[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 137 (Wednesday, July 17, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46971-46972]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-17985]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OPP-2002-0055; FRL-7187-7]


Organophosphate Pesticides; Disulfoton; Availability of Interim 
Risk Management Decision Document

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice (or ``action'') announces the availability of the 
Interim Reregistration Eligibility Decision (IRED) document and 
technical support documents for the organophosphate (OP) pesticide, 
disulfoton. These documents have been developed using a public 
participation process designed by EPA and the U.S. Department of 
Agriculture (USDA) to involve the public in the reassessment of 
pesticide tolerances under the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) and 
the reregistration of individual OPs under the Federal Insecticide, 
Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). This notice starts a 30-day 
public comment period for disulfoton, during which the public is 
invited to submit comments on the Agency's risk management decision. 
This comment period will allow growers and other stakeholders one final 
opportunity to submit new information on disulfoton alternatives and 
benefits for uses that are being phased out. Comments concerning the 
phase out must include specific information on current disulfoton use, 
timing of applications, target pests, available alternatives, and the 
cost and efficacy of alternatives, to be considered by the Agency.

DATES: Comments on the IRED for disulfoton must be identified by docket 
ID number OPP-2002-0055 and must be received by EPA on or before August 
16, 2002 to be considered by the Agency.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by mail, electronically, or in 
person. Please follow the detailed instructions for each method as 
described under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. To ensure proper receipt by 
EPA, it is imperative that you identify docket ID number OPP-2002-0055 
in the subject line on the first page of your response.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christina Scheltema, Manager for 
disulfoton, Special Review and Reregistration Division (7508C), Office 
of Pesticide Programs, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 
Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (703) 
308-2201; 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, but will interest 
a wide range of stakeholders, including environmental, human health, 
and agricultural advocates; the chemical industry; pesticide users; and 
members of the public interested in the use of pesticides on food. The 
Agency has not attempted to describe all the persons or entities who 
may be interested in or affected by this action. If you have questions 
in this regard, 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--Environment 
Documents.'' You can also go directly to the Federal Register listings 
at http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/.
    You can obtain copies of the disulfoton documents at http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/op/status.htm. You can also access this site 
from EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs Home Page, http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/, using the following links: Reregistration and Special 
Review, Organophosphates, OP Schedule and Documents, and disulfoton. 
Available documents include the IRED, supporting technical documents, 
Federal Register notices, and EPA's response to public comments. 
General information on reregistration and tolerance reassessment, 
including IREDs, is available at http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/reregistration.
    2. In person. The Agency has established an official record for the 
disulfoton IRED under docket ID number OPP-2002-0055. 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 references within those documents. The public 
version of the official record does not include any information claimed 
as CBI. The public 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 Federal holidays. The PIRIB telephone 
number is (703) 305-5805. EPA documents relevant to the 6-phase public 
participation process for disulfoton are located under a different 
docket number, OPP 34165, which contains the Agency's preliminary and 
revised risk assessments for disulfoton, public comments, and the 
Agency's response to comments.

II. How Can I Respond to this Action?

A. How and to Whom do I Submit Comments?

    You may submit comments through the mail, in person, or by e-mail. 
To ensure proper receipt by EPA, it is imperative that you include 
docket ID number OPP-2002-0055 in the subject line on the first page of 
your response.

[[Page 46972]]

    1. By mail. Submit your comments to the following address: Public 
Information and Records Integrity Branch (PIRIB), Information Resources 
and Services Division (7502C), Office of Pesticide Programs, 
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 Federal 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 electronic information that you 
consider to be CBI. Avoid the use of special characters and any form of 
encryption. EPA will accept electronic submissions submitted in 
WordPerfect versions 6.1/8.0/9.0 or ASCII file format. Electronic 
comments may also be filed online at many Federal Depository Libraries.

B. How Should I Handle CBI that I Want to Submit to the Agency?

    Do not submit any electronic information that you consider to be 
CBI. You may claim written 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. You must 
submit one complete version of the comment that includes any 
information claimed as CBI, as well as a copy of the comment that does 
not contain the CBI information for inclusion in the public version of 
the official record. Information not marked confidential will be 
included in the public version of the offical record without prior 
notice. If you have any questions about CBI or the procedures for 
making CBI claims, please consult the person identified under FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

III. What Action is the Agency Taking?

A. General Information

    For the OP pesticide disulfoton, the Agency is announcing the 
availability of the IRED document and supporting technical documents. 
EPA has assessed the risks associated with the use of disulfoton and 
reached an interim reregistration eligibility decision for disulfoton. 
The disulfoton IRED and supporting technical documents were developed 
using the OP public participation process, which was designed to 
increase transparency and maximize stakeholder involvement and to 
provide numerous opportunities for public comment. You can read more 
about the OP public participation process at http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/op/process.htm. Below is a brief summary of EPA's interim 
decision, which is fully described in disulfoton's IRED document.

B. Disulfoton Decision

    EPA has determined that disulfoton is eligible for reregistration, 
pending a full reassessment of the cumulative risk from all OP 
pesticides, and provided that all the conditions identified in the IRED 
document are satisfied, including implementation of risk mitigation 
measures. Without implementation of the risk mitigation measures, the 
Agency has determined that disulfoton products may pose unreasonable 
adverse effects on human health and the environment. Therefore, EPA 
expects that registrant will implement the risk mitigation measures as 
soon as possible. The IRED document describes, in detail, what is 
necessary for implementing the risk mitigation measures, such as 
submission of label amendments for end-use products and submission of 
any required data. Mitigation measures for disulfoton include a phase 
out of disulfoton use on wheat, barley, potatoes, and commercially 
grown ornamentals by June 2005. Should a registrant fail to implement 
any of the risk mitigation identified in the IRED document, the Agency 
may take regulatory action to address risk concerns from the use of 
disulfoton.
    EPA is taking comment on benefits associated with disulfoton use in 
response to grower concerns about the benefits assessment used to 
support the interim RED for disulfoton. There will be a 30-day public 
comment period to allow growers and other stakeholders an opportunity 
to submit any new use and usage information relevant to the risk 
management decision for disulfoton. Comments concerning uses being 
phased out must include specific information oncurrent disulfoton use, 
timing of applications, target pests, available alternatives, and the 
cost and efficacy of alternatives, to be considered by the Agency.

C. Next Steps

    EPA's next step under FQPA is to consider a cumulative risk 
assessment and risk management decision encompassing all the OP 
pesticides, which share a common mechanism of toxicity. Because the 
Agency has not yet finished its consideration of the cumulative risks 
for the OPs, the Agency's interim decisions do not fully satisfy the 
reassessment of the existing food residue tolerances as required by 
FQPA for disulfoton. When the Agency has considered the cumulative 
risks for the OPs, tolerances for disulfoton will be reassessed along 
with the other OP pesticides. At that time, the Agency will complete 
the FQPA requirements for the OPs and make a final reregistration 
eligibility decision, which may include further risk mitigation 
measures.

List of Subjects

    Environmental protection, Chemicals, Pesticides and pests.

    Dated: July 5, 2002.
  Lois A. Rossi,
Director, Special Review and Reregistration Division, Office of 
Pesticide Programs.
[FR Doc. 02-17985 Filed 7-16-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-S