[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 53 (Wednesday, March 19, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13309-13310]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-6298]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OPP-2003-0013; FRL-7288-3]


Fenbutatin-Oxide; Completion of Comment Period for Tolerance 
Reassessment Progress and Interim Risk Management Decision

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice, pursuant to section 4(g)(2) of the Federal 
Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), concludes the 30-
day comment period for the Tolerance Reassessment Progress and Interim 
Risk Management Decision (TRED) for fenbutatin-oxide. No comments were 
submitted. These tolerances are now reassessed and considered safe 
under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), as amended by 
the Food Quality Protection Act of 1996 (FQPA).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Beth Edwards, Special Review and 
Reregistration Division (7508C), Office of Pesticide Programs, 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., 
Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone number: (703) 305-5400; fax 
number: (703) 308-8041; 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 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-2003-0013. 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.,

[[Page 13310]]

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/.
    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 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. 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. 
Once in the system, select ``search,'' then key in the appropriate 
docket ID number.

II. Background

A. What Action is the Agency Taking?

    EPA issued a notice published in the Federal Register of June 11, 
2002 (67 FR 39980) (FRL-7181-6), for fenbutatin-oxide. That notice 
announced the availability of the TRED and opened the 30-day comment 
period. No comments were received. This notice constitutes and 
announces the closing of the comment period for the fenbutatin-oxide 
TRED. This decision has 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 
fenbutatin-oxide in June 1996, prior to FQPA enactment, and therefore 
needed an updated assessment to consider the provisions of the Act.

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

    The authority for this TRED is found in section 408(q) of the 
FFDCA, 21 U.S.C. 346a(q). Section 408(q) requires EPA to review 
tolerances and exemptions for pesticide chemical residues in effect of 
August 2, 1996, to determine whether the tolerance or exemption meets 
the requirements of 408(b)(2) or (c)(2). This review is to be completed 
by Agust 3, 2006.

List of Subjects

    Environmental protection, Pesticide Tolerances.

    Dated: March 5, 2003.
Betty Shackleford,
Acting Director, Special Review and Reregistration Division, Office of 
Pesticide Programs.

[FR Doc. 03-6298 Filed 3-18-03; 8:45 am]
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