[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 25 (Wednesday, February 6, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8522-8523]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-02691]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OPP-2008-0850; FRL-9376-5]


Chlorpyrifos Registration Review; Preliminary Evaluation of the 
Potential Risk From Volatilization; Notice of Availability

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of EPA's preliminary 
volatilization assessment for the registration review of chlorpyrifos 
and opens a public comment period on this document. 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, the pesticide can perform its intended function without 
unreasonable adverse effects on human health or the environment. As 
part of the registration review process, the Agency has completed a 
preliminary volatilization assessment for chlorpyrifos uses. After 
reviewing comments received during the public comment period, EPA will 
issue a revised volatilization assessment, explain any changes to the 
preliminary volatilization assessment, respond to comments, and 
evaluate the need for risk mitigation for chlorpyrifos. 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 March 8, 2013.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by docket identification 
(ID) number EPA-HQ-OPP-2008-0850, by one of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the online instructions for submitting comments. Do not submit 
electronically any information you consider to be Confidential Business 
Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted 
by statute.
     Mail: OPP Docket, Environmental Protection Agency Docket 
Center (EPA/DC), (28221T), 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 
20460-0001.
     Hand Delivery: To make special arrangements for hand 
delivery or delivery of boxed information, please follow the 
instructions at http://www.epa.gov/dockets/contacts.htm.
    Additional instructions on commenting or visiting the docket, along 
with more information about dockets generally, is available at http://www.epa.gov/dockets.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For pesticide specific information 
contact: Joel Wolf, Chemical Review Manager, Pesticide Re-Evaluation 
Division (7508P), Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental 
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460-
0001; telephone number: (703) 347-0228; fax number: (703) 308-8005; 
email address: [email protected].
    For general questions on the registration review program, contact: 
Jane Smith, Pesticide Re-Evaluation Division (7508P), Office of 
Pesticide Programs, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania 
Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone number: (703) 308-0048; 
fax number: (703) 308-8005; 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, 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

[[Page 8523]]

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 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. 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.
    3. 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 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 pesticides 
discussed in this document, compared to the general population.

II. Authority

    EPA is conducting its registration review of chlorpyrifos pursuant 
to section 3(g) of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide 
Act (FIFRA) and the Procedural Regulations for Registration Review at 
40 CFR part 155, subpart C. Section 3(g) of FIFRA provides, among other 
things, that the registrations of pesticides are to be reviewed every 
15 years. Under FIFRA, a pesticide product may be registered or remain 
registered only if it meets the statutory standard for registration 
given in FIFRA section 3(c)(5). When used in accordance with widespread 
and commonly recognized practice, the pesticide product must perform 
its intended function without unreasonable adverse effects on the 
environment; that is, without any unreasonable risk to man or the 
environment, or a human dietary risk from residues that result from the 
use of a pesticide in or on food.

III. Registration Reviews

 A. What action is the agency taking?

    As directed by FIFRA section 3(g), EPA is reviewing the pesticide 
registration for chlorpyrifos to ensure that it continues to satisfy 
the FIFRA standard for registration--that is, that chlorpyrifos can 
still be used without unreasonable adverse effects on human health or 
the environment. Chlorpyrifos is an organophosphate (OP) used to 
control many foliar and soil borne insect pests. EPA has completed a 
comprehensive volatilization assessment for chlorpyrifos uses.
    Pursuant to 40 CFR 155.53(c), EPA is providing an opportunity, 
through this notice of availability, for interested parties to provide 
comments and input concerning the Agency's volatilization assessment 
for chlorpyrifos. Such comments and input could address, among other 
things, the Agency's volatilization assessment uncertainties and 
assumptions, as applied to this preliminary volatilization assessment. 
The Agency will consider all comments received during the public 
comment period and make changes, as appropriate, to the preliminary 
volatilization assessment. EPA will then issue a revised volatilization 
assessment, explain any changes to the preliminary volatilization 
assessment, and respond to comments.
    1. Other related information. Additional information on 
chlorpyrifos is available on the Pesticide Chemical Search Web page for 
this pesticide, http://iaspub.epa.gov/apex/pesticides/f?p=CHEMICALSEARCH:3:1567203687598401::NO:21,3,31,7,12,25:P3_XCHEMICAL_ID:1822. Information on the Agency's registration review 
program and its implementing regulation is available at http://www.epa.gov/oppsrrd1/registration_review.
    2. Information submission requirements. Anyone may submit data or 
information in response to this document. To be considered during a 
pesticide's registration review, the submitted data or information must 
meet the following requirements:
     To ensure that EPA will consider data or information 
submitted, interested persons must submit the data or information 
during the comment period. The Agency may, at its discretion, consider 
data or information submitted at a later date.
     The data or information submitted must be presented in a 
legible and useable form. For example, an English translation must 
accompany any material that is not in English and a written transcript 
must accompany any information submitted as an audiographic or 
videographic record. Written material may be submitted in paper or 
electronic form.
     Submitters must clearly identify the source of any 
submitted data or information.
     Submitters may request the Agency to reconsider data or 
information that the Agency rejected in a previous review. However, 
submitters must explain why they believe the Agency should reconsider 
the data or information in the pesticide's registration review.
    As provided in 40 CFR 155.58, the registration review docket for 
each pesticide case will remain publicly accessible through the 
duration of the registration review process; that is, until all actions 
required in the final decision on the registration review case have 
been completed.

List of Subjects

    Environmental protection, Chlorpyrifos, Pesticides and pests.

    Dated: January 30, 2013.
 Richard P. Keigwin, Jr.,
Director, Pesticide Re-Evaluation Division, Office of Pesticide 
Programs.
[FR Doc. 2013-02691 Filed 2-5-13; 8:45 am]
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