[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 61 (Wednesday, March 29, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16615-16616]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-7631]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OPP-00648; FRL-6498-2]


List of Pests of Significant Public Health Importance; Notice of 
Availability

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of a draft Pesticide 
Registration (PR) Notice that identifies pests of significant public 
health importance for the purpose of regulation under the Federal 
Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). EPA, in 
coordination with the Department of Health and Human Services and the 
Department of Agriculture has identified pests of significant public 
health importance. The development of the list is required by FIFRA, 
but has no effect on the regulatory status of pesticide products used 
against the listed pests.

DATES: Written comments, identified by the docket control number OPP-
00648, must be received on or before May 30, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted by regular mail, electronically, 
or in person. Please follow the detailed instructions for each method 
as provided in Unit I. under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kevin Sweeney, Registration Division 
(7505C), Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental Protection Agency, 
Ariel Rios Building, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 
20460; telephone: (703) 305-5063, fax: (703) 305-6596, e-mail: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Important Information

A. Does this Apply to Me?

    This action is directed to the public in general, but may be of 
particular interest to manufacturers of pesticides intended for use 
against public health pests, and those responsible for public health 
programs involved in the control or regulation of public health pests. 
Since other entities may also be interested, the Agency has not 
attempted to describe all the specific entities that may be affected by 
the notice being made available today. If you have any questions 
regarding the applicability of the notice to a particular entity, 
consult the person listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT 
section.

B. How Can I Get Additional Information or Copies of Support Documents?

    1. Electronically. You may obtain electronic copies of this 
document, and certain other related documents that might be available 
electronically, from the EPA Internet Home Page at http://www.epa.gov/. 
To access this document, on the Home Page select ``Laws and 
Regulations'' and then look up the entry for this document under the 
``Federal Register--Environmental Documents.'' You can also go directly 
to the Federal Register listings at http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/.
    2. Fax on Demand. You may request to receive a faxed copy of the 
draft PR Notice titled ``List of Pests of Significant Public Health 
Importance'' by using a faxphone to call (202) 401-0527 and selecting 
item 6125. You may also follow the automated menu.
    3. In person. The official record for this notice, as well as the 
public version, has been established under docket control number OPP-
00648, (including comments and data submitted electronically as 
described below). A public version of this record, including printed, 
paper versions of any electronic comments, which does not include any 
information claimed as CBI, is available for inspection in Rm. 119, 
Crystal Mall #2, 1921 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, VA, from 8:30 
a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays.

C. How and to Whom Do I Submit Comments?

    You may submit comments through the mail, in person, or 
electronically:
    1. 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, 
Ariel Rios Building, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460.
    2. In person. Deliver written comments to: Public Information and 
Records Integrity Branch, Rm. 119, CM #2, 1921 Jefferson Davis Highway, 
Arlington, VA.
    3. Electronically. Submit your comments and/or data electronically 
to [email protected]. Please note that you should not submit any 
information electronically that you consider to be Confidential 
Business Information (CBI). 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 6.1/8.0 or ASCII file format. All comments and data in 
electronic form must be identified by the docket control number OPP-
00648. Electronic comments on this notice may also be filed online at 
many Federal Depository Libraries.

D. How Should I Handle Information that I Believe is Confidential?

    You may claim information that you submit in response to this 
document as confidential by marking any part or all of that information 
as CBI. Information

[[Page 16616]]

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.

II. Background

    FIFRA section 28(d) charges EPA with identifying ``pests of 
significant public health importance.'' This process is aided 
considerably by FIFRA definitions of two key terms. First, FIFRA 
section 2 expressly defines the term ``pest'' as meaning:
    (1) any insect, rodent, nematode, fungus, weed, or (2) any other 
form of terrestrial or aquatic plant or animal life or virus, bacteria, 
or other micro-organism (except viruses, bacteria, or other micro-
organism on or in living man or other living animals) which the 
Administrator declares to be a pest under section 25(c)(1).
    EPA in its regulations in 40 CFR 152.5 has broadly defined the term 
pest to cover each of the organisms mentioned except with respect to 
the organisms specifically excluded by the definition.
    Second, although FIFRA does not define a ``public health pest,'' it 
does define a ``public health pesticide'' and this definition supplies 
important information for interpreting the term ``public health pest.'' 
Among other things, a ``public health pesticide'' must be used for 
``vector control or for other recognized health protection uses, 
including the mitigation of viruses, bacteria, or other microorganisms 
(other than viruses, bacteria, or other microorganisms on or in living 
man or other living animal) that pose a threat to public health.'' 
FIFRA section 2(oo) defines the term ``vector'' used in the above 
definition as ``any organism capable of transmitting the causative 
agent of human disease or capable of producing human discomfort or 
injury, including mosquitoes, flies, fleas, cockroaches, or other 
insects and ticks, mites, or rats.''
    Moreover EPA's task of identifying pests of ``significant'' public 
health importance requires EPA to identify those FIFRA pests that are 
significant vectors or other significant pests affecting public health. 
The statute does not define what aspects of a vector render it of 
significant public health importance. Nonetheless, the definition of a 
``public health pesticide'' identifies an important criterion for 
establishing the significance of a vector. Not only must a public 
health pesticide be a pesticide used for vector control, it must be a 
pesticide ``used predominantly in public health programs.'' EPA 
believes that significant vectors can be identified by determining 
which vectors have been deemed sufficiently important that federal, 
state, or local public entities have devoted substantial resources to 
their eradication. Using this criterion, EPA has identified the pests 
in Appendix A of the draft PR Notice.

III. Use of the List of Pests of Significant Public Health 
Importance by the Agency

    The Agency will use the list of pests of significant public health 
importance to:
    1. Identify pesticide products with public health uses that are 
used predominantly in recognized public health programs. These may 
include pesticides to control, attract or repel these pests.
    2. Identify critical public health minor uses.
    3. Together with the Public Health Service, develop and implement 
programs to improve and facilitate the safe and necessary use of 
chemical, biological and other methods to control pests of significant 
public health importance.

IV. Specific Topics for Comment

    Please comment on all aspects of the draft PR Notice. The Agency is 
particularly looking for comments to the following questions:
    1. Should EPA also publish a list of public health pests which may 
become significant? This would be equivalent to identifying the 
universe of public health pests.
    2. Is cockroach control in publicly funded housing a public health 
program per se, or is it merely a component of a building maintenance 
program?
    3. Should the use of public funds for the purpose of controlling 
public health pests by pesticide application be the criterion for 
identifying a public health program?
    4. For a pesticide product to qualify as predominantly used in a 
public health program, should more than half of the use of the 
pesticide product, taking into account all registered uses for the 
pesticide product, be used in a public health program?

V. Contents of Docket

    The document referenced in this notice will be placed in the public 
docket under the docket control number ``OPP-00648.''

List of Subjects

    Environmental protection, Public health pests, Public health 
pesticides.

    Dated: March 22, 2000.
Marcia E. Mulkey,
Director, Office of Pesticide Programs.
[FR Doc. 00-7631 Filed 3-28-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-F