[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 127 (Wednesday, July 2, 1997)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 35760-35762]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-17369]



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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OPP-300503; FRL-5722-3]

40 CFR Parts 180 and 186

2070-AC18


Revocation of Tolerances for Commodities No Longer Regulated for 
Pesticide Residues

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Proposed Rule.

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SUMMARY: This notice proposes to revoke tolerances for pesticide 
residues in or on livestock feed commodities that have been removed 
from the list of significant livestock feed commodities in Table I of 
Pesticide Assessment Guideline 860.1000. In implementing the Federal 
Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), EPA does not require data on or 
set individual tolerance levels for minor, non-significant livestock 
animal commodities. As explained in this document, EPA considers 
residues in minor, non-significant livestock feed commodities to be 
covered by the tolerances for the pesticide on the principal 
commodities of a crop.
DATES: Written comments must be submitted to EPA by September 2, 1997.
ADDRESSES: By mail, submit comments to the Public Information and 
Records Integrity Branch, Information Resources and Services Division 
(7506C), Office of Pesticide Programs, 401 M St., SW., Washington, DC 
20460. In person, deliver comments to room 1132, Crystal Mall #2, 1921 
Jefferson Davis Hwy., Arlington, VA.
    Comments and data may also be submitted electronically by following 
the instructions under Unit V. No Confidential Business Information 
(CBI) should be submitted through e-mail.
    Information submitted and any comment(s) 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(s) 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.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: By mail: Jeff Morris, Special Review 
and Reregistration Division (7508W), Environmental Protection Agency, 
401 M St., SW., Washington, DC 20460. Office location, telephone number 
and e-mail address: Crystal Station #1, 3rd floor, 2800 Crystal Drive, 
Arlington, VA (703) 308-8029; e-mail: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Legal Authority

    The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA, 21 U.S.C. 301 et 
seq., as amended by the Food Quality Protection Act of 1996, Pub. L. 
104-170) authorizes the establishment of tolerances (maximum residue 
levels), exemptions from the requirement of a tolerance, modifications 
in tolerances, and revocation of tolerances for residues of pesticide 
chemicals in or on raw agricultural commodities and processed foods 
pursuant to section 408 of the FFDCA (21 U.S.C. 346(a), as amended). 
Without a tolerance or exemption, food containing pesticide residues is 
considered to be unsafe and therefore ``adulterated'' under section 
402(a) of the FFDCA, and hence may not legally be moved in interstate 
commerce (21 U.S.C. 342). For a pesticide to be sold and distributed, 
the pesticide must not only have appropriate tolerances or exemptions 
under the FFDCA, but also must be registered under section 3 of the 
Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA, 7 U.S.C. 
136a(3)(a)).

II. Regulatory Background

    Most agricultural crops and their corresponding raw agricultural 
and processed commodities can be, and are, fed to livestock. EPA, 
however, only requires pesticide residue data on, and sets individual 
tolerances for, significant livestock feed commodities. EPA considers a 
livestock feed commodity to be significant if it has the potential to 
contribute to the human diet (through the consumption of livestock 
commodities) more than a negligible quantity of pesticide residue. 
EPA's listing of significant food and feed commodities (raw and 
processed) can be found in Table I of Pesticide Assessment Guideline 
860.1000. Because of minor nomenclature variations, the tolerances as 
written in title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations may not coincide 
precisely with the commodity names as listed in Table I of Pesticide 
Assessment Guideline 860.1000.
    EPA revised Table I (formerly Table II) in June of 1994 because of 
the significant changes in agricultural, processing, and feeding 
practices that had occurred over the past decade. The June 1994 update 
was further revised in September of 1995 in order to reflect the most 
recent data and to address comments received in response to the June 
1994 update. This September 1995 revision of Table I resulted in the 
removal of numerous commodities from the table. Data used to update 
Table I came from such sources as Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) 
files, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), academia, industry, 
and trade associations throughout the United States. In the June 1994 
revisions, EPA used the following criteria to decide what feedstuffs 
are considered ``significant'': (1) The annual U.S. production of a 
particular raw agricultural commodity (RAC) (e.g., wheat grain, or 
wheat straw) is greater than or equal to 250,000 tons and the maximum 
amount in the livestock diet is greater than or equal to 10 percent, or 
(2) the commodity is grown mainly as a feedstuff. Processed commodities 
with less than 250,000 tons annual U.S. production were considered 
significant feeds in the 1994 revisions if the RAC from which they were 
derived exceeded 250,000 tons. For the September 1995 revisions to 
Table I, EPA in response to comments and in consultation with USDA and 
industry representatives amended the criteria as follows: The amount of 
a commodity (raw agricultural or processed) produced or diverted for 
use as a feedstuff is at least 0.04 percent of the total annual tonnage 
of all feedstuffs available for livestock utilization in the United 
States. For feedstuffs less than 0.04 percent of the total estimated 
annual tonnage of all feedstuffs available, the 1995 revisions stated 
that those feedstuffs are to be included in Table I and therefore 
considered to be significant if: (a) the feedstuff is listed and 
routinely traded on the commodities exchange markets; (b) there is 
regional production, seasonal considerations, or an incident history 
for use of the feedstuff; or the feedstuff is grown exclusively for 
livestock feeding in quantities greater than 10,000 tons (0.0015 
percent of the total estimated annual tonnage of all feedstuffs 
available in the United States). EPA determined that any livestock feed 
commodities that met these criteria for exclusion from the list of 
significant feed commodities were likely to contribute no greater than 
a negligible amount of pesticide residue to the human diet. Moreover, 
EPA believes that the residue contribution from livestock feed 
commodities judged to be insignificant will contribute a negligible 
amount of pesticide residue to the human diet relative to the residues 
contributed by other portions of the same crop.
    EPA expects that Table I, after being revised based on the above 
criteria, now

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accounts for greater than 99 percent of the available tonnage (on a 
dry-matter basis) of feedstuffs used in the domestic production of 
greater than 95 percent of beef and dairy cattle, poultry, swine, milk, 
and eggs.

III. Proposed Actions

    In this document EPA proposes to revoke the tolerances for specific 
livestock feed items dropped from Table I due to a determination that 
they were not significant livestock feed commodities.
    It is not EPA's intention that this proposed revocation should have 
the effect of rendering the affected commodities adulterated due to the 
absence of a tolerance. Rather, EPA interprets its tolerance regulation 
for the principal RAC of a crop as covering any insignificant livestock 
feed commodities (i.e. those not on Table I) of that crop as provided 
below. Pesticide residues in an insignificant livestock feed commodity 
would be in compliance with the tolerance for the RAC of the same crop 
if the residues in the RAC from which the feedstuff is derived or with 
which it is associated (e.g., straw harvested at the same crop stage as 
grain, the RAC) are at or below the appropriate tolerance level. If no 
information is available regarding the residue level in the RAC from 
which the feedstuff is derived or with which it is associated, then 
pesticide residues in an insignificant livestock feed commodity would 
be considered in compliance with the RAC tolerance of that crop if the 
residue level in the insignificant livestock feed commodity is 
consistent with the RAC from which the feedstuff is derived or with 
which it is associated containing residues at or below the appropriate 
tolerance. This interpretation applies only to insignificant livestock 
feed commodities.

IV. Effective Dates

    These proposed revocations will become effective upon the date of 
publication in the Federal Register of a final rule revoking the 
tolerances.

V. Public Comment Procedures

    EPA invites interested persons to submit written comments, 
information, or data in response to this proposed rule. EPA will 
consider all relevant comments. After consideration of comments, EPA 
will issue a final order. Such order will be subject to objections. 
Failure to file an objection within the appointed period will 
constitute waiver of the right to raise in future proceedings issues 
resolved in the final order.
    The official record for this rulemaking, as well as the public 
version, has been established for this rulemaking under docket number 
``[OPP-300503]'' (including comments and data submitted electronically 
as described below). A public version of this record, including 
printed, paper versions of electronic comments, which does not include 
any information claimed as CBI, is available for inspection from 8:30 
a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The 
official rulemaking record is located at the address in ``ADDRESSES'' 
at the beginning of this document.
    Electronic comments can be sent directly to EPA at:
    [email protected]


    Electronic comments must be submitted as an ASCII file avoiding the 
use of special characters and any form of encryption. Comment and data 
will also be accepted on disks in Wordperfect 5.1 file format or ASCII 
file format. All comments and data in electronic form must be 
identified by the docket number (insert docket number). Electronic 
comments on this proposed rule may be filed online at many Federal 
Depository Libraries.

VI. Regulatory Assessment Requirements

    This action proposes the revocation of specific tolerance 
requirements under section 408 of the FFDCA and therefore does not 
impose any other regulatory requirements. As such, the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) has exempted these types of actions from 
review under Executive Order 12866, entitled Regulatory Planning and 
Review (58 FR 51735, October 4, 1993). Since this proposed rule does 
not impose any requirements, it does not contain any information 
collections subject to approval under the Paperwork Reduction Act 
(PRA), 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq., or require any other action under Title 
II of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (UMRA) (Pub. L. 104-4). 
Nor does it require any prior consultation as specified by Executive 
Order 12875, entitled Enhancing the Intergovernmental Partnership (58 
FR 58093, October 28, 1993), or special considerations as required by 
Executive Order 12898, entitled Federal Actions to Address 
Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income 
Populations (59 FR 7629, February 16, 1994), or require OMB review in 
accordance with Executive Order 13045, entitled Protection of Children 
from Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks (62 FR 19885, April 
23, 1997).
    In addition, pursuant to section 605(b) of the Regulatory 
Flexibility Act (RFA) (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.), the Agency hereby 
certifies that this proposed rule will not have a significant adverse 
economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. This 
determination is based on the fact that this action does not impose any 
requirements and therefore does not have any adverse economic impacts. 
In accordance with Small Business Administration (SBA) policy, this 
determination will be provided to the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the 
SBA upon request.

List of Subjects

40 CFR Part 180

    Environmental protection, Administrative practice and procedure, 
Agricultural commodities, Pesticides and pests, Reporting and 
recordkeeping requirements.

40 CFR Part 186

    Animal feeds, Pesticide and pest.

Dated: June 18, 1997.

Daniel M. Barolo,

Director, Office of Pesticide Programs.
    Therefore, it is proposed that 40 CFR parts 180 and 186 be amended 
as follows:

PART 180--[AMENDED]

    1. In part 180:
    a. The authority citation for part 180 continues to read as 
follows:
    Authority: 21 U.S.C. 346a and 371.


    b. Part 180 is amended as follows:
    i. By removing the phrase ``alfalfa, chafe, or seed,'' wherever it 
appears in part 180.
    ii. By removing the phrase ``barley, fodder, green,'' wherever it 
appears in part 180.
    iii. By removing the phrase ``barley, forage,'' wherever it appears 
in part 180.
    iv. By removing the phrases ``barley, forage, green,'' and the 
phrase ``barley green forage,'' wherever they appear in part 180.
    v. By removing the phrases ``buckwheat, fodder,'' and ``buckwheat, 
forage,'' wherever they appear in part 180.
    vi. By removing the phrases ``lentils, forage,'' or ``lentil, 
forage,'' wherever they appear in part 180.
    vii. By removing the phrases ``lupine, hay (PRE-H),'' and ``lupine, 
straw (pre-H),''wherever they appear in part 180.
    viii. By removing the phrases ``peanuts, hulls,'' ``peanut, vine 
hulls,'' ``peanut hulls'' or ``peanuts (hulls) pre-H,'' wherever they 
appear in part 180.

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    ix. By removing the phrase ``peppermint, hay,'' wherever it appears 
in part 180.
    x. By removing the phrases ``safflower, fodder (fodder, forage, and 
grain),'' and ``safflower, forage,'' wherever they appear in part 180.
    xi. By removing the phrase ``spearmint, hay,'' wherever it appears 
in part 180.
    xii. By removing the phrase ``sunflower, forage,'' wherever it 
appears in part 180.


Sec. 180.106  [Amended]

    xiii. In Sec. 180.106, in the entry for ``2 parts per million...'' 
revise the phrase ``forage, and straw of barley'' to read ``straw of 
barley.''


Sec. 180.277  [Amended]

    xiv. In Sec. 180.277 revise the phrase ``barley (grain, forage, and 
straw)'' to read ``barley (grain and straw).''


Sec. 180.288  [Amended]

    xv. In Sec. 180.288 by revising the phrase ``barley (fodder, 
forage, grain and straw)'' to read ``barley (fodder, grain and 
straw).''


Sec. 180.230  [Amended]

    xvi. In Sec. 180.230 by removing the phrase ``peanut hulls and.''


Sec. 180.236  [Amended]

    xvii. In Sec. 180.236 by removing the phrase ``0.4 parts per 
million in or on peanut hulls.''


Sec. 180.361  [Amended]

    xviii. In Sec. 180.361 by removing paragraph (b).

PART 186--[AMENDED]

    2. In part 186:
    a. The authority citation for part 186 continues to read as 
follows:
    Authority: 21 U.S.C. 348.


    b. Part 186 is amended as follows:
    i. By removing the phrase ``apple, pomace (dry)'' wherever it 
appears in part 186.
    ii. By removing the phrase ``citrus, molasses,'' wherever it 
appears in part 186.
    iii. By removing the phrase ``corn soapstock'' wherever it appears 
in part 186.
    iv. By removing the phrases ``grape pomace,'' ``grapes, pomace, 
dried,''``grapes, pomace, (wet and dry),'' ``grapes, pomace, (wet and 
dried),'' ``grape pomace (dry or wet),'' ``grape pomace (wet),'' 
``grape pomace (dry),'' and ``grape pomace, wet and dry,'' wherever 
they appear in part 186.
    v. By removing the phrases ``raisin, waste,'' and ``grape, raisin 
waste,'' wherever they appears in part 186.
    vi. By removing the phrase ``hops, spent,'' wherever it appears in 
part 186.
    vii. By removing the phrase ``peanuts, soapstock,'' wherever it 
appears in part 186.
    viii. By removing the phrase ``peanuts, soapstock, fatty acids,'' 
wherever it appears in part 186.
    ix. By removing the phrase ``soapstock'' wherever it appears in 
part 186.
    x. By removing the phrase ``soybeans, soapstock,'' wherever it 
appears in part 186.
    xi. By removing the phrase ``soybeans, soapstock, fatty acids,'' 
wherever it appears in part 186.
    xii. By removing the phrase ``spent mint hay,'' wherever it appears 
in part 186.
    xiii. By removing the phrase ``sugarcane, bagasse,'' wherever it 
appears in part 186.
    xiv. By removing the phrase ``sunflower, seeds, hulls,'' wherever 
it appears in part 186.
    xv. By removing the phrase ``sunflower, seeds, soapstock,'' 
wherever it appears in part 186.
    xvi. By removing the phrase ``tomatoes, pomace, dried,'' wherever 
it appears in part 186.
    xvii. By removing the phrase ``tomatoes, pomace, wet,'' wherever it 
appears in part 186.


Sec. 186.450  [Amended]

    xviii. In Sec. 186.450 by removing the phrase ``citrus molasses 
and.''


Sec. 186.3450  [Removed]

    xix. By removing Sec. 186.3450.


Sec. 186.350  [Amended]

    xx. In Sec. 186.350 by removing the entry beginning with ``125 
parts per million....''


Sec. 186.1650  [Amended]

    xxi. In Sec. 186.1650 by removing the entry beginning with ``20 
parts per million....''


Sec. 186.4800  [Amended]

    xxii. In Sec. 186.4800 by removing the entry beginning with ``45 
parts per million....''


Sec. 186.1450  [Amended]

    xxiii. In Sec. 186.1450 the entry for ``5 parts per million,'' is 
amended by removing the phrase ``sugarcane bagasse and.''


Sec. 186.2225  [Amended]

    xxiv. In Sec. 186.2225 by removing the entry ``1.5 parts per 
million in sugarcane baggase.''


Sec. 186.3350  [Removed]

    xxv. By removing Sec. 186.3350.

[FR Doc. 97-17369 Filed 7-1-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-F