[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 113 (Wednesday, June 12, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40296-40298]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-14371]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OPP-2002-0097; FRL-7181-4]


Difenzoquat and Diquat Dibromide Tolerance Reassessment 
Decisions; Notice of Availability

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice of tolerance reassessment for difenzoquat and 
diquat dibromide starts the 30-day public comment period during which 
the public is invited to submit comments on the Agency's ``Report of 
the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) Tolerance Reassessment Progress 
and Risk Management Decision (TRED) for Difenzoquat'' and ``Report of 
the FQPA, TRED for Diquat Dibromide.'' The Agency is providing an 
opportunity, through this notice, for interested parties to comment on 
the Agency's tolerance reassessment decisions in accordance with 
procedures described in Unit I. of this document. All comments will be 
carefully considered by the Agency. If any comment causes the Agency to 
revise its decision on tolerance reassessment for difenzoquat and/or 
diquat dibromide, the Agency will publish notice of its amendment in 
the Federal Register.

DATES: The tolerance reassessment decision document for difenzoquat is 
available under docket ID number OPP-2002-0097; the decision document 
for diquat dibromide is available under docket ID number OPP-2002-0098. 
Comments must be received on or before July 12, 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. under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. To ensure proper 
receipt by EPA, it is imperative that you identify docket ID number 
OPP-2002-0097 for difenzoquat and OPP-2002-0098 for diquat dibromide,

[[Page 40297]]

in the subject line on the first page of your response.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For difenzoquat: Tawanda Spears, 
Special Review and Reregistration Division (7508C), Office of Pesticide 
Programs, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., 
Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (703) 308-8050; e-mail address: 
[email protected].
    For diquat dibromide: Tyler Lane, Special Review and Reregistration 
Division (7508C), Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental 
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; 
telephone number: (703) 305-2737; 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 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 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/.
    To access TRED documents electronically, go directly to the TREDs 
table on the EPA Office of Pesticide Programs' Home Page, at http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/reregistration/status.htm.
    2. In person. The Agency has established an official record for 
this action under docket ID number OPP-2002-0097 for difenzoquat and 
OPP-2002-0098 for diquat dibromide. 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, includes printed and 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 the EPA, it is imperative 
that you identify docket ID number OPP-2002-0097 for difenzoquat and 
OPP-2002-0098 for diquat dibromide 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 a.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 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 ID number OPP-2002-0097 for difenzoquat and OPP-2002-0098 for 
diquat dibromide. 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 appropriate 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 burdens 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 
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. What Action is the Agency Taking?

    This notice constitutes and announces the availability of the 
difenzoquat and

[[Page 40298]]

diquat dibromide TREDs. These decisions have been developed as part of 
the public participation process that EPA and the U.S. Department of 
Agriculture (USDA) are using to involve the public in the reassessment 
of pesticide tolerances under FFDCA. EPA must review tolerances and 
tolerance exemptions that were in effect when FQPA was enacted in 
August 1996, to ensure that these existing pesticide residue limits for 
food and feed commodities meet the safety standard of the new law.
    In reviewing these tolerances, the Agency must consider, among 
other things, aggregate risks from non-occupational sources of 
pesticide exposure, whether there is increased susceptibility to 
infants and children, and the cumulative effects of pesticides with a 
common mechanism of toxicity. The tolerances are considered reassessed 
once the safety finding has been made that aggregate risks are not of 
concern. A reregistration eligibility decision (RED) was completed for 
difenzoquat in September 1994, and diquat dibromide in July 1995, prior 
to FQPA enactment, and therefore needed an updated assessment to 
consider the provisions of the Act.
    FFDCA requires that the Agency, when considering whether to 
establish, modify, or revoke a tolerance, consider ``available 
information'' concerning the cumulative effects of a particular 
pesticide's residues and ``other substances that have a common 
mechanism of toxicity.'' At this time, difenzoquat and diquat dibromide 
have not been identified as sharing a common mechanism of toxicity and 
are not scheduled for a cumulative risk assessment. Additionally, the 
tolerances for difenzoquat (22) and diquat dibromide (44) are now 
considered reassessed as safe under section 408(q) of FFDCA.
    All registrants of pesticide products containing one or more of the 
active ingredients listed in this document have been sent the 
appropriate TRED documents, and must respond to labeling requirements 
within 8 months of receipt. In addition, the Agency requests a response 
to the generic Data-Call-In (DCI) letter from technical registrants 
within 90 days of receipt.
    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, the Agency is issuing these TREDs as final documents because 
no risk mitigation or changes to existing labeling are necessary. All 
comments received within 30 days of publication of this Federal 
Register notice will be carefully considered by the Agency. If any 
comment significantly impacts a TRED, the Agency will amend its 
decision by publishing a Federal Register notice.

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

    The legal authority for these TREDs 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,'' and either reregistering 
products or taking ``other appropriate regulatory action.''

List of Subjects

    Environmental protection, Pesticides.

    Dated: May 31, 2002.
  Lois A. Rossi,
Director, Special Review and Reregistration Division, Office of 
Pesticide Programs.
[FR Doc. 02-14371 Filed 6-11-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-S