[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 48 (Friday, March 11, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-5728]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: March 11, 1994]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[OPP-50776; FRL-4764-6]

 

Receipt of an Application for an Experimental Use Permit 
Amendment/Extension for a Transgenic Plant Pesticide

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: On December 7, 1993, EPA received an application from Ciba 
Geigy, Seed Division to extend their Experimental Use Permit (EUP) for 
a transgenic plant pesticide. The Agency has determined that this 
application may be of regional and national significance. Therefore in 
accordance with 40 CFR 172.11 (a), the Agency is soliciting public 
comments on this application.

DATES: Written comments must be received by April 11, 1994.

ADDRESSES: Comments, in triplicate, should bear the docket control 
number OPP-50776 and be submitted to: Public Response and Program 
Resources Branch, Field Operations Division (7506C), Office of 
Pesticide Programs, Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M St., SW., 
Washington, DC 20460. In person bring comments to: Rm. 1128, Crystal 
Mall #2, 1921 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, VA 22202.
    Information submitted in any comment concerning this notice may be 
claimed confidential by marking any part or all of that information as 
``Confidential Business Information'' (CBI). Information so marked will 
not be disclosed except in accordance with procedures set forth in 40 
CFR part 2. A copy of the comment that does not contain CBI must be 
submitted for inclusion in the public record. Information not marked 
confidential may be disclosed publicly by EPA without prior notice to 
the submitter. Written comments will be available for public inspection 
in Rm. 1128 at the address given above, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., 
Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: By mail: Phillip O. Hutton, Product 
Manager (PM) 18, Registration Division (7505C), Office of Pesticide 
Programs, Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M St., SW., Washington, 
DC 20460. Office location and telephone number: Rm. 213, Crystal Mall 
#2, 1921 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, VA 22202 (703)305-7690.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On December 7, 1993, EPA received an 
application to extend an EUP from Ciba-Geigy Corporation, Seed Division 
(Ciba Seeds), P.O. Box 12257, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 
27709-2257. The EUP application is assigned EPA File Symbol 66736-EUP-
1. Notices of receipt, extension of comment period, and issuance were 
published in the Federal Registers of March 31, 1993 (58 FR 16827), May 
7, 1993 (58 FR 27284), and December 27, 1993 (58 FR 68409). The EUP 
currently in effect allows for plantings of up to 33 acres of 
transgenic Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) corn through March 31, 1994, and 
for the completion of activities associated with these plantings (e.g., 
data collection, harvesting, and processing of grain). The Bt corn 
plants produce an insect control protein encoded by a synthetic 
cryIA(b) gene derived from Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki. Ciba 
Seeds has applied to amend and extend the EUP to allow for plantings of 
up to 195 acres of transgenic Bt corn between April 1, 1994 and March 
31, 1995, and for the completion through October 1, 1995 of activities 
associated with these plantings. Plantings are proposed to occur in 
California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, 
Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, 
Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, 
South Dakota, and Wisconsin and Puerto Rico.
    The current EUP authorizes plantings of transgenic corn derived 
from transformation Event 176 and Event 171. Over 99 percent of the 
proposed acreage under the EUP extension will involve plants derived 
from Event 176. Limited plantings of up to 1.5 acres of material 
derived from Event 171 may occur as part of the breeding trials. All 
other activities proposed in the EUP extension will involve only plants 
derived from Event 176.
    Activities planned for plantings through March 1995 include: 
Breeding, gene efficacy evaluations, hybrid growout trials, insect 
population dynamics studies, insect predation parasitism studies, 
insect susceptibility studies, performance evaluations--hybrid 
comparison strip tests, performance evaluations--replicated yield 
trials, resistance management experiments, and seed increases/hybrid 
production.
    All field trials will be conducted in a crop destruct manner. Some 
plant material and seed will be retained for research purposes or 
future plantings, and some will be fed to experimental animals. Some 
seed may also be retained until such time that approval for commercial 
distribution has been obtained. All other material will be destroyed. 
If a temporary tolerance or tolerance exemption is granted during the 
EUP program, some grain and/or silage may be used as conventional 
animal feed (e.g., for poultry, hogs, and cattle) or in other 
commercial operations. Upon review of the Ciba Seeds application, any 
comments received in response to this notice and any other relevant 
information, EPA will set conditions under which the experiments will 
be conducted. Any issuance of an EUP will be announced in the Federal 
Register.

    Dated: March 4, 1994.
Stephanie Irene,
Acting Director, Registration Division, Office of Pesticide Programs.
[FR Doc. 94-5728 Filed 3-10-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-F