[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 89 (Tuesday, May 8, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27054-27055]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-11087]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OPP-2012-0181; FRL-9342-8]


Wolbachia pipientis; Pesticide Experimental Use Permit; Receipt 
of Application; Comment Request

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces EPA's receipt of an application 88877-
EUP-R from the University of Kentucky, Department of Entomology 
requesting an experimental use permit (EUP) for the microbial Wolbachia 
pipientis, an intracellular bacterial pesticide of insects/mosquitoes. 
The Agency has determined that the permit may be of regional and 
national significance. Therefore, in accordance with 40 CFR 172.11(a), 
the Agency is soliciting comments on this application.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before June 7, 2012.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by docket identification 
(ID) number EPA-HQ-OPP-2012-0181, by one of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the online 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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Shanaz Bacchus, Biopesticides and 
Pollution Prevention Division (7511P), Office of Pesticide Programs, 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., 
Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone number: (703) 308-8097; email 
address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. General Information

A. Does this action apply to me?

    This action is directed to the public in general. This action may, 
however, be of interest to those persons who are or may be required to 
conduct testing of chemical substances under the Federal Food, Drug, 
and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), or the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and 
Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). Since other entities may also 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 email. 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. Environmental justice. EPA seeks to achieve environmental 
justice, the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of any group, 
including minority and/or low income populations, in the development, 
implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and 
policies. To help

[[Page 27055]]

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 or disproportionately high and adverse human health 
impacts or environmental effects from exposure to the pesticide 
discussed in this document, compared to the general population.

II. What action is the agency taking?

    Under section 5 of FIFRA, 7 U.S.C. 136c, EPA can allow 
manufacturers to field test pesticides under development. Manufacturers 
are required to obtain an EUP before testing new pesticides or new uses 
of pesticides if they conduct experimental field tests on 10 acres or 
more of land or one acre or more of water.
    Pursuant to 40 CFR 172.11(a), the Agency has determined that the 
following EUP application may be of regional and national significance, 
and therefore is seeking public comment on the EUP application:
    Submitter: Dr. Robert I. Rose, on behalf of Stephen L. Dobson, 
University of Kentucky, Department of Entomology, S-225 Ag. Science 
Center North, Lexington, KY 40546-0091, (88877-EUP-R).
    Pesticide Chemical: Wolbachia pipientis.
    Summary of Request: The applicant proposes release of male Aedes 
polynesienis mosquitoes infected with Wolbachia pipientis in American 
Samoa. The male mosquitoes will mate with indigenous female Aedes 
polynesienis, causing conditional sterility and resulting in mosquito 
population suppression. Adult and egg collection data from treated 
areas will be compared to those in the control site to examine for the 
effect of the released product on the indigenous population.
    A copy of the application and any information submitted is 
available for public review in the docket established for this EUP 
application as described under ADDRESSES.
    Following the review of the application and any comments and data 
received in response to this solicitation, EPA will decide whether to 
issue or deny the EUP request, and if issued, the conditions under 
which it is to be conducted. Any issuance of an EUP will be announced 
in the Federal Register.

List of Subjects

    Environmental protection, Experimental use permits.

    Dated: April 26, 2012.
Keith A. Matthews,
Director, Biopesticides and Pollution Prevention Division, Office of 
Pesticide Programs.
[FR Doc. 2012-11087 Filed 5-7-12; 8:45 am]
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