[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 132 (Tuesday, July 12, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40023-40025]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-13768]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OPP-2005-0191; FRL-7723-6]


Request for Public Comment on Proposed Settlement Agreement 
Involving Pesticides and the Endangered Species Act

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of availability; request for public comments

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SUMMARY: EPA is making available for comment a proposed Settlement 
Agreement that would establish a series of deadlines for the Agency to 
make ``effects determinations'' on pesticides containing any of six 
active ingredients to determine their potential effects on the Barton 
Springs Salamander, Eurycea sosorum, or its designated critical 
habitat. If the Agency determines a pesticide ``may affect and is 
likely to adversely affect'' the listed species, the Agency will 
initiate formal consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 
(FWS). EPA will evaluate all comments received during the public 
comment period to determine whether all or part of the proposed 
Settlement Agreement warrants reconsideration. This proposed Settlement 
Agreement, if entered by the Court, would resolve a lawsuit brought 
against EPA by the Center for Biological Diversity and the Save Our 
Springs Alliance (jointly, plaintiffs).

DATES: Comments must be received on or before July 27, 2005.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by docket identification 
(ID) number OPP-2005-0191, by one of the following methods:
     Agency Website:http://www.epa.gov/edocket/. EDOCKET,

[[Page 40024]]

EPA's electronic public docket and comment system, is EPA's preferred 
method for receiving comments. Follow the on-line instructions for 
submitting comments.
     E-mail: Comments may be sent by e-mail to[email protected], Attention: Docket ID NumberOPP-2005-0191.
     Mail: 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-2005-0191.
     Hand Delivery: Public Information and Records Integrity 
Branch (PIRIB), Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP), Environmental 
Protection Agency, Rm. 119, Crystal Mall 2, 1801 S. Bell St., 
Arlington, VA, Attention: Docket ID Number OPP-2005-0191. Such 
deliveries are only accepted during the Docket's normal hours of 
operation, and special arrangements should be made for deliveries of 
boxed information.
    Instructions: Direct your comments to docket ID number OPP-2005-
0191. EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included in 
the public docket without change and may be made available online at 
http://www.epa.gov/edocket/, including any personal information 
provided, unless the comment includes information claimed to be 
Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose 
disclosure is restricted by statute. Do not submit information that you 
consider to be CBI or otherwise protected through EDOCKET or e-mail. 
EDOCKET is an ``anonymous access'' system, which means EPA will not 
know your identity or contact information unless you provide it in the 
body of your comment. If you send an e-mail comment directly to EPA 
without going through EDOCKET, your e-mail address will be 
automatically captured and included as part of the comment that is 
placed in the public docket and made available on the Internet. If you 
submit an electronic comment, EPA recommends that you include your name 
and other contact information in the body of your comment and with any 
disk or CD ROM you submit. 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. Electronic files should avoid 
the use of special characters, any form of encryption, and be free of 
any defects or viruses. For additional information about EPA's public 
docket visit EDOCKET on-line.
    Docket: All documents in the docket are listed in the EDOCKET index 
at http://www.epa.gov/edocket/. Although listed in the index, some 
information is not publicly available, i.e., CBI or other information 
whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Certain other material, such 
as copyrighted material, is not placed on the Internet and will be 
publicly available only in hard copy form. Publicly available docket 
materials are available either electronically in EDOCKET or in hard 
copy 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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Arty Williams, Field and External 
Affairs Division (7506C), Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental 
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460-
0001; telephone number: (703) 305-5239; fax number: (703) 308-3259; 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 the Center for Biological Diversity, Save Our 
Springs Alliance, other environmental or public interest groups, Texas 
state regulatory partners, other interested Federal agencies, pesticide 
registrants, and pesticide users. 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?

    Electronic access. In addition to using EDOCKET(http://www.epa.gov/edocket/) you may access thisFederal Register document electronically 
through the EPA Internet under the ``Federal Register'' listings 
athttp://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/.
    The proposed Settlement Agreement and other relevant documents are 
available electronically through EPA's electronic public docket and 
comment system, EDOCKET. Go to http://www.epa.gov/edocket/ to submit or 
view public comments, to access the index listing of the contents of 
the docket, and to access those documents in the public docket that are 
available electronically. Once in the system, select ``search,'' then 
key in the docket ID number OPP-2005-0191. The proposed Settlement 
Agreement and other relevant documents may also be accessed on EPA's 
website, www.epa.gov/pesticides, both under the heading ``What's New?'' 
and ``Open Comment Periods.''

C. What Should I Consider as I Prepare My Comments for EPA?

    1. Submitting CBI. Do not submit CBI information to EPA. Should EPA 
determine as a result of any comments received during the 15-day public 
comment period that all or part of the proposed Settlement Agreement 
merits reconsideration, EPA will provide the plaintiffs with a written 
request for further negotiations and a copy of all comments related to 
EPA's basis for such negotiations. Therefore, EPA will construe the 
submission of a comment as a waiver of any confidential business claim 
as to that comment.
    2. Tips for preparing your comments. When submitting comments, 
remember to:
    i. Identify the docket ID number and other identifying information 
(subject heading, Federal Register date, and page number).
    ii. Follow directions. The Agency may ask you to respond to 
specific questions or organize comments by referencing section numbers.
    iii. Explain why you agree or disagree; suggest alternatives and 
substitute language for your requested changes.
    iv. Describe any assumptions and provide any technical information 
and/or data that you used.
    v. If you estimate potential costs or burdens, explain how you 
arrived at your estimate in sufficient detail to allow for it to be 
reproduced.
    vi. Provide specific examples to illustrate your concerns, and 
suggest alternatives.
    vii. Explain your views as clearly as possible, avoiding the use of 
profanity or personal threats.
    viii. Make sure to submit your comments by the comment period 
deadline identified.

II. Background

    On January 26, 2004, plaintiffs filed a lawsuit in federal district 
court for the District of Columbia alleging that EPA failed to comply 
with sections 7(a)(1) and 7(a)(2) of the Endangered Species Act (ESA), 
16 U.S.C. 1536(a)(1)-(2). CBD v. EPA, Case No. 1:04-cv-00126-CKK

[[Page 40025]]

(District Court for the District of Columbia).
    EPA has reached an agreement with the plaintiffs. The agreement is 
embodied in a proposed Settlement Agreement. The proposed Settlement 
Agreement sets a series of deadlines for the Agency to make ``effects 
determinations'' on the potential for pesticides containing any of six 
active ingredients--atrazine, diazinon, carbaryl, prometon, 
metolachlor, and simazine--to affect the Barton Springs Salamander, 
Eurycea sosorum, or its designated critical habitat. An ``effects 
determination'' considers whether use of a pesticide: (1) Has no effect 
on a listed species; (2) may affect but is not likely to adversely 
affect a listed species; or (3) may affect and is likely to adversely 
affect a listed species. If the Agency determines a pesticide ``may 
affect and is likely to adversely affect'' the Barton Springs 
Salamander or designated critical habitat, EPA will initiate formal 
consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) as described 
in the Settlement Agreement.
    In addition, during the pendency of the schedule for effects 
determinations outlined in the Settlement Agreement, the plaintiffs 
agree not to seek any injunction or other use restriction for any of 
the pesticides subject to the Settlement Agreement. Pursuant to the 
Settlement Agreement, in the event EPA makes a ``may affect and is 
likely to adversely affect'' determination for any of the pesticides, 
the plaintiffs reserve the right to seek use restrictions for that 
pesticide by filing a new complaint with the Court.
    Beginning today, EPA is opening a 15-day comment period on the 
proposed Settlement Agreement. EPA will use the comments to determine 
whether all or part of the proposed Settlement Agreement warrants 
reconsideration.
    If EPA determines that any part of the proposed Settlement 
Agreement merits reconsideration, EPA will provide the plaintiffs with 
a written request for further negotiations and the proposed Settlement 
Agreement shall not be entered with the Court unless the parties can 
reach agreement on needed changes.
    If EPA determines that the proposed Settlement Agreement does not 
need to be reconsidered, the terms of the proposed Settlement Agreement 
shall become effective upon entry by the U.S. District Court for the 
District of Columbia. Once the Settlement Agreement is entered by the 
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, EPA will post on its 
web site atwww.epa.gov/pesticides a notice indicating the Settlement 
Agreement has been so entered.

List of Subjects

    Environmental protection, Endangered species.


    Dated: July 7, 2005.
Susan B. Hazen,
Acting Assistant Administrator, Office of Prevention, Pesticides and 
Toxic Substances.
[FR Doc. 05-13768 Filed 7-11-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-S