[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 224 (Wednesday, November 21, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65574-65576]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-22382]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OPP-2007-1071; FRL-8156-4]


Pesticides; Availability of Updated Schedule for Registration 
Review

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

[[Page 65575]]


ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY:  EPA is announcing the availability of an updated schedule for 
the pesticide registration review program, the periodic review of all 
registered pesticides mandated by section 3(g) of the Federal 
Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). This program began 
in fiscal year (FY) 2007 after the registration review rule became 
effective. Twenty-five pesticides have since entered the registration 
review process. This updated schedule provides the timetable for 
opening dockets for the next four years of the registration review 
program--FY 2008 to 2011--and includes information on the FY 2007 
registration review cases.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kennan Garvey, Special Review and 
Reregistration Division (7508P), Office of Pesticide Programs, 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., 
Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone number: (703) 305-7106; fax 
number: (703) 308-8090; e-mail address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. General Information

A. Does this Action Apply to Me?

    You may be potentially affected by this action if you hold 
pesticide registrations. Pesticide users or other persons interested in 
the regulation of the sale, distribution, or use of pesticides may also 
be interested in this action. Potentially affected entities may 
include, but are not limited to:
     Producers of pesticide products (NAICS code 32532).
     Producers of antifoulant paints (NAICS code 32551).
     Producers of antimicrobial pesticides (NAICS code 32561).
     Producers of nitrogen stabilizer products (NAICS code 
32531).
     Producers of wood preservatives (NAICS code 32519).
    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 in this unit could also be 
affected. The North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) 
codes have been provided to assist you and others in determining 
whether this action might apply to certain entities. To determine 
whether you or your business may be affected by this action, you should 
carefully examine the applicability provisions in 40 CFR 155.40 of the 
regulatory text of the Federal Register of August 9, 2006 (71 FR 45719) 
(FRL-8080-4). 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 a docket for this action under 
docket identification (ID) number EPA-HQ-OPP-2007-1071. 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 Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) Regulatory Public 
Docket in Rm. S-4400, One Potomac Yard (South Bldg.), 2777 S. Crystal 
Dr., Arlington, VA. The hours of operation of this Docket Facility are 
from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal 
holidays. The Docket Facility 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

A. What Action is the Agency Taking?

    EPA is issuing an updated schedule for the registration review 
program, the Agency's periodic review of all registered pesticides 
mandated by section 3(g) of FIFRA. This updated schedule provides the 
timetable for opening dockets for the next four years of the program--
FY 2008 to 2011. (See the Federal Register of October 11, 2006 (71 FR 
59786, FRL-8096-8); http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-PEST/2006/October/Day-11/p16483.htm.
    The Pesticide Registration Improvement Act of 2003 was recently 
amended and extended. The Act provides for the continuation of annual 
pesticide maintenance fees and authorizes their use for registration 
review. The Act also requires EPA to complete registration review 
decisions by October 1, 2022 for all pesticides registered as of 
October 1, 2007. To ensure meeting this requirement, EPA will open 
approximately 70 pesticide registration review dockets annually 
beginning in fiscal year 2009 and continuing through 2017 so that 
almost all currently-registered pesticides have dockets opened by 2017. 
Some biopesticide dockets will be opened in 2018 through 2020. The 
Agency anticipates that this scheduling will provide adequate lead 
times to complete registration review decisions for all currently-
registered pesticides by 2022. For the first several years of the 
program, EPA will be developing a pipeline of pesticides under review 
so that it will have the capacity to make approximately 70 decisions 
each year. EPA expects a total of 722 pesticide cases comprising 1,135 
pesticide active ingredients to undergo registration review by 2022.
    Each pesticide's place on the schedule is generally determined by 
its baseline date -- the date of its last substantive review -- with 
the oldest cases going first. The baseline date for a pesticide that 
was subject to reregistration is the date of the Reregistration 
Eligibility Decision (RED). The baseline date for pesticides that were 
not subject to reregistration is the registration date of the first 
product containing the active ingredient. Although the schedule 
generally is constructed chronologically, some registration review 
cases are grouped in the schedule for greater efficiency. For example, 
pesticides that are chemically related or use-related (e.g., 
organophosphate and carbamate chemical classes, the coppers group, and 
the pyrethroids, pyrethrins, and syngergists group) generally will be 
reviewed during the same time frame.
    Background information on the program is provided at: http://www.epa.gov/oppsrrd1/registration_review/.
    An explanation of the schedule is at: http://www.epa.gov/oppsrrd1/registration_review/explanation.htm.
    The current schedule is available at: http://www.epa.gov/oppsrrd1/registration_review/schedule.htm.

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

    EPA is announcing this updated schedule for the registration review 
program as provided in 40 CFR 155.42(d) and 155.44 of the Procedural 
Regulations for Registration Review: Final Rule (http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-PEST/2006/August/Day-09/p12904.htm). The Agency may 
consider issues raised by the public or registrant when reviewing a 
posted schedule, to schedule a pesticide registration review, or to 
modify the schedule of a pesticide registration review as appropriate. 
This schedule will be updated at least once every year.

List of Subjects

    Environmental protection, Agricultural commodities, Pesticides and 
pests.


[[Page 65576]]


    Dated: November 7, 2007.
Peter Caulkins,
Acting Director, Special Review and Reregistration Division, Office of 
Pesticide Programs.
[FR Doc. E7-22382 Filed 11-20-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-S