[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 206 (Wednesday, October 26, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61816-61818]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-21366]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OPP-2004-0370; FRL-7737-7]


Endothall Reregistration Eligibility Decision; Notice of 
Availability

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of EPA's Reregistration 
Eligibility Decision (RED) for the pesticide endothall. The Agency's 
risk assessments and other related documents also are available in the 
endothall Docket. Endothall is used as an aquatic herbicide to control 
submerged aquatic vegetation and algae in lakes, ponds, and irrigation 
canals and is used as a desiccant on cotton, hops, potatoes, and seed 
production for alfalfa and clover. Endothall is also used as a biocide 
to control mollusks in cooling towers/systems. Endothall is applied as 
either a dipotassium salt or an N, N-dimethylalkylamine salt. The 
endothall acid is not directly applied to use sites; it is formed as a 
break-down product resulting from application of the salt forms. The 
amine salt is the only form applied terrestrially, while both the 
dipotassium and amine salt are applied to aquatic use sites. EPA has 
reviewed endothall through the public participation process that the 
Agency uses to involve the public in developing pesticide 
reregistration and tolerance reassessment decisions. Through these 
programs, EPA is ensuring that all pesticides meet current health and 
safety standards.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Anne Overstreet, Special Review and 
Reregistration Division (7508C), Office of Pesticide Programs, 
Environmental

[[Page 61817]]

Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460-
0001; telephone number: (703) 308-8068; 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 
interest to a wide range of stakeholders including environmental, human 
health, and agricultural advocates; the chemical industry; pesticide 
users; and members of the public interested in the sale, distribution, 
or use of pesticides. Since others 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-2005-0370. 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 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.

II. Background

A. What Action is the Agency Taking?

     Under section 4 of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and 
Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), EPA is reevaluating existing pesticides to 
ensure that they meet current scientific and regulatory standards. EPA 
has completed a Reregistration Eligibility Decision (RED) for the 
pesticide, endothall under section 4(g)(2)(A) of FIFRA. Endothall is a 
dicarboxylic acid used as an aquatic herbicide to control submerged 
aquatic vegetation and algae in lakes, ponds, and irrigation canals and 
is used as a desiccant on cotton, hops, potatoes, and seed production 
for alfalfa and clover. Endothall is also used as a biocide to control 
mollusks in cooling towers/systems. Endothall is applied as either a 
dipotassium salt or an N, N-dimethylalkylamine salt. The endothall acid 
is not directly applied to use sites, it is formed as a break-down 
product resulting from application of the salt forms. The amine salt is 
the only form applied terrestrially, while both the dipotassium and 
anime salt are applied to aquatic use sites. EPA has determined that 
the data base to support reregistration is substantially complete and 
that products containing endothall are eligible for reregistration, 
provided the risks are mitigated in the manner described in the RED. 
Upon submission of any required product-specific data under section 
4(g)(2)(B) and any necessary changes to the registration and labeling 
(either to address concerns identified in the RED or as a result of 
product-specific data), EPA will make a final reregistration decision 
under section 4(g)(2)(C) for products containing endothall.
     EPA must review tolerances and tolerance exemptions that were in 
effect when the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) was enacted in 
August 1996, to ensure that these existing pesticide residue limits for 
food and feed commodities meet the safety standard established by the 
new law. Tolerances are considered reassessed once the safety finding 
has been made or a revocation occurs. EPA has reviewed and made the 
requisite safety finding for the endothall tolerances included in this 
notice.
     EPA is applying the principles of public participation to all 
pesticides undergoing reregistration and tolerance reassessment. The 
Agency's Pesticide Tolerance Reassessment and Reregistration; Public 
Participation Process, published in the Federal Register on May 14, 
2004 (69 FR 26819) (FRL-7357-9), explains that in conducting these 
programs, EPA is tailoring its public participation process to be 
commensurate with the level of risk, extent of use, complexity of 
issues, and degree of public concern associated with each pesticide. 
Due to its uses, risks, and other factors, endothall was reviewed 
through the modified 4-Phase process. Through this process, EPA worked 
extensively with stakeholders and the public to reach the regulatory 
decisions for endothall.
     The reregistration program is being conducted under 
Congressionally mandated time frames, and EPA recognizes the need both 
to make timely decisions and to involve the public. The Agency is not 
holding a comment period for the endothall RED because all issues 
related to this pesticide were resolved through consultations with 
stakeholders.

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

     Section 4(g)(2) of FIFRA as amended 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,'' before calling in 
product-specific data on individual end-use products and either 
reregistering products or taking other ``appropriate regulatory 
action.''
     Section 408(q) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act 
(FFDCA), 21

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

List of Subjects

     Environmental protection, Pesticides and pests.

    Dated: September 26. 2005.
Debra Edwards,
Director, Special Review and Reregistration Division, Office of 
Pesticide Programs.
[FR Doc. 05-21366 Filed 10-25-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-S