[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 183 (Wednesday, September 23, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48535-48536]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-22621]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OPP-2009-0167; FRL-8435-8]


Bromine; Antimicrobial Registration Review Final Work Plan and 
Proposed Registration Review Decision; Notice of Availability

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of EPA's final work 
plan and proposed registration review decision for the pesticide 
bromine and opens a public comment period on the proposed decision. 
Registration review is EPA's periodic review of pesticide registrations 
to ensure that each pesticide continues to satisfy the statutory 
standard for registration, that is, that the pesticide can perform its 
intended function without unreasonable adverse effects on human health 
or the environment. Through this program, EPA is ensuring that each 
pesticide's registration is based on current scientific and other 
knowledge, including its effects on human health and the environment.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before November 23, 2009.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by docket identification 
(ID) number EPA-HQ-OPP-2009-0167, 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 
Bldg.), 2777 S. Crystal Dr., Arlington, VA. Deliveries are only 
accepted during the Docket Facility'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 Facility telephone number is (703) 305-5805.
    Instructions: Direct your comments to docket identification (ID) 
number EPA-HQ-OPP-2009-0167. 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 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 at http://www.regulations.gov. 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 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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For pesticide-specific information, 
contact: K. Avivah Jakob, Chemical Review Manager, Antimicrobials 
Division (7510P), Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental 
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460-
0001; telephone number: (703) 305-1328; fax number: (703) 308-8090; e-
mail address: [email protected].
    For general information on the registration review program, 
contact: Lance Wormell, Antimicrobials Division (7510P), Office of 
Pesticide Programs, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania 
Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone number: (703) 603-0523; 
fax number: (703) 308-8090; 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, farm worker, 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 chemical review manager 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

[[Page 48536]]

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?

    Pursuant to 40 CFR 155.58, this notice announces the availability 
of EPA's proposed registration review decision for the pesticide 
bromine (Bromine Case 4015), and opens a 60-day public comment period 
on the proposed decision. Bromine is a bromide releasing antimicrobial 
pesticide that is registered as a mildewstat, bactericide, fungistat 
and insecticide. Bromine is used to control bacteria and fungi on 
surfaces of agricultural, commercial, institutional, industrial, 
residential, and public access premises and equipment. It is also used 
to treat/disinfect potable water in non-residential settings, aboard 
ships and on oil and gas drilling/production platforms. In addition, 
bromine is characterized by low toxicity and is found in nature.
    The registration review docket for a pesticide includes earlier 
documents related to the registration review of the case. For example, 
the review opened with the posting of a Summary Document, containing a 
Preliminary Work Plan, for public comment. Because no comments were 
received, and because the Agency required no further risk assessments 
to complete registration review of this case, the final work plan and 
proposed decision were combined into a single document.
    The documents in the initial docket described the Agency's 
rationales for not conducting additional risk assessments for the 
registration review of bromine. This proposed registration review 
decision continues to be supported by those rationales included in 
documents in the initial docket. Following public comment, the Agency 
will issue a final registration review decision for products containing 
bromine.
    The registration review program is being conducted under 
congressionally mandated time frames, and EPA recognizes the need both 
to make timely decisions and to involve the public. Section 3(g) of the 
Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), as 
amended, required EPA to establish by regulation procedures for 
reviewing pesticide registrations, originally with a goal of reviewing 
each pesticide's registration every 15 years to ensure that a pesticide 
continues to meet the FIFRA standard for registration. The Agency's 
final rule to implement this program was issued in August 2006 and 
became effective in October 2006, and appears at 40 CFR part 155, 
subpart C. The Pesticide Registration Improvement Act of 2003 (PRIA) 
was amended and extended in September 2007. FIFRA, as amended by PRIA 
in 2007, requires EPA to complete registration review decisions by 
October 1, 2022, for all pesticides registered as of October 1, 2007.
    The registration review final rule at 40 CFR 155.58(a) provides for 
a minimum 60-day public comment period on all proposed registration 
review decisions. This comment period is intended to provide an 
opportunity for public input and a mechanism for initiating any 
necessary amendments to the proposed decision. All comments should be 
submitted using the methods in ADDRESSES, and must be received by EPA 
on or before the closing date. These comments will become part of the 
docket for bromine. Comments received after the close of the comment 
period will be marked ``late.'' EPA is not required to consider these 
late comments.
    The Agency will carefully consider all comments received by the 
closing date and will provide a ``Response to Comments Memorandum'' in 
the docket. The final registration review decision will explain the 
effect that any comments had on the decision and provide the Agency's 
response to significant comments.
    Background on the registration review program is provided at: 
http://www.epa.gov/oppsrrd1/registration_review. Links to earlier 
documents related to the registration review of bromine are provided 
at: http://www.epa.gov/oppsrrd1/registration_review/bromine/index.htm

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

    Section 3(g) of FIFRA and 40 CFR part 155, subpart C, provide 
authority for this action.

List of Subjects

    Environmental protection, Administrative practice and procedure, 
Antimicrobials, Bromine, Pesticides and pests.

    Dated: September 11, 2009.
 Joan Harrigan Farrelly,
Director, Antimicrobials Division, Office of Pesticide Programs.
[FR Doc. E9-22621 Filed 9-22-09; 8:45 am]
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