[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 118 (Wednesday, June 20, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34007-34009]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-11943]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OPP-2007-0431; FRL-8135-4]


Mefluidide Risk Assessments; Notice of Availability

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 pesticide mefluidide, 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 mefluidide through a modified, 4-Phase public 
participation process that the Agency uses to involve the public in 
developing pesticide reregistration decisions. This is Phase 3 of the 
process. Through this program, EPA is ensuring that all pesticides meet 
current health and safety standards.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before August 20, 2007.

ADDRESSES:  Submit your comments, identified by docket identification 
(ID) number EPA-HQ-OPP-2007-0431, by one of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the on-line instructions for submitting comments.
     Mail: Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) Regulatory Public 
Docket (7502P), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania 
Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001.
     Delivery: OPP Regulatory Public Docket (7502P), 
Environmental Protection Agency, Rm. S-4400, One Potomac Yard (South 
Building), 2777 S. Crystal Drive, Arlington, VA. Deliveries are only 
accepted during the Docket's normal hours of operation (8:30 a.m. to 4 
p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays). Special 
arrangements should be made for deliveries of boxed information. The 
Docket telephone number is (703) 305-5805.
    Instructions: Direct your comments to docket ID number EPA-HQ-OPP-
2007-0431. EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included 
in the 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 Federal 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 automatically captured and 
included as part of the comment that is placed in the 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.
    Docket: All documents in the docket are listed in the docket index 
available in regulations.gov. To access the electronic docket, go to 
http://www.regulations.gov, select ``Advanced Search,'' then ``Docket 
Search.'' Insert the docket ID number where indicated and select the 
``Submit'' button. Follow the instructions on the regulations.gov web 
site to view the docket index or access available documents. Although 
listed in the index, some information is not publicly available, e.g., 
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 in the 
electronic docket at http://www.regulations.gov, or, if only available 
in hard copy, at the OPP Regulatory Public Docket in Rm. S-4400, One 
Potomac Yard (South Building), 2777 S. Crystal Drive, Arlington, VA. 
The hours of operation of this Docket Facility are from 8:30 a.m.

[[Page 34008]]

to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The Docket 
telephone number is (703) 305-5805.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Wilhelmena Livingston, Special Review 
and Reregistration Division (7508P), Office of Pesticide Programs, 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., 
Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone number: 703 308-8025; 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. What Should I Consider as I Prepare My Comments for EPA?

    1.  Submitting CBI. Do not submit this information to EPA through 
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 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 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 
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

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 mefluidide, and soliciting public comment on risk management ideas 
or proposals. Mefluidide is a plant growth regulator that is applied 
postemergence when needed. EPA developed the risk assessments and risk 
characterization for mefluidide 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).
    Mefluidide is a plant growth regulator that is applied 
postemergence when needed. It is used to control ornamental and non-
ornamental woody plants, ground cover, hedges trees, turf grasses, 
grass and broadleaf weeds by inhibiting plant cell division, stem 
elongation and seed head development. It is also registered for growth 
control of low maintenance turf on rights-of way, airports, public and 
industrial sites. Mefluidide products can also be used on residential 
lawns.
    EPA is providing an opportunity, through this notice, for 
interested parties to provide comments and input on the Agency's risk 
assessments for mefluidide. Such comments and input could address, for 
example, the availability of additional data to further refine the risk 
assessments, such as usage/use information for non-agricultural uses, 
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 mefluidide. Risks of concern associated 
with the use of mefluidide are: Acute (listed and non-listed) and 
chronic risks to mammals and birds, as well as acute (listed and non-
listed) risk to terrestrial and semi-aquatic plants from use on 
ornamental turf. 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 mefluidide, 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 mefluidide, a modified, 4-Phase process with one comment 
period and ample opportunity for public consultation seems appropriate 
in view of its few complex issues. However, if as a result of comments 
received during this comment period EPA finds that additional issues 
warranting further discussion are raised, the Agency may lengthen the 
process and include a second comment period, as needed.
    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 mefluidide. Comments received 
after the close of the comment period will be marked ``late.'' EPA is 
not required to consider these late comments.

[[Page 34009]]

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.''

List of Subjects

    Environmental protection, Pesticides and pests.


    Dated: June 12, 2007.
Peter Caulkins,
Acting Director, Special Review and Reregistration Division, Office of 
Pesticide Programs.
[FR Doc. E7-11943 Filed 6-19-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-S