[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 112 (Tuesday, June 11, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39982-39983]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-14637]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OPP-2002-0107; FRL-6799-3]


Minor Changes to OPPTS Harmonized Test Guidelines, Series 830 
Product Properties; Notice of Availability

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: EPA has established a unified library for test guidelines 
issued by the Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances 
(OPPTS) for use in testing chemical substances to develop data for 
submission to EPA under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), the 
Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), or the Federal 
Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). The Agency is 
announcing minor changes to the Series 830--Product Properties Test 
Guidelines of these OPPTS harmonized test guidelines. The availability 
of final guidelines in this series was announced in the Federal 
Register on August 28, 1996 (61 FR 44308) (FRL-5390-7) and minor 
editorial revisions were announced in the Federal Register on March 18, 
1998 (63 FR 13254) (FRL-5761-6). The Agency periodically announces in 
the Federal Register the availability of new and changed test 
guidelines.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information contact:
    TSCA information contact: TSCA Hotline at TAIS/7408, Environmental 
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; 
telephone number: (202) 554-1404; e-mail address: [email protected].
    FIFRA information contact: Communications Services Branch, Field 
and External Affairs Division, Office of Pesticide Programs (7506C), 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., 
Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (703) 305-5017; fax number: 
(703) 305-5558.
    For technical information contact: Harold Podall, Office of 
Pesticide Programs, Registration Division (7505C), Environmental 
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; 
telephone number: (703) 308-9373; e-mail address: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. 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 are or may be 
required to conduct

[[Page 39983]]

testing of chemical substances under TSCA, FFDCA, or FIFRA, 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 
technical person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

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

    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/. You may also obtain electronic copies of the 
OPPTS harmonized test guidelines from the EPA Internet Home Page at 
http://www.epa.gov/opptsfrs/home/guidelin.htm.

III. What Action is EPA Taking?

    EPA is announcing minor changes to the following Series 830 OPPTS 
harmonized test guidelines. These changes are minor or editorial in 
nature and do not amend the existing requirements under FIFRA or the 
TSCA section 4 test rules. Explicit test requirements for registration 
are set out in 40 CFR parts 158 and 796 and the test guidelines contain 
standards for and examples of acceptable testing.
    1. OPPTS 830.6317 Storage stability. Paragraphs (b)(2)(ii) and 
(b)(2)(iii) addressing frequency at which chemical analysis for the 
concentration(s) of the active ingredient(s) is conducted over the 1 
year test duration have been changed to include an analysis at the 9-
month point. This change will enable better definition of the slope of 
the degradation curve and permit improved extrapolation of the 
degradation curve past the 12-month point. Additionally, the change 
provides guidance for frequency of testing for storage stability 
studies continued beyond 1 year. The final guideline was reviewed by 
the FIFRA Scientific Advisory Panel (SAP) at its September 27, 1995 
meeting and the revised guideline contains no new scientific issues 
that the Agency believes warrant review by the SAP.
    2. OPPTS 830.7300 Density/relative density/bulk density. Paragraph 
(c), Test procedures, has been changed to correct a typographical error 
in a citation by replacing the words ``ASTM D-727'' with ``ASTM D-
729.'' This is a minor editorial change.

IV. Are there Any Applicable Voluntary Consensus Standards that EPA 
Should Consider?

    This notice of availability does not involve a proposed regulatory 
action that would require the Agency to consider voluntary consensus 
standards pursuant to section 12(d) of the National Technology Transfer 
and Advancement Act of 1995 (NTTAA), Public Law 104-113, section 12(d) 
(15 U.S.C. 272 note). Section 12(d) directs EPA to use voluntary 
consensus standards in its regulatory activities unless to do so would 
be inconsistent with applicable law or otherwise impractical. Voluntary 
consensus standards are technical standards (e.g., materials 
specifications, test methods, sampling procedures, and business 
practices) that are developed or adopted by voluntary consensus 
standards bodies. The NTTAA requires EPA to provide an explanation to 
Congress, through Office of Management and Budget (OMB), when the 
Agency decides not to use available and applicable voluntary consensus 
standards when the NTTAA directs the Agency to do so.

List of Subjects

    Environmental protection, Chemical testing, Test guideline.


    Dated: May 30, 2002.
Stephen L. Johnson,
Assistant Administrator for Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic 
Substances.

[FR Doc. 02-14637 Filed 6-10-02; 8:45 am]
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