[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 178 (Thursday, September 13, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47657-47658]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-23004]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OPP-34248; FRL-6802-7]


Availability of Phosmet Partial Interim Reregistration 
Eligibility Decision Document for Comment and Availability of Benefits 
Assessments for Azinphos-methyl and Phosmet

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces availability and starts a 60-day public 
comment period on the partial Interim Reregistration Eligibility 
Decision document (IRED) for the pesticide active ingredient phosmet. 
The document represents EPA's partial formal regulatory assessment of 
the health and environmental data base of the subject chemical and 
presents the Agency's determination on a partial list of uses ( 17 use 
sites) for which phosmet is eligible for reregistration. This notice 
also announces the availability of twenty-four Benefits Assessments for 
azinphos-methyl and phosmet. These documents provide a biological 
assessment of the use of azinphos-methyl and phosmet, and an economic 
assessment of the impacts on revenue and crop production caused by 
potential modification to existing use patterns. Any comments on the 
benefits assessments should be provided to EPA as soon as possible to 
ensure their consideration in the Agency's decisions.

DATES: Comments, identified by docket control number OPP-34248, must be 
received on or before November 13, 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. of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: To ensure proper 
receipt by EPA, it is imperative that you identify docket control 
number OPP-34248 in the subject line on the first page of your 
response.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: By mail: Carol Stangel, Special Review 
and Reregistration Division (7508C), Office of Pesticide Programs, 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., 
Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (703) 308-8007; and e-mail 
address: [email protected].
    For technical questions contact: Diane Isbell, Chemical Review 
Manager, Special Review and Reregistration Division (7508C), Office of 
Pesticide Programs, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania 
Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (703) 308-8154; and 
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. This action may, 
however, be of interest to persons who are or may be required to 
conduct testing of chemical substances under the Federal Insecticide, 
Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) or the Federal Food, Drug and 
Cosmetic Act (FFDCA); environmental, human health, and agricultural 
advocates; pesticide users; and members of the public interested in the 
use of pesticides. 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 
applicability of this action to a particular entity, 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 certain other related documents that might be available 
electronically, from the EPA Internet homepage at http://www.epa.gov/. 
To access this document, on the homepage 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/. To access RED and IRED documents 
electronically, go directly to information on the EPA Office of 
Pesticide Programs homepage, at http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/reregistration/status.htm.
    2. In person. The Agency has established an official record for 
this action under docket control number OPP-34248. The official record 
consists of the documents specifically referenced in this action, 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 comments through the mail, in person, or 
electronically. To ensure proper receipt by EPA, it is imperative that 
you identify docket control number OPP-34248 in the subject line on the 
first page of your response.
    1. By mail. Submit your comments to: Public Information and Records

[[Page 47658]]

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/
8.0/9.0 or ASCII file format. All comments in electronic form must be 
identified by docket control number OPP-34248. 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 or collection 
activity.
    7. Make sure to submit your comments by the deadline in this 
document.
    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 the Agency Taking?

    The Agency has issued a partial Interim RED for the pesticide 
active ingredient phosmet. Under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, 
and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), as amended in 1988, EPA is conducting an 
accelerated reregistration program to reevaluate existing pesticides to 
make sure they meet current scientific and regulatory standards. This 
IRED is a partial decision on 17 of the 43 use sites for phosmet. The 
Agency is making a partial decision on this pesticide because phosmet 
and azinphos-methyl benefits are linked. The phosmet use sites that are 
not addressed in this document will be addressed once the azinphos-
methyl IRED is completed. The data base to support the reregistration 
of this partial list of use sites for phosmet is substantially 
complete, and the pesticide's risks have been mitigated so that it will 
not pose unreasonable risks to people or the environment when 
mitigation is implemented. In addition, EPA is reevaluating existing 
pesticides and reassessing tolerances under the Food Quality Protection 
Act (FQPA) of 1996. The pesticides included in this notice also are 
being evaluated to ensure that they meet the FQPA safety standard.
    All registrants of pesticide products containing phosmet have been 
sent the partial IRED. The label requirements and product specific data 
requirements are not included in the partial Interim RED for phosmet, 
but will be included once the entire phosmet Interim RED is completed.
    The reregistration program is being conducted under 
Congressionally-mandated time frames, and EPA recognizes both the need 
to make timely reregistration decisions and to involve the public. 
Therefore, EPA is issuing this partial Interm RED with a 60-day comment 
period. It is intended to provide an opportunity for public input and a 
mechanism for initiating any necessary amendments to the partial IRED. 
All comments will be carefully considered by the Agency. If any comment 
significantly affects the Agency's findings or decisions on phosmet, 
EPA will reflect the appropriate changes in issuing the complete IRED 
for phosmet.

B. What is the Agency's Authority for Taking this Action?

    The legal authority for this partial IRED falls under FIFRA, as 
amended in 1988 and 1996. Section 4(g)(2)(A) of FIFRA directs that, 
after submission of all data concerning a pesticide active ingredient, 
``the Administrator shall determine whether pesticides containing such 
active ingredient are eligible for reregistration,'' before calling in 
product specific data on individual end-use products, and either 
reregistering products or taking ``other appropriate regulatory 
action.''

List of Subjects

    Environmental protection, Pesticides and pests.

    Dated: September 5, 2001.
Lois A. Rossi,
Director, Special Review and Reregistration Division, Office of 
Pesticide Programs.
[FR Doc. 01-23004 Filed 9-12-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-S