[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 58 (Friday, March 24, 2000)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 15884-15885]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-7446]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Part 152 and 156

[OPP-36190B; FRL-6551-1]
RIN 2070-AC46


Equivalency of Pesticides Metolachlor and S-metolachlor With 
Respect to Ground Water Contamination; Supplemental Notice of 
Availability and Extension of Comment Period

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Supplemental Notice of Availability and extension of comment 
period.

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SUMMARY:  The Agency is providing supplemental information for an 
existing Notice of Availability and Request for Comment (65 FR 8925, 
February 23, 2000) and an extension of the original comment period. The 
original Notice provided an opportunity for the public and affected 
parties to submit comments on whether additional information shows that 
metolachlor and S-metolachlor are equivalent with respect to leaching 
and potential ground water contamination. EPA is seeking comment on the 
specific information that is being made available, which is described 
in this document, and is extending the original comment period by 30 
days.

DATES: Comments, identified by the docket control number OPP-36190B, 
must be received on or before April 24, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted by mail, electronically, or in 
person. Please follow the detailed instructions for each method as 
provided in Unit I. of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. To ensure proper 
receipt by EPA, it is imperative that you identify docket control 
number OPP-36190B in the subject line on the first page of your 
response.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Arthur-Jean B. Williams, Field and 
External Affairs Division (7506C), Office of Pesticide Programs, 
Environmental Protection Agency, Ariel Rios Bldg., 1200 Pennsylvania 
Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: 703-305-5239; fax 
number: 703-308-3259; e-mail address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:  

I. General Information

A. Does this Action Apply to Me?

    This supplemental notice of data availability and request for 
comment is directed to the public in general. It may, however, be of 
particular interest to you if you register, distribute, apply, or 
manage the application of a pesticide that contains optically active 
isomeric active ingredients and, in particular, a product enriched for 
one (usually more pesticidally active) optical isomer. In addition, 
persons commenting on the Ground Water and Pesticide Management Plan 
proposal (61 FR 33260, June 26, 1996) (FRL-4981-9) may be particularly 
interested in some or all of these data. Since others 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 in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

B. How Can I Get Additional Information, Including Copies of this 
Document and Other Related Documents?

    In person. The Agency has established an official record for this 
action under docket control number OPP-36190B. The official record 
consists of the documents specifically referenced in this action, any 
public comments received during an applicable comment period, and other 
information related to this action, including any information claimed 
as Confidential Business Information (CBI). This official record 
includes the documents that are physically located in the docket, as 
well as the documents that are referenced in those documents. The 
public version of the official record does not include any information 
claimed as CBI. The public version of the official record, which 
includes printed, paper versions of any electronic comments submitted 
during an applicable comment period, is available for inspection in the 
Public Information and Records Integrity Branch (PIRIB), Rm. 119, 
Crystal Mall #2, 1921 Jefferson Davis Hwy., Arlington, VA, from 8:30 
a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The 
PIRIB telephone number is (703) 305-5805.

C. How and to Whom Do I Submit Comments?

    You may submit your comments through the mail, in person, or 
electronically. Please follow the instructions that are provided below. 
Do not submit any information electronically that you consider to be 
CBI. To ensure proper receipt by EPA, be sure to identify docket 
control number OPP-36190B in the subject line on the first page of your 
response.
    1. By mail. Submit your comments to: Public Information and Records 
Integrity Branch (PIRIB), Information Resources and Services Division 
(7502C), Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP), Environmental Protection 
Agency, Ariel Rios Bldg., 1200 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 
20460.
    2. In person or by courier. Deliver your comments to: Public 
Information and Records Integrity Branch (PIRIB), Information Resources 
and Services Division (7502C), Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP), 
Environmental Protection Agency, Rm. 119, Crystal Mall #2, 1921 
Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, VA. The PIRIB is open from 8 a.m. 
to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The PIRIB 
telephone number is 703-305-5805.
    3. Electronically. You may submit your comments electronically by 
e-mail to: ``[email protected],'' or you can submit a computer disk as 
described above. Do not submit any information electronically that you 
consider to be CBI. Avoid the use of special characters

[[Page 15885]]

and any form of encryption. Electronic submissions will be accepted in 
Wordperfect 6.1/8.0 or ASCII file format. All comments in electronic 
form must be identified by the docket control number OPP-36190B. 
Electronic comments may also be filed online at many Federal Depository 
Libraries.

D. How Should I Handle CBI that I Want to Submit to the Agency?

    Do not submit any information electronically that you consider to 
be CBI. You may claim information that you submit to EPA in response to 
this document as CBI 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. In addition to one complete 
version of the comment that includes any 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 version of the 
official record. Information not marked confidential will be included 
in the public version of the official record without prior notice. If 
you have any questions about CBI or the procedures for claiming CBI, 
please consult the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

E. What Should I Consider as I Prepare My Comments for EPA?

    You may find the following suggestions helpful for preparing your 
comments:
    1. Explain your views as clearly as possible.
    2. Describe any assumptions that you used.
    3. Provide copies of any technical information and/or data you used 
that support your views.
    4. If you estimate potential burden or costs, explain how you 
arrived at the estimate that you provide.
    5. Provide specific examples to illustrate your concerns.
    6. Offer alternative ways to improve the proposed rule or 
collection activity.
    7. Make sure to submit your comments by the deadline in this 
proposed rule extension.
    8. To ensure proper receipt by EPA, be sure to identify the docket 
control number assigned to this action in the subject line on the first 
page of your response. You may also provide the name, date, and Federal 
Register citation.

II. Background

A. What Action is EPA Taking?

    EPA is providing supplemental information on S-metolachlor and is 
extending the comment period for 30 days.

B. What Additional Data is EPA Making Available for Comment?

    1. Novartis Study No. 381-97, in response to EPA Review of CGA-
77102 Ecological Toxicology Studies, June 11, 1997.
    2. Novartis Study No. 314-97, in response to EPA Review of CGA- 
77102/Metolachlor Environmental Fate Studies, June 6, 1997.

C. Why is EPA Seeking Comment on This Additional Data?

    Three commenters requested an extension of the comment period. Of 
these, one commenter to the February 23, 2000, Notice of Availability 
and Request for Comment argued that additional information on S-
metolachlor it had provided to EPA also warranted public comment. EPA 
is noticing that here.

III. Do Any Regulatory Assessment Requirements Apply to this 
Action?

    No. This action is not a rule, it merely announces the availability 
of and requests comments on supplemental information related to a 
previous Notice (65 FR 8925, February 23, 2000) and extends the date by 
which public comments must be submitted to EPA. This information is 
related to, among other things, a proposed rule that previously 
published in the Federal Register of June 26, 1996 (61 FR 33260). For 
information about the applicability of the regulatory assessment 
requirements to that proposed rule, which published in the Federal 
Register, please refer to the discussion in Unit VIII of that document.

List of Subjects

40 CFR Part 152

    Environmental protection, Administrative practice and procedure, 
Pesticides and pest, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

40 CFR Part 156

    Environmental protection, Labeling, Occupational safety and health, 
Pesticides and pest, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

    Dated: March 20, 2000.
Susan H. Wayland,
Acting Assistant Adminstrator for Prevention, Pesticides, and Toxic 
Substances.
[FR Doc. 00-7446 Filed 3-22-00; 2:08 pm]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-F