[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 43 (Wednesday, March 5, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10477-10478]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-4775]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OPP-2002-0305; FRL-7281-6]


Pesticides; Final Guidance for Pesticide Registrants on Labeling 
of Pesticide Products Under the National Organic Program

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Agency is announcing the availability of a pesticide 
registration notice (PR Notice) titled ``Labeling of Pesticide Products 
Under the National Organic Program.'' This PR Notice was issued by the 
Agency on January 31, 2003 and is identified as PR Notice 2003-1. PR 
Notices are issued by the Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) to inform 
pesticide registrants and other interested persons about important 
policies, procedures, and registration related decisions, and serve to 
provide guidance to pesticide registrants and OPP personnel. This 
particular final PR Notice provides guidance to the registrant 
concerning obtaining EPA approval of pesticide product label language 
indicating that all ingredients (active and inert) in a pesticide 
product and all uses of that pesticide product meet the criteria 
defined in the National Organic Program Rule. This notice is being 
issued because of registrant requests to be able to identify, on 
pesticide product labels, pesticide products that are allowable under 
the National Organic Program.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert Torla, Biopesticides and 
Pollution Prevention Division (7511C), Office of Pesticide Programs, 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., 
Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone number: (703) 308-8098; fax 
number: (703) 308-7026; 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 wish to 
consider including language on their pesticide labeling identifying 
their pesticide product as allowable under the National Organic 
Program. 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 
information in this notice, consult the person listed under FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT.

II. What Guidance Does this PR Notice Provide?

    This PR Notice provides guidance to the registrant concerning how 
registrants may obtain EPA approval of label language indicating that 
all ingredients (active and inert) in a pesticide product and all uses 
of that product meet the criteria defined in the National Organic 
Program Rule (7 CFR part 205). This notice provides information on:
    1. The conditions which must be met for approval of the label 
language.
    2. An example of acceptable label language.
    3. Guidance on materials to be submitted for Agency review.
    4. Guidance for inserting label language on pesticide products 
exempted from FIFRA regulation under 40 CFR 152.25.

III. Do PR Notices Contain Binding Requirements?

    The PR Notice discussed in this notice is intended to provide 
guidance to EPA personnel and decision makers and to pesticide 
registrants. While the requirements in the statutes and Agency 
regulations are binding on EPA and the applicants, this PR Notice is 
not binding on either EPA or pesticide registrants, and EPA may depart 
from the guidance where circumstances warrant and without prior notice. 
Likewise, pesticide registrants may assert that the guidance is not 
appropriate generally or not applicable to a specific pesticide or 
situation.

[[Page 10478]]

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

A. Docket

    EPA has established an official public docket for this action under 
docket identification (ID) number OPP-2002-0305. 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.

B. 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/. You may obtain an electronic copy of 
other PR Notices, both final and draft, at http://www.epa.gov/opppmsd1/PR_Notices.
    An electronic version of the public docket 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, 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.
    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 IV.A. EPA intends to work 
towards providing electronic access to all of the publicly available 
docket materials through EPA's electronic public docket.
    For public commenters, it is important to note that EPA's policy is 
that public comments, whether submitted electronically or in paper, 
will be made available for public viewing in EPA's electronic public 
docket as EPA receives them and without change, unless the comment 
contains copyrighted material, CBI, or other information whose 
disclosure is restricted by statute. When EPA identifies a comment 
containing copyrighted material, EPA will provide a reference to that 
material in the version of the comment that is placed in EPA's 
electronic public docket. The entire printed comment, including the 
copyrighted material, will be available in the public docket.
    Public comments submitted on computer disks that are mailed or 
delivered to the docket will be transferred to EPA's electronic public 
docket. Public comments that are mailed or delivered to the Docket will 
be scanned and placed in EPA's electronic public docket. Where 
practical, physical objects will be photographed, and the photograph 
will be placed in EPA's electronic public docket along with a brief 
description written by the docket staff.

List of Subjects

    Environmental protection, Administrative practice and procedure, 
Agricultural commodities, Pesticides and pests.

    Dated: January 31, 2003.
Marcia E. Mulkey,
Director, Office of Pesticide Programs.
[FR Doc. 03-4775 Filed 3-4-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-S