[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 50 (Wednesday, March 15, 2006)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 13316-13317]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-3728]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Parts 158 and 172

[EPA-HQ-OPP-2004-0415; FRL-7767-2]


Pesticides; Data Requirements for Biochemical and Microbial 
Pesticides Proposed Rule; Notice of Public Workshops

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Proposed rule; notice of public workshop.

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SUMMARY: The EPA is convening two public workshops to explain the 
provisions of its recently proposed rule updating and revising the data 
requirements for registration of biochemical and microbial pesticides 
in 40 CFR part 158. These workshops are open to the public.

DATES: The first public workshop will be held on March 30, 2006 from 1 
p.m. to 4 p.m in the Washington, DC area. The second public workshop 
will be held on April 11, 2006 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the Sacramento, 
CA area.

ADDRESSES: The March 30, 2006 public workshop will be held at the EPA 
Office of Pesticide Programs, Crystal Mall 2, Room No. 1126, 
1801 S. Bell St, Arlington, VA.
    The April 11, 2006 public workshop will be held at the UC-Davis 
Extension, Sutter Square Galleria, Room No. 209, 2901 K St., 
Sacramento, CA. Visitor information for the April 11, 2006 location may 
be found at: http://www.metrochamber.org.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nathanael Martin, Field and External 
Affairs Division (7506C), Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental 
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460-
0001; telephone number: 703-305-6475; 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 affected by this notice if you are a producer or 
registrant of a biochemical or microbial pesticide product. This 
proposal also may affect any person or company who might petition the 
Agency for new tolerances for biochemical or microbial pesticides, or 
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 for 
biochemical or microbial pesticides. The following is intended as a 
guide to entities likely to be regulated by this action. The North 
American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) codes are provided to 
assist you in determining whether or not this action applies to you. 
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.
     Crop Production (NAICS 111).
     Animal Production (NAICS 112).

[[Page 13317]]

     Food Manufacturing and Processing (NAICS 311).
    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 could also be affected. If 
you have questions regarding the applicability of this action to a 
particular entity, please consult the appropriate Branch Chief in the 
U.S. EPA Biopesticides and Pollution Prevention Division of the Office 
of Pesticide Programs at 703-308-8712, fax number at 703-308-7026 or 
visit the following Web site: http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/biopesticides/.

B. How Can I Get Copies of this Document and Other Related Information?

    1. Docket. EPA has established a docket for this action under 
Docket identification number (ID) EPA-HQ-OPP-2004-0415; FRL-7763-4. 
Publicly available docket materials are available either electronically 
at http://www.regulations.gov 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.
    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/.

II. Background

    EPA is convening two public workshops to review proposed revisions 
to the data requirements for the registration of biochemical and 
microbial pesticides. Under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act 
(FFDCA) and the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act 
(FIFRA), 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 public workshops will include presentations by staff from the 
Biopesticides and Pollution Prevention Division (BPPD) and the Field 
and External Affairs Division (FEAD) of the Office of Pesticide 
Programs (OPP). The proposed revisions are primarily directed at 
biochemical and microbial pesticides, not conventional pesticides, 
antimicrobial pesticides or product performance data requirements. 
Nonetheless, all interested parties are welcome and may benefit from 
the discussions since EPA has issued or is planning to issue revisions 
to these areas in the future. Some of the proposed revisions apply to 
the data submission process, e.g., revised policy on data waivers, 
consultations, and pre/post-submission meetings. During the workshop, 
persons in attendance will be able to ask questions regarding the 
material being presented.
    The proposed revisions were issued in the Federal Register of March 
8, 2006, (71 FR 12071) (FRL-7763-4). A 90-day comment period will end 
on June 6, 2006. 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 the regulations.gov Web 
site under Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OPP-2004-0415.

List of Subjects

    Environmental protection, Environmental protection, Administrative 
practice and procedure, Agricultural commodities, Pesticides and pests, 
Biochemical and microbial pesticides, Reporting and recordkeeping 
requirements.

    Dated: March 8, 2006.
James Jones,
Director, Office of Pesticide Programs.
[FR Doc. E6-3728 Filed 3-14-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-S