[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 83 (Tuesday, April 30, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21232-21234]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-10725]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OPP-2002-0056; FRL-7176-6]


Request for Public Comment on Proposed Consent Decree Involving 
Pesticides and the Endangered Species Act

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: EPA is making available for comment a proposed consent decree 
that would establish a series of deadlines for the Agency to begin 
consulting with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the 
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) relative to certain pesticide 
uses and their potential effects on certain plant and fish species 
listed as threatened or endangered. EPA will evaluate all comments 
received during the public comment period to determine whether all or 
part of the proposed consent decree warrants reconsideration. This 
proposed consent decree, if entered by the Court, would resolve a 
lawsuit brought against EPA under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), by 
Californians for Alternatives to Toxics (CATs), the Environmental 
Protection Information Center, Inc., and the Humboldt Watershed Council 
(jointly, Plaintiffs).

DATES: Comments, identified by docket ID number OPP-2002-0056, must be 
received on or before May 29, 2002.

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 ID number 
OPP-2002-0056 in the subject line on the first page of your response.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Arty Williams, Field and External 
Affairs Division, (7506C), Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental 
Protection Agency, 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 action is directed to the public in general. 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 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/.
    The proposed consent decree and other relevant documents are 
available electronically on EPA's web site http://www.epa.gov/pesticides under both

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headings, ``What's New?'' and ``Open Comment Periods.''
    2. In person. The Agency has established an official record for 
this action under docket ID number OPP-2002-0056. 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. 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, 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 ID number OPP-2002-0056 in the subject line on the 
first page of your response. The submission of a comment is construed 
as a waiver of any CBI claim as to that comment. (See Unit I.D.)
    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 Hwy., 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 ID number OPP-2002-0056. 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?

    Should EPA determine as a result of any comments received during 
this public comment period that all or part of the proposed consent 
decree merits reconsideration, EPA will provide the Plaintiffs with a 
written request for further negotiations and a copy of all comments 
related to EPA's basis for such negotiations. Therefore, EPA will 
construe the submission of a comment as a waiver of any CBI claim as to 
that comment. If you have any questions about 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 notice or collection 
activity.
    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 
ID 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. On August 31, 2000, Plaintiffs filed a lawsuit in U.S. District 
Court for the Northern District of California alleging that EPA failed 
to comply with ESA sections 7(a)(1) and 7(a)(2), 16 U.S.C. 1536(a)(1)-
(2), and with the Fish and Wildlife Act, 16 U.S.C. 742d-1. CATs v. EPA, 
Case No. C00-3150 CW (N.D. Calif.). The Plaintiffs filed an amended 
complaint on November 13, 2000.
    b. In March of 2001, the parties participated in a court-ordered 
mediation. For several months following the mediation, the parties 
engaged in extensive discussions in hopes of settling this litigation.
    c. On April 19, 2002, EPA reached an agreement with the Plaintiffs. 
The agreement is embodied in a proposed consent decree. The proposed 
Consent Decree sets a series of deadlines for initiating a number of 
consultations with the FWS and the NMFS relative to certain pesticide 
uses and their potential effects on certain plants and fish, including:
    1. Consultation on the effects of certain forest operation uses of 
registered pesticide products containing the active ingredients 
atrazine, imazapyr, glyphosate, hexazinone, sulfometuron-methyl, 
triclopyr butoxyethyl ester, triclopyr triethylammonium, and 2,4-D-2 
ethylhexyl ester on 33 listed plants associated with forests in 
California;
    2. Consultation on the effects of certain forest operation uses of 
registered pesticide products containing the active ingredients 
imazapyr, sulfometuron-methyl, and triclopyr triethylammonium on six 
species of listed salmon and steelhead and their designated critical 
habitat (hereinafter collectively referred to as ``salmonids'');
    3. Consultation on the effects of certain pesticide uses of 
registered pesticide products containing the active ingredients 
acrolein, carbaryl, chlorpyrifos, and diazinon on salmonids;
    4. Consultation on the effects of certain pesticide uses of 
registered pesticide products containing the active ingredients 
atrazine, bromacil, diuron, and simazine on salmonids;
    5. Consultation on the effects of certain pesticide uses of 
registered pesticide products containing the active ingredients 2,4-D-2 
ethylhexyl ester, molinate, oryzalin, and triclopyr butoxyethyl ester 
on salmonids; and
    6. Consultation on the effects of certain pesticide uses of 
registered pesticide products containing the active ingredients 
glyphosate, hexazinone, and oxyfluorfen on salmonids.
    d. In addition, the proposed consent decree provides that EPA will 
evaluate, during its ongoing ESA section 7(a)(1) Proactive Conservation 
Review with FWS and NMFS, how to consider the following topics:
    1. Chronic and sublethal effects of pesticides on all life stages 
of endangered and threatened species;
    2. Effects of complete pesticide product formulations, effects of 
diluents, and adjuvants, and effects of the products of pesticide 
degradation;
    3. How direct and indirect effects of pesticides added to the 
environmental baseline impact endangered and threatened species;

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    4. The use of systematic field monitoring in a variety of site 
conditions, runoff patterns, and application methods to validate 
transport and persistence models; and
    5. Best available scientific evidence.
    e. The proposed consent decree also provides that the Plaintiffs 
may develop a position paper on any or all of the five topics 
identified in Unit II.d. EPA is offering this same opportunity to the 
public. EPA will consider any position papers it receives from the 
Plaintiffs and/or the public within 90 days from the date that a final 
consent decree is entered by the Court.
    f. Beginning on April 29, 2002, EPA opened a 30-day comment period 
on the proposed consent decree. EPA will use the comments to determine 
whether all or part of the proposed consent decree warrants 
reconsideration. If EPA determines that any part of the proposed 
consent decree warrants reconsideration, EPA will provide the 
Plaintiffs with a written request for further negotiations and with 
copies of all comments received in response to this notice. The 
proposed consent decree shall not be entered with the Court unless the 
parties can reach agreement on needed changes. If EPA determines that 
the proposed consent decree does not need to be reconsidered, the terms 
of the proposed consent decree shall become effective upon entry by the 
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. Once the 
Consent Decree is entered by the U.S. District Court for the Northern 
District of California, EPA will publish another Federal Register 
notice notifying the public of the opportunity to submit position 
papers on the five topics described in Unit II.d.

List of Subjects

    Environmental protection, Endangered species, Pesticides and pests.


    Dated: April 25, 2002.

Jay Ellenberger,

Acting Director, Field and External Affairs Division, Office of 
Pesticide Programs.

[FR Doc. 02-10725 Filed 4-29-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-S