[Federal Register: December 11, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 238)]
[Notices]
[Page 76176-76177]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr11de02-35]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[OPP-2002-0269; FRL-7189-6]
Ethoprop; Availability of Interim Reregistration Eligibility
Decision Document
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: This notice announces availability of the Interim
Reregistration Eligibility Decision (IRED) document for the pesticide
active ingredient ethoprop. The IRED represents EPA's formal regulatory
assessment of the health and environmental data base of the subject
chemical and presents the Agency's interim determination regarding
which pesticidal uses are eligible for reregistration.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Anthony Britten, Special Review and
Reregistration Division (7508C), Office of Pesticide Programs,
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW.,
Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone number: (703) 308-8179; e-mail
address: britten.anthony@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-2002-0269. 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/. To access IRED documents and
IRED fact sheets electronically, go directly to the REDs table on the
EPA Office of Pesticide Programs Web site, at http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/reregistration/status.htm
.
An electronic version of the latest 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.1. EPA intends to work
towards providing electronic access to all of the publicly available
docket materials through EPA's electronic public docket.
II. Background
A. What Action is the Agency Taking?
EPA has assessed the risks posed by the use of the active
ingredient ethoprop, and issued an IRED for this organophosphate (OP)
pesticide. EPA issues an IRED for a pesticide that is undergoing
reregistration, requires a reregistration eligibility decision, and
also needs a cumulative assessment under FQPA. The IRED, issued after
EPA completes the individual pesticide's aggregate risk assessment, may
include taking risk reduction measures; for example, reducing risks to
workers or eliminating uses that the registrant no longer wishes to
maintain, to gain the benefits of these changes before the final RED
can be issued following the Agency's consideration of cumulative risks.
Through cumulative risk assessment, EPA will consider whether the risks
posed by a group of pesticides that act the same way in the body meet
the current safety standard of ``reasonable certainty of no harm'' as
defined by the FQPA.
Provided that risk mitigation measures stipulated in the IRED
document are adopted, EPA has made the determination that ethoprop fits
into its own ``risk cup''-- that is, its individual and aggregate risks
are within acceptable levels. Thus, ethoprop products, except for the
liquid formulation, are eligible for reregistration, pending
consideration of the cumulative risk for all OPs. The Agency will make
a reregistration eligibility decision for the liquid formulation of
ethoprop at a later time, provided certain conditions are fulfilled.
All registrants of pesticide products containing the active
ingredient listed in this document have been sent the IRED document,
and must respond to labeling requirements and product specific data
requirements (if applicable) within 8 months of its receipt. Products
also containing other pesticide active ingredients will not be
reregistered until those other active ingredients are
[[Page 76177]]
determined to be eligible for reregistration.
The reregistration program is being conducted under Congressionally
mandated time frames, and EPA recognizes both the need to make timely
reregistration decisions and to involve the public. EPA worked
extensively with affected parties to reach the decisions presented in
the IRED document. Numerous opportunities for public comment were
offered as the IRED was being developed. The ethoprop IRED document,
therefore, is issued in final, without a formal public comment period.
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, Pesticides and pests.
Dated: November 22, 2002.
Lois Rossi,
Director, Special Review and Reregistration Division, Office of
Pesticide Programs.
[FR Doc. 02-31163 Filed 12-10-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-S