[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 83 (Wednesday, April 30, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23134-23135]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-10265]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OPP-2003-0082; FRL-7301-4]


Difenzoquat, Diquat Dibromide; Notice of Closure for 2002 
Tolerance Reassessment Decisions (TREDs)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the closure of the tolerance 
reassessment decisions for the chemical active ingredients difenzoquat 
and diquat dibromide. No adverse comments were received during the 30-
day comment periods for the ``Tolerance Reassessment Progress and Risk 
Mitigation Decision TRED for Difenzoquat'' or the ``Report of the Food 
Quality Protection Act (FQPA) Tolerance Reassessmemt and Risk 
Management Decision TRED for Diquat Dibromide.'' Therefore, the TREDs 
for these chemicals fulfill the requirements of FQPA and are considered 
closed.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For difenzoquat: Tawanda Spears, 
Special Review and Reregistration Division (7508C), Office of Pesticide 
Programs, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., 
Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone number: (703) 308-8050; fax 
number: (703) 308-8005; e-mail address: [email protected].
    For diquat dibromide: Tyler Lane, Special Review and Reregistration 
Division (7508C), Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental 
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460-
0001; telephone number: (703) 305-2737; 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, and may be of 
particular interest to those persons who are or may be required to 
conduct testing of chemical substances under the Toxic Substances 
Control Act (TSCA), the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), 
or the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). 
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 persons 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-2003-0082. 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

[[Page 23135]]

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. Difenzoquat is identified under OPP-2002-0097 and 
diquat dibromide under OPP-2002-0098 in the EPA docket system.

II. Background

A. What Action is the Agency Taking?

    This notice constitutes and announces the closing of the comment 
periods for the difenzoquat and diquat dibromide TREDs. These decisions 
have 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 of 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, where there 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 the aggregate risks are not of 
concern. A reregistration eligibility decision (RED) was completed for 
difenzoquat in September 1994 and for diquat dibromide in July 1995, 
both prior to FQPA enactment, and therefore needed updated assessments 
to consider the provisions of the Act.
    The 30-day comment periods for the difenzoquat and diquat dibromide 
TREDs were closed on June 12, 2002 (67 FR 40296) (FRL-7181-4). As 
neither chemical received any adverse comments, the Agency considers 
the TREDs for these pesticides as immediate final decisions and hereby 
closed.

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

    The legal authority for this decision falls under FIFRA, as amended 
in 1988 and 1996. Section 4(g)(2)(A) of FIFRA directs that, after 
submission of all data concerning a pesticide active ingredient, ``the 
Administrator shall determine whether pesticides containing such active 
ingredient are eligible for reregistration,'' and either reregister 
products or take other ``appropriate regulatory action.''

List Subjects

    Environmental protection, pesticides, tolerance reregistration, 
difenzoquat, diquat dibromide.

    Dated: April 16, 2003.
 Lois A. Rossi,
Director, Special Review and Reregistration Division, Office of 
Pesticide Programs.
[FR Doc. 03-10265 Filed 4-29-03; 8:45 am]
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