[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 219 (Wednesday, November 12, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66893-66895]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-26718]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
EPA-HQ-OPP-2007-0588;FRL-8388-5]
Acrolein, d-Phenothrin, and Sulfometuron Methyl, Reregistration
Eligibility Decision; Notice of Availability
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of EPA's Reregistration
Eligibility Decisions (REDs) for the pesticides acrolein, d-phenothrin,
and sulfometuron methyl, and opens a public comment period on this
document. The Agency's risk assessments and other related documents
also are available in the acrolein, d-phenothrin, and sulfometuron
methyl Dockets. Acrolein is a biocide used as a herbicide in irrigation
canals and as an antimicrobial agent for drilling muds in the petroleum
industry. d-Phenothrin is a synthetic pyrethroid with indoor uses in
foggers, carpet powders, crack and crevice treatments, and pet care
products and outdoor uses as a mosquito adulticide. Sulfometuron methyl
is a non-selective sulfonylurea herbicide primarily used for weed
control in forestry and vegetative management. Neither acrolein, d-
phenothrin, or sulfometuron methyl have any food uses. EPA has reviewed
acrolein, d-phenothrin, and sulfometuron methyl 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 January 12, 2009.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by docket identification
(ID) numbers EPA-HQ-OPP-2007-0588 (Acrolein); EPA-HQ-OPP-2008-0140 (d-
Phenothrin); EPA-HQ-OPP-2008-0129 (Sulfometuron Methyl), by one of the
following methods:
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 Facility'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 Facility telephone number is (703) 305-5805.
Instructions: Direct your comments to docket ID numbers EPA-HQ-OPP-
2007-0588 (Acrolein); EPA-HQ-OPP-2008-0140 (d-Phenothrin); EPA-HQ-OPP-
2008-0129 (Sulfometuron Methyl). 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 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
[[Page 66894]]
of encryption, and be free of any defects or viruses.
Docket: All documents in the docket are listed in the docket index
available at http://www.regulations.gov. 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 Facility telephone
number is (703) 305-5805.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Laura Parsons, Special Review and
Reregistration Division (7508P), Office of Pesticide Programs,
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW.,
Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone number: (703) 305-5776; fax
number: (703) 308-7042; e-mail address: [email protected].
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: 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 REDs for the pesticides, acrolein, d-phenothrin, and
sulfometuron methyl under section 4(g)(2)(A) of FIFRA. Acrolein is a
biocide used as a herbicide in irrigation canals and as an
antimicrobial agent for drilling muds in the petroleum industry. d-
Phenothrin is a pyrethroid with indoor uses of foggers, carpet powders,
crack and crevice treatments, and pet care products and outdoor uses as
a mosquito adulticide. Sulfometuron methyl is a non-selective
sulfonylurea herbicide primarily used for weed control in forestry and
vegetative management. Neither acrolein, sulfometuron methyl, or d-
phenothrin have any food uses. EPA has determined that the database to
support reregistration is substantially complete and that products
containing acrolein, d-phenothrin, and sulfometuron methyl 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) of FIFRA 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) of
FIFRA for products containing acrolein, d-phenothrin, and sulfometuron
methyl.
Table 1.--Reregistration Eligibility Decision Dockets Opening
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chemical Review
Reregistration Case Name and manager, Telephone
Number Docket ID Number Number, E-mail
Address
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Acrolein, 2005 EPA--HQ-OPP-2007-0 Laura Parsons
588 (703) 305-5776,
[email protected]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
d-Phenothrin, 0426 EPA-HQ-OPP-2008-01 Jennifer
40 Howenstine,
(703) 305-0741,
[email protected]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sulfometuron Methyl, 3136 EPA-HQ-OPP-2008-01 Rusty Wasem,
29 (703) 305-6979,
[email protected]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[[Page 66895]]
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 their uses, risks, and other factors, d-phenothrin and
sulfometuron methyl were reviewed through the modified 4-Phase public
participation process. Acrolein was reviewed through the 6-phase
process. Through this process, EPA worked extensively with stakeholders
and the public to reach the regulatory decisions for acrolein, d-
phenothrin, and sulfometuron methyl.
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 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, Pesticides and pests.
Dated: October 31, 2008.
Steven Bradbury,
Director, Special Review and Reregistration Division, Office of
Pesticide Programs.
[FR Doc. E8-26718 Filed 11-10-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-S