[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 65 (Wednesday, April 5, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17093-17095]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-4838]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OPP-2006-0201; FRL-7768-8]


Organic Arsenic Herbicides Risk Assessments; Notice of 
Availability and Risk Reduction Options

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of EPA's risk 
assessments and related documents for the pesticides monosodium 
methanearsonate (MSMA), disodium methanearsonate (DSMA), calcium acid 
methanearsonate (CAMA), and cacodylic acid, collectively referred to as 
the ``organic arsenic herbicides,'' and opens a public comment period 
on these documents. The public is encouraged to suggest risk management 
ideas or proposals to address the risks identified. EPA is developing a 
Reregistration Eligibility Decision (RED) for the organic arsenic 
herbicides through a modified, 4-Phase 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.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before June 5, 2006.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by docket identification 
(ID) number EPA-HQ-OPP-2006-0201, by one of the following methods:
     http://www.regulations.gov/. Follow the on-line 
instructions for submitting comments.
     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.
    Hand Delivery: Public Information and Records Integrity Branch 
(PIRIB) (7502C), Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP), Environmental 
Protection Agency, Rm. 119, Crystal Mall 2, 1801 S. Bell St., 
Arlington, VA.
    Attention: Docket ID number EPA-HQ-OPP-2006-0201. The docket 
facility is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, 
excluding legal holidays. The telephone number for the docket facility 
is (703) 305-5805. 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 EPA-HQ-OPP-
2006-0201. EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included 
in the public docket without change and may be made available on-line 
at http://www.regulations.gov/, 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 regulations.gov or e-
mail. The regulations.gov website 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 regulations.gov, 
your e-mail address will be captured automatically 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 the EPA Docket Center 
homepage at http://www.epa.gov/epahome/docket.htm/.
    Docket: All documents in the docket are listed in the 
regulation.gov index. 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, will be publicly available only in hard copy. 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) (7502C), Office of Pesticide 
Programs (OPP), Environmental Protection Agency, Rm. 119, Crystal Mall 
2, 1801 S. Bell St., Arlington, VA. The docket facility is 
open from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal

[[Page 17094]]

holidays. The telephone number for the docket facility is (703) 305- 
5805.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lance Wormell, Special Review and 
Reregistration Division (7508C), Office of Pesticide Programs, 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., 
Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone number: (703) 603-0523; fax 
number: (703) 308-8041; 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. What Should I Consider as I Prepare My Comments for EPA?

    1. Submitting CBI. Do not submit this information to EPA through 
http://www.regulations.gov or e-mail. Clearly mark the part or all of 
the information that you claim to be CBI. For CBI information in a disk 
or CD ROM that you mail to EPA, mark the outside of the disk or CD ROM 
as CBI and then identify electronically within the disk or CD ROM the 
specific information that is claimed as CBI. In addition to one 
complete version of the comment that includes information claimed as 
CBI, a copy of the comment that does not contain the information 
claimed as CBI must be submitted for inclusion in the public docket. 
Information so marked will not be disclosed except in accordance with 
procedures set forth in 40 CFR part 2.
    2. Tips for Preparing your Comments. When submitting comments, 
remember to:
    i. Identify the document by docket 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 a Code of 
Federal Regulations (CFR) part or section number.
    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 
suggestalternatives.
    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

A. What Action is the Agency Taking?

    EPA is releasing for public comment its human health and 
environmental fate and effects risk assessments and related documents 
for the organic arsenic herbicides MSMA, DSMA, CAMA, and cacodylic acid 
and is soliciting public comment on risk management ideas or proposals. 
MSMA and DSMA are selective herbicides used primarily for weed control 
in cotton and ornamental/residential turf. CAMA is a selective 
herbicide used in residential turf. Cacodylic acid is a non-selective 
herbicide used primarily as a defoliant in cotton and in lawn 
renovation. EPA developed the risk assessments and risk 
characterization for the organic arsenic herbicides through a modified 
version of its public process for making pesticide reregistration 
eligibility and tolerance reassessment decisions. Through these 
programs, EPA is ensuring that pesticides meet current standards under 
the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and the 
Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), as amended by the Food 
Quality Protection Act of 1996 (FQPA).
    MSMA and DSMA are selective pre- and post-emergence herbicides used 
on cotton, non-bearing citrus and nuts, golf courses, and recreational 
areas including schoolyards, lawns, and rights-of-way. CAMA is a 
selective post-emergence herbicide registered for use on golf courses, 
and recreational areas including schoolyards, lawns, and rights-of-way. 
CAMA has no registered food uses. Cacodylic acid is a defoliant (non-
selective) used primarily on cotton and, to a much lesser extent, on 
non-bearing citrus. There are also non-agricultural uses (e.g., golf 
courses, recreational areas, rights-of-way) and residential uses (e.g., 
weed control, lawn renovation).
    EPA is providing an opportunity, through this notice, for 
interested parties to provide comments and input on the Agency's risk 
assessments for the organic arsenic herbicides. Such comments and input 
could address, for example, the availability of additional data to 
further refine the risk assessments, such as speciated soil or water 
monitoring data, or could address the Agency's risk assessment 
methodologies and assumptions as applied to this specific pesticide.
    Through this notice, EPA also is providing an opportunity for 
interested parties to provide risk management proposals or otherwise 
comment on risk management for the organic arsenic herbicides. Risks 
potentially of concern associated with the use of the organic arsenic 
herbicides are: certain occupational and residential post-application 
exposure scenerios; the potential for applied organic arsenic 
herbicides to transform to inorganic arsenic in soil, water, and/or 
plants; the potential for applied organic arsenic herbicides to buildup 
in soil; the potential for applied organic arsenic herbicides to reach 
drinking water sources. In targeting these risks of concern, the Agency 
solicits information on effective and practical risk reduction 
measures.
    EPA seeks to achieve environmental justice, the fair treatment and 
meaningful involvement of all people, regardless of race, color, 
national origin, or income, in the development, implementation, and 
enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. To help 
address potential environmental justice issues, the Agency seeks 
information on any groups or segments of the population who, as a 
result of their location, cultural practices, or other factors, may 
have atypical, unusually high exposure to the organic arsenic 
herbicides, compared to the general population.
    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, the Agency is tailoring its public participation process to 
be commensurate with the level of risk, extent of use, complexity of 
the issues, and degree of public concern associated with each 
pesticide. For the organic arsenic herbicides, a modified, 4-Phase 
process with 1

[[Page 17095]]

comment period and ample opportunity for public consultation seems 
appropriate in view of its refined risk assessments.
    All comments should be submitted using the methods in ADDRESSES, 
and must be received by EPA on or before the closing date. Comments 
will become part of the Agency Docket for the organic arsenic 
herbicides. Comments received after the close of the comment period 
will be marked ``late.'' EPA is not required to consider these late 
comments.

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 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

    Environmental protection, Pesticides and pests.


    Dated: March 23, 2006.
Debra Edwards,
Director, Special Review and Reregistration Division, Office of 
Pesticide Programs.
[FR Doc. E6-4838 Filed 4-4-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-S