boxed information. The
Docket telephone number is (703) 305-5805.
Instructions: Direct your comments to the following docket ID
numbers: for pine oil docket identification (ID) number EPA-HQ- OPP-
2004-0302; and propylene glycol and dipropylene glycol, docket
identification (ID) number EPA-HQ- OPP-2006-0831. EPA's policy is that
all comments received will be included in the docket without change and
may be made available on-line at http://www.regulations.gov, including
any personal information provided, unless the comment includes
information claimed to be Confidential Business Information (CBI) or
other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Do not
submit information that you consider to be CBI or otherwise protected
through regulations.gov or e-mail. The Federal regulations.gov website
is an ``anonymous access'' system, which means EPA will not know your
identity or contact information unless you provide it in the body of
your comment. If you send an e-mail comment directly to EPA without
going through regulations.gov, your e-mail address will be
automatically captured and included as part of the comment that is
placed in the docket and made available on the Internet. If you submit
an electronic comment, EPA recommends that you include your name and
other contact information in the body of your comment and with any disk
or CD-ROM you submit. 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. Electronic files should avoid the use of
special characters, any form of encryption, and be free of any defects
or viruses.
Docket: All documents in the docket are listed in the docket
index. Although listed in the index, some information is not publicly
available, e.g., CBI or other information whose disclosure is
restricted by statute. Certain other material, such as copyrighted
material, is not placed on the Internet and will be publicly available
only in hard copy form. Publicly available docket materials are
available either in the electronic docket at http://www.regulations.gov
, or, if only available in hard copy, at the OPP
Regulatory Public Docket in Rm. S-4400, One Potomac Yard (South Bldg.),
2777 S. Crystal Dr., Arlington, VA. The hours of operation of this
Docket Facility are from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday,
excluding legal holidays. The Docket telephone number is (703) 305-
5805.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For Pine Oil: ShaRon Carlisle,
Antimicrobials Division (7510P), Office of Pesticide Programs,
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW.,
Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone number: (703) 308-6427; fax
number: (703) 308-8481; e-mail address: carlisle.sharon@epa.gov.
For Propylene Glycol and Dipropylene Glycol: Michelle Centra,
Antimicrobials Division (7510P), Office of Pesticide
[[Page 7874]]
Programs, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW.,
Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone number: (703) 308-2476; fax
number: (703) 308-8481; e-mail address: centra.michelle@epa.gov
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. General Information
A. Does this Action Apply to Me?
This action is directed to the public in general, and may be of
interest to a wide range of stakeholders including environmental, human
health, and agricultural advocates; the chemical industry; pesticide
users; and members of the public interested in the sale, distribution,
or use of pesticides. Since others also may 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. What Should I Consider as I Prepare My Comments for EPA?
1. Submitting CBI. Do not submit this information to EPA through
regulations.gov or e-mail. Clearly mark the part or all of the
information that you claim to be CBI. For CBI information in a disk or
CD ROM that you mail to EPA, 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 claimed as CBI. In addition to one
complete version of the comment that includes 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.
Information so marked will not be disclosed except in accordance with
procedures set forth in 40 CFR part 2.
2. Tips for preparing your comments. When submitting comments,
remember to:
i. Identify the document by docket ID number and other identifying
information (subject heading, Federal Register date and page number).
ii. Follow directions. The Agency may ask you to respond to
specific questions or organize comments by referencing a Code of
Federal Regulations (CFR) part or section number.
iii. Explain why you agree or disagree; suggest alternatives and
substitute language for your requested changes.
iv. Describe any assumptions and provide any technical information
and/or data that you used.
v. If you estimate potential costs or burdens, explain how you
arrived at your estimate in sufficient detail to allow for it to be
reproduced.
vi. Provide specific examples to illustrate your concerns and
suggest alternatives.
vii. Explain your views as clearly as possible, avoiding the use
of profanity or personal threats.
viii. Make sure to submit your comments by the comment period
deadline identified.
II. Background
A. What Action is the Agency Taking?
Under section 4 of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and
Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), EPA is reevaluating existing pesticides to
ensure that they meet current scientific and regulatory standards. EPA
has completed Reregistration Eligibility Decisions (REDs) for the
pesticides, pine oil and propylene glycol and dipropylene glycol under
section 4(g)(2)(A) of FIFRA. Pine oil is an antimicrobial used for
sanitizing and disinfecting in residential and commercial/institutional
settings. Propylene glycol is used in air sanitization and hard surface
disinfection and dipropylene glycol is used in air sanitization. Pest
(fleas, mites, red lice, and various bacteria and viruses) control for
pets (cats, dogs, and birds) is also a major active use for propylene
glycol.
EPA has determined that the data base to support reregistration is
substantially complete and that products containing pine oil and
propylene glycol and dipropylene glycol are eligible for
reregistration, provided the risks are mitigated either in the manner
described in the RED or by another means that achieves equivalent risk
reduction. Upon submission of any required product specific data under
section 4(g)(2)(B) and any necessary changes to the registration and
labeling (either to address concerns identified in the RED or as a
result of product specific data), EPA will make a final reregistration
decision under section 4(g)(2)(C) for products containing pine oil and
propylene glycol and dipropylene glycol.
EPA must review tolerances and tolerance exemptions that were in
effect when the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) was enacted in
August 1996, to ensure that these existing pesticide residue limits for
food and feed commodities meet the safety standard established by the
new law. Tolerances are considered reassessed once the safety finding
has been made or a revocation occurs. EPA has reviewed and made the
requisite safety finding for the pine oil and propylene glycol and
dipropylene glycol tolerances included in this notice.
EPA is applying the principles of public participation to all
pesticides undergoing reregistration and tolerance reassessment. The
Agency's Pesticide Tolerance Reassessment and Reregistration; Public
Participation Process, published in the Federal Register on May 14,
2004, (69 FR 26819)(FRL-7357-9) explains that in conducting these
programs, EPA is tailoring its public participation process to be
commensurate with the level of risk, extent of use, complexity of
issues, and degree of public concern associated with each pesticide.
Due to its uses, risks, and other factors, pine oil and propylene
glycol and dipropylene glycol were reviewed through the modified 4-
Phase process. Through this process, EPA worked extensively with
stakeholders and the public to reach the regulatory decisions for pine
oil and propylene glycol and dipropylene glycol.
The reregistration program is being conducted under
Congressionally mandated time frames, and EPA recognizes the need both
to make timely decisions and to involve the public. The Agency is
issuing the pine oil and propylene glycol and dipropylene glycol REDs
for public comment. This comment period is intended to provide an
additional opportunity for public input and a mechanism for initiating
any necessary amendments to the RED. All comments should be submitted
using the methods in ADDRESSES, and must be received by EPA on or
before the closing date. These comments will become part of the Agency
Docket for pine oil and propylene glycol and dipropylene glycol.
Comments received after the close of the comment period will be marked
``late.'' EPA is not required to consider these late comments.
The Agency will carefully consider all comments received by the
closing date and will provide a Response to Comments Memorandum in the
Docket and regulations.gov. If any comment significantly affects the
document, EPA also will publish an amendment to the RED in the Federal
Register. In the absence of substantive comments requiring changes, the
pine oil and propylene glycol and dipropylene glycol REDs will be
implemented as it is now presented.
B. What is the Agency's Authority for Taking this Action?
Section 4(g)(2) of FIFRA as amended directs that, after submission
of all data
[[Page 7875]]
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.''
Section 408(q) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act
(FFDCA), 21 U.S.C. 346a(q), requires EPA to review tolerances and
exemptions for pesticide residues in effect as of August 2, 1996, to
determine whether the tolerance or exemption meets the requirements of
section 408(b)(2) or (c)(2) of FFDCA. This review was completed by
August 3, 2006.
List of Subjects
Environmental protection, Pesticides and pests, Pine oil,
Propylene glycol and Dipropylene glycol.
Dated: February 12, 2007.
Betty Shackleford,
Acting Director, Antimicrobials Division, Office of Pesticide Programs.
[FR Doc. 07-791 Filed 2-16-07; 2:27 pm]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-S