[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 82 (Friday, April 27, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21141-21142]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-10435]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OPP-00701; FRL-6769-4]


Pesticides; Draft Guidance for Pesticide Registrants on Pesticide 
Label Identification for Pesticide Products Meeting the Requirements of 
the National Organic Program

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY:  The Agency is announcing the availability of, and seeking 
public comment on, a draft Pesticide Registration Notice (PR-Notice) 
entitled ``Pesticide Label Identification for Pesticide Products 
Meeting the Requirements of the National Organic Program.'' PR-Notices 
are issued by the Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) to inform 
pesticide registrants and other interested persons about important 
policies, procedures and registration related decisions, and serve to 
provide guidance to pesticide registrants and OPP personnel. This 
particular draft PR-Notice describes how pesticide registrants can 
obtain EPA acceptance of label language indicating that all ingredients 
(active and inert) in a pesticide product and all uses of that 
pesticide meet the criteria defined in the United States Department of 
Agriculture's (USDA) National Organic Program (NOP) Rule. The 
information on the pesticide label will assist organic growers and 
those persons certifying organic production methods in knowing which 
pesticide products meet the requirements of the NOP Rule for use in 
organic agriculture. Label language on a pesticide product is not 
required, however, for an organic producer to utilize a pesticide 
product which meets the requirements of the NOP Rule. With this Notice 
of Availability, EPA is providing pesticide registrants and other 
interested parties with an opportunity to review and comment on this 
draft guidance.

DATES:  Comments, identified by docket control number OPP-00701, must 
be received on or before June 26, 2001.

ADDRESSES:  Comments may be submitted by mail, electronically, or in 
person. Please follow the detailed instructions for each method as 
provided in Unit I.C. of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. To ensure 
proper receipt by EPA, it is imperative that you identify docket 
control number OPP-00701 in the subject line on the first page of your 
response.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Robert Torla (7511C), Environmental 
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; 
telephone number: (703) 308-8098; fax number: (703) 308-7026; e-mail 
address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. General Information

A. Does this Action Apply to Me?

    This action is directed to the public in general. Although this 
action may be of particular interest to those persons who intend to 
market pesticide products to farmers producing organic crops, to 
farmers using organic methods, and home gardeners who wish to use 
organic methods. Since other entities 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 
information in this notice, consult the person listed under FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT.

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

    1. Electronically. You may obtain electronic copies of this 
document and the PR Notice from the Office of Pesticide Programs' Home 
Page at http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/. You can also go directly to the 
listings from the EPA Internet Home Page at http://www.epa.gov. To 
access this document, on the Home Page select ``Laws and 
Regulations,''`` Regulations and Proposed Rules,'' 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 a faxed copy of the draft 
Pesticide Registration (PR) Notice entitled ``Guidance for Pesticide 
Registrants on Pesticide Label Identification for Pesticide Products 
Meeting the Requirements of the National Organic Program,'' by using a 
faxphone to call (202) 401-0527 and selecting item 6137. You may also 
follow the automated menu.
    3. In person. The Agency has established an official record for 
this action under docket control number OPP-00701. 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

[[Page 21142]]

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 Highway, 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 comments through the mail, in person, or 
electronically. To ensure proper receipt by EPA, it is imperative that 
you identify docket control number OPP-00701 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, 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 8:30 
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 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 docket control number OPP-00701. 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 identified 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 notice.
    7. Make sure to submit your comments by the deadline in this 
notice.
    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 Guidance Does this PR Notice Provide?

    PR Notices are issued by the Office of Pesticide Programs to inform 
pesticide registrants and other interested persons about important 
policies, procedures and regulatory decisions. Pesticide manufacturers 
and organic farmers have indicated that it would be useful to have some 
indication on pesticide labels to indicate which pesticide products are 
acceptable for organic production and handling. This PR Notice 
describes how registrants can obtain Environmental Protection Agency 
acceptance of label language indicating that all ingredients (active 
and inert) in a pesticide product and all uses of that pesticide meet 
the criteria defined in the United States Department of Agriculture's 
(USDA) National Organic Program (NOP) Rule. The information on the 
pesticide label will assist organic growers and those persons 
certifying organic production methods in knowing which pesticide 
products meet the requirements of the NOP Rule for use in organic 
agriculture. Label Language on a pesticide product stating that the 
pesticide product meets the NOP Rule criteria is not required for an 
organic producer to utilize a pesticide product which meets the 
requirements of the NOP.

B. What Questions/Issues Should You Consider?

     1. Does this PR Notice provide adequate information for a 
registrant considering adding label information to a pesticide product 
indicating it is acceptable for use in organic agriculture?
    2. While we believe delisting will be rare and almost always 
because of an action taken by this Agency, does this notice make the 
situation on delisting clear?

C. PR Notices are Guidance Documents

    The PR Notice discussed in this document is intended to provide 
guidance to EPA personnel and decision-makers and to pesticide 
registrants. This notice is not binding on either EPA or pesticide 
registrants, and EPA may depart from the guidance where circumstances 
warrant and without prior notice. Likewise, pesticide registrants may 
assert that the guidance is not appropriate generally or not applicable 
to a specific pesticide or situation.

List of Subjects

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

    Dated: January 19, 2001.
Anne E. Lindsay
Director, Office of Pesticide Programs
[FR Doc. 01-10435 Filed 4-26-01; 8:45 a.m.]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-S