[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 95 (Friday, May 16, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26611-26613]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-12361]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OPP-2003-0168; FRL-7306-6]


(Z,E)-3,13-octadecadienyl and (Z,Z)-3,13-octadecadienyl; Receipt 
of Application for Emergency Exemption, Solicitation of Public Comment

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: EPA has received a specific exemption request from the Oregon 
Department of Agriculture and the Washington State Department of 
Agriculture to use the pesticides (Z,E)-3,13-octadecadienyl and (Z,Z)-
3,13-octadecadienyl to treat up to 32,000 acres of hybrid poplar grown 
for pulp and saw timber to control poplar clearwig moth (WPCM). The 
Applicant proposes the use of two new pheromones which have not been 
registered by EPA. EPA is soliciting public comment before making the 
decision whether or not to grant the exemption.

DATES: Comments, identified by docket ID number OPP-2003-0168, must be 
received on or before May 21, 2003.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted electronically, by mail, or 
through hand delivery/courier. Follow the detailed instructions as 
provided in Unit I. of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Barbara Madden, Registration Division 
(7505C), Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental Protection Agency, 
1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone 
number: (703) 305-6463; fax number: (703) 308-5433; e-mail address: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. General Information

A. Does this Action Apply to Me?

    You may be potentially affected by this action if you are a federal 
or state government agency (NAICS 9241) involved in administration of 
environmental quality programs (i.e., Departments of Agriculture, 
Environment, etc).
    This listing is not intended to be exhaustive, but rather provides 
a guide for readers regarding entities likely to be

[[Page 26612]]

affected by this action. Other types of entities not listed in this 
unit could also be affected. The North American Industrial 
Classification System (NAICS) codes have been provided to assist you 
and others in determining whether this action might apply to certain 
entities. 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-2003-0168. 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/.
    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 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.
    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.

C. How and to Whom Do I Submit Comments?

    You may submit comments electronically, by mail, or through hand 
delivery/courier. To ensure proper receipt by EPA, identify the 
appropriate docket ID number in the subject line on the first page of 
your comment. Please ensure that your comments are submitted within the 
specified comment period. Comments received after the close of the 
comment period will be marked ``late.'' EPA is not required to consider 
these late comments. If you wish to submit CBI or information that is 
otherwise protected by statute, please follow the instructions in Unit 
I.D. Do not use EPA Dockets or e-mail to submit CBI or information 
protected by statute.
    1. Electronically. If you submit an electronic comment as 
prescribed in this unit, EPA recommends that you include your name, 
mailing address, and an e-mail address or other contact information in 
the body of your comment. Also include this contact information on the 
outside of any disk or CD ROM you submit, and in any cover letter 
accompanying the disk or CD ROM. This ensures that you can be 
identified as the submitter of the comment and allows EPA to contact 
you in case EPA cannot read your comment due to technical difficulties 
or needs further information on the substance of your comment. EPA's 
policy is that EPA will not edit your comment, and any identifying or 
contact information provided in the body of a comment will be included 
as part of the comment that is placed in the official public docket, 
and made available in EPA's electronic public docket. If EPA cannot 
read your comment due to technical difficulties and cannot contact you 
for clarification, EPA may not be able to consider your comment.
    i. EPA Dockets. Your use of EPA's electronic public docket to 
submit comments to EPA electronically is EPA's preferred method for 
receiving comments. Go directly to EPA Dockets at http://www.epa.gov/edocket, and follow the online instructions for submitting comments. 
Once in the system, select ``search,'' and then key in docket ID number 
OPP-2003-0168. The system is an ``anonymous access'' system, which 
means EPA will not know your identity, e-mail address, or other contact 
information unless you provide it in the body of your comment.
    ii. E-mail. Comments may be sent by e-mail to [email protected], 
Attention: Docket ID Number OPP-2003-0168. In contrast to EPA's 
electronic public docket, EPA's e-mail system is not an ``anonymous 
access'' system. If you send an e-mail comment directly to the docket 
without going through EPA's electronic public docket, EPA's e-mail 
system automatically captures your e-mail address. E-mail addresses 
that are automatically captured by EPA's e-mail system are included as 
part of the comment that is placed in the official public docket, and 
made available in EPA's electronic public docket.
    iii. Disk or CD ROM. You may submit comments on a disk or CD ROM 
that you mail to the mailing address identified in Unit I.C.2. These 
electronic submissions will be accepted in WordPerfect or ASCII file 
format. Avoid the use of special characters and any form of encryption.

[[Page 26613]]

    2. By mail. Send your comments to: Public Information and Records 
Integrity Branch (PIRIB) (7502C), Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP), 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., 
Washington, DC 20460-0001, Attention: Docket ID Number OPP-2003-0168.
    3. By hand delivery or courier. Deliver your comments to: Public 
Information and Records Integrity Branch (PIRIB), Office of Pesticide 
Programs (OPP), Environmental Protection Agency, Rm. 119, Crystal Mall 
2, 1921 Jefferson Davis Hwy., Arlington, VA, Attention: Docket 
ID Number OPP-2003-0168. Such deliveries are only accepted during the 
docket's normal hours of operation as identified in Unit I.B.1.

D. How Should I Submit CBI to the Agency?

    Do not submit information that you consider to be CBI 
electronically through EPA's electronic public docket or by e-mail. You 
may claim information that you submit to EPA as CBI by marking any part 
or all of that information as CBI (if you submit CBI on disk or CD ROM, 
mark the outside of the disk or CD ROM as CBI and then identify 
electronically within the disk or CD ROM the specific information that 
is 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 docket and EPA's electronic public docket. If you submit 
the copy that does not contain CBI on disk or CD ROM, mark the outside 
of the disk or CD ROM clearly that it does not contain CBI. Information 
not marked as CBI will be included in the public docket and EPA's 
electronic public docket 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.

II. Background

What Action is the Agency Taking?

    Under section 18 of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and 
Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) (7 U.S.C. 136p), at the discretion of the 
Administrator, a Federal or State agency may be exempted from any 
provision of FIFRA if the Administrator determines that emergency 
conditions exist which require the exemption. The Oregon Department of 
Agriculture and the Washington State Department of Agriculture have 
requested the Administrator to issue specific exemptions for the use of 
(Z,E)-3,13-octadecadienyl and (Z,Z)-3,13-octadecadienyl on hybrid 
poplar grown for pulp and saw timber to control poplar clearwig moth 
(WPCM). Information in accordance with 40 CFR part 166 was submitted as 
part of this request.
    As part of this request, the Applicants assert that higher trap 
captures of male WPCM have been observed in areas where poplar trees 
are being harvested. WPCMs have become the number one pest in poplar 
plantings in Oregon and Washington. WPCM spend most of their life cycle 
in the heartwood of trees, away from contact of even systemic 
insecticides. Repeated use of registered pesticides has failed to 
control adult males. However, males are exceptionally responsive to sex 
pheromones. The greatest damage to pulp wood production is damage in 
the newly planted trees. Young trees and limbs of larger trees damaged 
by the burrowing activity of WPCM larvae are very prone to wind-throw. 
Trees less than 2 years old will need to be replaced. Burrowing 
activity of the larvae downgrades the value of the pulp from quality 
bond paper to discolored, less valuable product. Net losses are 
estimated to be 22% in 2003 and future losses could reach 41% to 56%.
    The Applicant proposes to use three different formulations 
containing the same active ingredients (ai) (Z,E)-3,13-octadecadienyl 
and (Z,Z)-3,13-octadecadienyl. A stationary, retrievable, hand applied 
dispenser to protect newly planted trees; a battery operated puffer-
type dispenser to protect 2 and 3-year old trees up to 15 meters tall, 
and a flowable pheromone formulation will be used to protect mature 
tress (greater than 15 meters in height). All three formulations are a 
4:1 ratio of Z,E: Z,Z-3,13-octadecadienyl straight-chain 18 carbon 
alcohols that serves as the sex pheromone of the WPCM. The dispensers 
are placed in 1-year old plantings at one dispenser per five trees. 
Each dispenser contains approximately 24 milligrams (mg) active 
ingredient. A maximum of three applications may be made to newly 
planted trees. The puffers will be applied by placing two dispensers 
per acre. Each dispenser will be loaded with a canister containing 2.5 
gal ai and releasing mg quantities per day. After the initial placement 
of the puffer dispensers there may be a need for one replacement. The 
flowable formulation will be applied at a rate of 1.25 gal ai per acre 
per application with sequential applications being made 30 days apart 
between May 1 and October 1, 2003, with a maximum of six applications. 
Up to 32,000 acres of poplar trees in Oregon and Washington may be 
treated.
    This notice does not constitute a decision by EPA on the 
application itself. The regulations governing section 18 of FIFRA 
require publication of a notice of receipt of an application for a 
specific exemption proposing use of new chemicals (i.e., active 
ingredients) which have not been registered by EPA. The notice provides 
an opportunity for public comment on the application.
    The Agency, will review and consider all comments received during 
the comment period in determining whether to issue the specific 
exemption requested by the Oregon Department of Agriculture and the 
Washington Department of Agriculture.

List of Subjects

    Environmental protection, Pesticides and pests.

    Dated: May 6, 2003.
Debra Edwards,
Director, Registration Division, Office of Pesticide Programs.
[FR Doc. 03-12361 Filed 5-15-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-S