[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 248 (Wednesday, December 28, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76829-76830]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-24468]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OPP-2005-0178; FRL-7748-7]


Maneb Reregistration Eligibility Decision

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 maneb. The Agency's risk 
assessments and other related documents also are available in the maneb 
Docket. Maneb is registered for use on a wide variety of food/feed 
crops, including fruit and nut crops, vegetable crops, field and forage 
crops, grapes, field crop seeds, and others; ornamental plants in 
nurseries and greenhouses; and sod farms. Maneb is a member of the 
ethylene bisdithiocarbamate (EBDC) group of fungicides, which also 
includes the related active ingredients mancozeb and metiram. Maneb and 
the two other fungicides share the common metabolite/degradate ethylene 
thiourea (ETU), which has been considered in the maneb RED. EPA has 
reviewed maneb through the public participation process that the Agency 
uses to involve the public in developing pesticide reregistration and 
tolerance reassessment decisions. As a part of this process, the Agency 
announced the availability of the EBDCs preliminary risk assessments 
and supporting documents for a 90-day comment period and requested risk 
reduction options under docket ID number OPP-2004-0078. Through these 
programs, EPA is ensuring that all pesticides meet current health and 
safety standards.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tawanda Spears, Special Review and 
Reregistration Division (7508C), Office of Pesticide Programs, 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, 
Washington, DC 20460-001; telephone number: (703) 308-8050; 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 also may 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-2005-0178. The 
official public docket consists of the documents

[[Page 76830]]

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.
    EDOCKET, EPA's electronic public docket and comment system was 
replaced on November 25, 2005, by an enchanced Federal-wide electronic 
docket management and comment system loacted at http;//
www.regulations.gov/. Follow the on-line instructions.
    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

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 RED for the pesticide, maneb under section 4(g)(2)(A) 
of FIFRA. Maneb is registered for use on a wide variety of food/feed 
crops, including fruit and nut crops, vegetable crops, field and forage 
crops, grapes, field crop seeds, and others; ornamental plants in 
nurseries and greenhouses; and sod farms. Maneb is a member of the 
ethylene bisdithiocarbamate (EBDC) group of fungicides, which also 
includes the related active ingredients mancozeb and metiram.
    EPA has determined that most uses of the active ingredient maneb 
are eligible for reregistration provided that the risk mitigation 
measures outlined in the RED are adopted, and labels are amended to 
reflect these measures. The following uses of maneb are not eligible 
for reregistration and are being voluntarily canceled by technical 
registrant and deleted from all maneb labels: Sweet corn, grapes, 
apples, Kadota figs and seed treatment use on rice and peanuts. 
Additionally, use of maneb as a wettable powder formulation on sod 
farms is not eligible for reregistration and is being voluntarily 
canceled by the registrant and deleted from maneb wettable powder 
labels. 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 maneb.
    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 maneb 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, maneb 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 maneb.
    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. Opportunities for public comment 
were offered as this decision was being developed. Additionally, all 
issues related to this pesticide were resolved through consultations 
with stakeholders. The Agency therefore is issuing the maneb RED 
without a comment period.

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 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

    Maneb, EBDC fungicides, Environmental protection, Pesticides and 
pests.

    Dated: December 15, 2005.
Peter Caulkins,
Acting Director, Special Review and Reregistration Division, Office of 
Pesticide Programs.
[FR Doc. 05-24468 Filed 12-27-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 656050-S