[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 62 (Friday, April 1, 2005)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 16785-16786]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-6624]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OPP-2004-0387; FRL-7704-8]

40 CFR Parts 152 and 158


Pesticides; Data Requirements for Conventional Chemicals; Notice 
of Public Meeting

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of meeting on proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: The EPA is convening a 2-day public workshop to explain the 
provisions of its recently proposed rule updating and revising data 
requirements for conventional pesticides in 40 CFR parts 152 and 158. 
The data requirements identify the types of information that EPA needs 
to determine that a pesticide product can be registered, a tolerance or 
exemption can be issued for pesticide residues in food, or the 
pesticide can be used experimentally. The proposed rule is intended to: 
Improve the scientific basis for pesticide decisions; update the 
requirements last codified in 1984; and reorganize part 158 to improve 
usability. These efforts will help protect human health and the 
environment by identifying, assessing, and reducing the risks of 
conventional pesticides for use in the United States. This workshop is 
open to the public.

DATES: The workshop will be held on May 3, 2005, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 
p.m. and on May 4, 2005, from 9 a.m. to noon.

ADDRESSES: The workshop will be held at Holiday Inn Rosslyn, 1900 N. 
Fort Myer Drive, Arlington, VA, 22209.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Vera Au, Field and External Affairs 
Division (7506C), Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental 
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460-
0001; telephone number: 703-308-9069; fax number: 703-305-5884; 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 
producer or registrant of a pesticide product for agricultural, 
residential and industrial uses. This action may also affect any person 
or company who might petition the Agency for new tolerances, hold a 
pesticide registration with existing tolerances, or any person or 
company who is interested in obtaining or retaining a tolerance in the 
absence of a registration, that is, an import tolerance. This latter 
group may include pesticide manufacturers or formulators, importers of 
food, grower groups, or any person or company who seeks a tolerance. 
Potentially affected entities may include, but are not limited to:
    Chemical Producers (NAICS 32532), e.g., pesticide manufacturers or 
formulators of pesticide products, importers or any person or company 
who seeks to register a pesticide or to obtain a tolerance for a 
pesticide.
    This listing is not intended to be exhaustive, but rather provides 
a guide for readers regarding entities likely to be 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 appropriate Branch Chief in the

[[Page 16786]]

Registration Division of the Office of Pesticide Programs at 703-305-
5447.

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-2004-0387. 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, 
1801 S. Bell St., 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 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

    EPA is convening a workshop to review proposed revisions to the 
data requirements for the registration of conventional pesticides. 
Under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act and the Federal 
Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act, anyone seeking to register 
a pesticide product is required to provide information to EPA that 
demonstrates their products can be used without posing unreasonable 
risk to human health and the environment. For food uses, the registrant 
is required to provide information demonstrating that there is a 
reasonable certainty that no harm will result from exposures to the 
residues of their pesticide product.
    The workshop will include presentations by staff from the Health 
Effects Division and the Environmental Fate and Effects Division of the 
Office of Pesticide Programs. The proposed revisions are primarily 
directed at conventional pesticides, not antimicrobial pesticides, 
biochemical pesticides, nor microbial pesticides. Nonetheless, all 
interested parties are welcome and may benefit from the discussions 
since EPA is planning on revisions to the data requirements in these 
areas in the future. Some of the proposed revisions apply to all 
pesticide products, e.g. changes in general procedures and policies for 
data submission. During the workshop, persons in attendance will be 
able to ask questions regarding the material being presented. Day 1 
will cover general data procedures, chemistry, toxicology and exposure 
data requirements. Day 2 will cover environmental fate and nontarget 
organisms data requirements.
    The proposed revisions were issued in the Federal Register of March 
11, 2005, (70 FR 12275)(FRL-6811-2). A 90-day comment period will end 
on June 9, 2005. A limited number of copies of the proposed rule will 
be available at the workshop. Attendees are encouraged to access the 
electronic version of the proposed rule from EDOCKET at Docket ID No. 
OPP-2004-0387.

List of Subjects

    Environmental protection, Administrative practice and procedure, 
Agricultural commodities, Pesticides and pests, Reporting and 
recordkeeping requirements

    Dated: March 24, 2005.
James Jones,
Director, Office of Pesticide Programs.
[FR Doc. 05-6624 Filed 3-31-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-S