[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 10 (Wednesday, January 15, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2036-2037]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-630]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OPP-2002-0163; FRL-7283-8]


Primisulfuron-methyl; Report of the FQPA Tolerance Reassessment 
Progress and Risk Management Decision (TRED); Notice of Availability

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of the ``Report of the 
Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) Tolerance Reassessment Progress and 
Risk Management Decision (TRED) for Primisulfuron-methyl.'' EPA has 
reassessed the 24 tolerances, or legal limits, established for residues 
of primisulfuron-methyl in/on raw agricultural commodities. These 
tolerances are now considered safe under the Federal Food, Drug, and 
Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), as amended by the FQPA of 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christina Scheltema, Special Review 
and Reregistration Division (7508C), Office of Pesticide Programs, 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., 
Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone number: (703) 308-2201; fax 
number: (703) 308-8005; 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 person listed under FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

B. How Can I Get Copies of this Document and Other Related Information?

    1. Docket. EPA has established an official public docket for this 
action under docket identification (ID) number OPP-2002-0163. The 
official public docket consists of the documents specifically 
referenced in this action, any public comments received, and other 
information related to this action. Although a part of the official 
docket, the public docket does not include Confidential Business 
Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted 
by statute. The official public docket is the collection of materials 
that is available for public viewing at the Public Information and 
Records Integrity Branch (PIRIB), Rm. 119, Crystal Mall 2, 
1921 Jefferson Davis Hwy., Arlington, VA. This docket facility is open 
from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal 
holidays. The docket telephone number is (703) 305-5805.
    2. Electronic access. You may access this Federal Register document 
electronically through the EPA Internet under the ``Federal Register'' 
listings at http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/. To access the TRED document 
and fact sheet electronically, go directly to the REDs table on the EPA 
Office of Pesticide Programs web site, at http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/reregistration/status.htm. For a complete list of available 
documents supporting the TRED, see the electronic version of the public 
docket, which is available through EPA's electronic public docket and 
comment system, EPA Dockets. You may use EPA Dockets at http://www.epa.gov/edocket/ to submit or view public comments for documents 
that are open to public comment, to access the index listing of the 
contents of the official public docket, and to access those documents 
in the public docket that are available electronically. Once in the 
system, select ``search,'' then key in the appropriate docket ID number 
or chemical name.
    Certain types of information will not be placed in the EPA Dockets. 
Information claimed as CBI and other information whose disclosure is 
restricted by statute, which is not included in the official public 
docket, will not be available for public viewing in EPA's electronic 
public docket. EPA's policy is that copyrighted material will not be 
placed in EPA's electronic public docket, but will be available only in 
printed, paper form in the official public docket. To the extent 
feasible, publicly available docket materials will be made available in 
EPA's electronic public docket. When a document is selected from the 
index list in EPA Dockets, the system will identify whether the 
document is available for viewing in EPA's electronic public docket. 
Although not all docket materials may be available electronically, you 
may still access any of the publicly available docket materials through 
the docket facility identified in Unit I.B.1. EPA intends to work 
towards providing electronic access to all of the publicly available 
docket materials through EPA's electronic public docket.

II. What Action is the Agency Taking?

    EPA has assessed the risks associated with current and proposed 
food uses of primisulfuron-methyl, reassessed 24 existing tolerances, 
and reached a tolerance reassessment and risk management decision. The 
Agency is announcing the availability of the resulting report of the 
FQPA Tolerance Reassessment Progress and Risk Management Decision for 
Primisulfuron-methyl, also known as a TRED.
    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 
tolerance revocation occurs. EPA has reviewed and made the requisite 
safety finding for the tolerances established for residues of 
primisulfuron-methyl in/on raw agricultural commodities.
    The Agency has determined that there are no dietary (food or 
drinking water) or aggregate risks of concern from the use of 
primisulfuron-methyl, so mitigation of these risks is not necessary. 
EPA is able to make the FQPA safety finding for all current and 
proposed uses of primisulfuorn-methyl. Therefore, 23 existing 
tolerances for primisulfuron-methyl have been reassessed and remain 
unchanged, and 1 tolerance on sweet corn will be revoked because 
current labels prohibit use on sweet corn. Although EPA is considering 
a petition for a new use on Kentucky bluegrass grown for seed, the 
Agency has not yet made a decision to register this new use or 
establish any associated tolerances.
    EPA works extensively with affected parties to reach the tolerance 
reassessment decisions presented in

[[Page 2037]]

TREDs. Therefore, the Agency is issuing the primisulfuron-methyl TRED 
as a final decision without a formal public comment period.

List of Subjects

    Environmental protection, Pesticides and pests, Primisulfuron-
methyl.

    Dated: December 19, 2002.
Lois A. Rossi,
Director, Special Review and Reregistration Division, Office of 
Pesticide Programs.
[FR Doc. 03-630 Filed 1-14-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-S