[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 36 (Wednesday, February 24, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Page 9153]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-4317]



[[Page 9153]]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OPP-181065A; FRL-6059-3]


Malathion and Diazinon; Receipt of Application for Emergency 
Exemption, Solicitation of Public Comment Period; Extension of Comment 
Period

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: EPA is extending the public comment period related to the 
consideration of a section 18 quarantine exemption request submitted to 
the Agency by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for the use of the 
pesticides malathion and diazinon to treat areas in Florida where 
nonindigenous subtropical fruit flies (various species in the family 
Tephritidae) are discovered. The public may directly review the 
materials submitted in support of the subject emergency exemption 
application at the EPA's Pesticide Public Docket or through the main 
branch of the Tampa-Hillsborough County Library. The comment period is 
extended for an additional 30 days.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted to EPA by March 26, 1999.
ADDRESSES: By mail, submit written comments to: Public Information and 
Records Integrity Branch, Information Resources and Services Division 
(7502C), Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental Protection Agency, 
401 M St., SW., Washington, DC 20460. In person, deliver comments to: 
Rm. 119, Crystal Mall #2, 1921 Jefferson Davis Hwy., Arlington, VA.
    Comments and data may also be submitted electronically by sending 
electronic mail (e-mail) to: [email protected]. Follow the 
instructions under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. No Confidential Business 
Information (CBI) should be submitted through e-mail.
    Information submitted as a comment concerning this document may be 
claimed confidential by marking any part or all of that information as 
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 will be included in the 
public docket by EPA without prior notice. The public docket is 
available for public inspection in Rm. 119 at the Virginia address 
given in this unit, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, 
excluding legal holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: By mail: Daniel J. Rosenblatt, Office 
of Pesticide Programs (7505C), Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M 
St., SW., Washington, DC 20460. Office location, telephone number, and 
e-mail address: Crystal Mall #2, Rm. 280, 1921 Jefferson-Davis Highway, 
Arlington, VA, (703-308-9375); e-mail: [email protected]. 
The emergency exemption application is also available for public 
inspection in the Special Collection Department of the main library of 
the Tampa-Hillsborough County Library system located at 900 N. Ashley, 
Tampa, Florida, (813-273-3629).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA issued a notice published in the Federal 
Register of December 9, 1998 (63 FR 67880)(FRL-6047-8) which solicited 
public comment on the section 18 quarantine exemption request which was 
submitted to the Agency by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for the 
use of the pesticides malathion and diazinon to treat areas in Florida 
where nonindigenous subtropical fruit flies (various species in the 
family Tephritidae) are discovered.
    EPA is evaluating the quarantine exemption request under section 18 
of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) from 
the U.S. Department of Agriculture (hereinafter referred to as the 
``Applicant'') to use the pesticides malathion (CAS No. 121-75-5), 
formulated as Fyfanon ULV (EPA Registration Numbers 4787-8 and 51036-
104 and diazinon (CAS No. 333-41-5), formulated as Diazinon 4-E (EPA 
Registration Number 769-687) at this time. The purpose of this notice 
is to extend the period for public comment about how the Agency should 
respond to the emergency exemption application from the Applicant.
    In the past years, severe infestations of the Mediterranean fruit 
fly (Ceratitis capitata) has been discovered in Florida. The 
Mediterranean fruit fly is a destructive pest capable of damaging a 
wide range of important agricultural crops. In order to ensure that the 
Mediterranean fruit fly does not become established in Florida, the 
Applicant and the State of Florida have undertaken emergency 
eradication programs to combat each outbreak.
    The section 18 request under consideration by the Agency involves 
use of the pesticides in eradication programs, the release of sterile 
Mediterranean fruit flies, and numerous other exclusion and detection 
activities in order to help ensure that this pest species does not 
become established.
    The official record for this notice, as well as the public version, 
has been established for this notice under docket control number [OPP-
181065A] (including comments and data submitted electronically as 
described in this unit). 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, except legal holidays. The 
official notice record is located at the Virginia 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. Comments and data 
will also be accepted on disks in WordPerfect in 5.1/6.1 or ASCII file 
format. All comments and data in electronic form must be identified by 
the docket control number [OPP-181065A]. Electronic comments on this 
notice may be filed online at many Federal Depository Libraries.

List of Subjects

    Environmental protection, Pesticides and pests, Emergency 
exemptions.

    Dated: February 16, 1999.

Peter Caulkings,

Acting Director, Registration Division, Office of Pesticide Programs.

[FR Doc. 99-4317 Filed 2-23-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-F