[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 205 (Wednesday, October 23, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65118-65120]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-26577]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OPP-2002-0188; FRL-7199-7]


Availability of the Risk Assessments on FQPA Tolerance 
Reassessment Progress and Tolerance Reassessment Decision (TRED) for 
Hexazinone

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of EPA's tolerance 
reassessment decision and related documents for hexazinone including 
the Hexazinone Overview, Hexazinone Summary, Hexazinone Decision 
Document (TRED), and supporting risk assessment documents. EPA has 
reassessed the 25 tolerances, or legal limits, for residues of 
hexazinone in or on raw agricultural commodities. These tolerances are 
now considered safe under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act 
(FFDCA), as amended by

[[Page 65119]]

the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) of 1996.

DATES: Comments on the tolerance reassessment decision for hexazinone, 
must be received by EPA on or before November 22, 2002. In the absence 
of substantive comments, the tolerance reassessment decision will be 
considered final. Comments on the human health and ecological effects 
risk assessments for hexazinone, must be received by EPA on or before 
November 22, 2002.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted by mail, electronically, or in 
person. Please follow the detailed instructions for each method as 
provided in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section. To ensure proper 
receipt by EPA, it is imperative that you identify docket ID number 
OPP-2002-0188 in the subject line on the first page of your response.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dirk V. Helder, Special Review and 
Reregistration Division (7508C), Office of Pesticide Programs, 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., 
Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (703) 305-4610; 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 be of 
interest to 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. 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 persons 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/.
    You can obtain copies of the TRED and related documents discussed 
in this notice on EPA's website at http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/reregistration/status.htm. Information on pesticide reregistration and 
tolerance reassessment, including the purpose and status of Agency 
programs to complete Reregistration Eligibility Decisions (REDs), 
Interim REDs, and Tolerance Reassessment Decisions (TREDs), is 
available at http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/reregistration. General 
information is available on the Office of Pesticide Programs' home 
page, http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/.
    2. In person. The Agency has established an official record for 
this action under docket ID number OPP-2002-0188. 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 ID number OPP-2002-0188 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 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 in this unit. 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 ID number OPP-2002-0188. 
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 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.

[[Page 65120]]

    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. What Action is the Agency Taking?

    EPA has reassessed the risks associated with current food uses of 
the pesticide hexazinone, reassessed 25 existing tolerances, and 
reached a tolerance reassessment and risk management decision. The 
Agency is issuing for comment the resulting report on FQPA tolerance 
reassessment progress, including the Hexazinone Overview, Hexazinone 
Summary, Hexazinone Decision Document (TRED), and supporting risk 
assessment documents.
    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 established by the new law. Tolerances are 
considered reassessed once the safety finding has been made or a 
revocation occurs. EPA has reviewed and made the requisite safety 
finding for the tolerances and exemptions included in this notice. EPA 
completed the hexazinone Reregistration Eligibility Decision (RED) 
prior to the 1996 enactment of the FQPA; therefore, while no 
reregistration decision is required at present, risks from non-
occupational exposure to hexazinone through food, drinking water, and 
residential uses must be reassessed. There are no residential uses of 
hexazinone. The Agency has reassessed the 25 tolerances for hexazinone 
and determined that residues in food and drinking water are not 
expected to pose risk concerns. Because existing data were inadequate 
to calculate residue estimates for pasture and rangeland grass and 
grass hay, EPA constructed the maximum theoretical dietary burden 
(MTDB) of hexazinone to livestock using protective assumptions for the 
contributions of other hexazinone treated feed items. Thus, tolerances 
for meats and milk can be reassessed. Additional field trial data for 
grass forage and grass hay, as well as rotational crop studies for corn 
and wheat are required. Because of the relatively low volume of use on 
pasture and rangeland, data from these confirmatory studies are not 
expected to significantly change current dietary risk estimates. Some 
tolerances may be revised once additional data has been submitted to 
and reviewed by the Agency. The current tolerance expression for 
hexazinone in 40 CFR 180.396 is for ``combined residues of the 
herbicide hexazinone (3-cyclohexyl-6-(dimethylamino)-1-methyl-1,3,5-
triazine-2,4(1H,3H)-dione) and its metabolites, calculated as 
hexazinone.'' The tolerance expression should be modified to include 
specific metabolites A, B, C, D, and E, identified by the appropriate 
chemical name. Final tolerances are being proposed as part of this 
Tolerance Reassessment Decision (TRED). In addition, occupational and 
ecological risk management decisions were made as part of the 1994 
hexazinone RED.
    EPA works with affected parties to reach the tolerance reassessment 
decisions. The Agency therefore is issuing the hexazinone decision as a 
final decision with a public comment period. All comments received 
during the public comment period will be considered by the Agency. If 
any comment significantly affects the Agency's decision, EPA will 
publish an amendment to the decision in the Federal Register. In the 
absence of substantive comments, the tolerance reassessment decisions 
reflected here will be considered final.

List of Subjects

    Environmental protection, Chemicals, Pesticides and pests.

    Dated: October 4, 2002.
 Betty Shackleford,
Acting Director, Special Review and Reregistration Division, Office of 
Pesticide Programs.
[FR Doc. 02-26577 Filed 10-22-02; 8:45 am]
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