[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 98 (Wednesday, May 21, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29185-29187]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-11800]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OPP-2014-0316; FRL-9909-94]


Receipt of Applications for Emergency Exemptions for Various 
Pesticides and Commodities; Solicitation of Public Comment

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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

SUMMARY: This document announces EPA's receipt of several requests for 
specific emergency exemptions requesting unregistered pesticide uses 
under specific emergency conditions. This notice provides an 
opportunity for public comment on the exemption requests.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before May 28, 2014. The time 
available for a decision on these applications requires shortening the 
comment period, as allowed by 40 CFR 166.24(c).

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by the specific docket 
identification (ID) number associated with the item you are commenting 
on, as shown in this document, 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.html. 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: Lois Rossi, Registration Division 
(7505P), Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental Protection Agency, 
1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001; main telephone 
number: (703) 305-7090; email 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 are an 
agricultural producer, food manufacturer, or pesticide manufacturer. 
The following list of North American Industrial Classification System 
(NAICS) codes is not intended to be exhaustive, but rather provides a 
guide to help readers determine whether this document applies to them. 
Potentially affected entities may include:
     Crop production (NAICS code 111).
     Animal production (NAICS code 112).
     Food manufacturing (NAICS code 311).
     Pesticide manufacturing (NAICS code 32532).

B. What should I consider as I prepare my comments for EPA?

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

[[Page 29186]]

    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. What action is the agency taking?

    EPA is announcing its receipt of three emergency exemption 
applications submitted under section 18 of the Federal Insecticide, 
Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) (7 U.S.C. 136p), which allows a 
Federal or State agency to be exempted from any provision of FIFRA if 
the EPA Administrator determines that emergency conditions exist which 
require the exemption. Information in accordance with 40 CFR part 166 
was submitted as part of these requests. Pursuant to 40 CFR 
166.24(a)(8), the regulations governing FIFRA section 18 allow for 
publication of a notice of receipt of an application for an emergency 
exemption if the EPA Administrator determines that publication of a 
notice is appropriate, as specified for each exemption request in the 
following paragraphs.
    1. Clothianidin. (EPA-HQ-OPP-2014-0253). The Florida Department of 
Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), has requested a specific 
exemption to use the pesticide clothianidin (CAS No. 210-880-92-5) to 
treat up to 125,376 acres of young citrus trees to control the 
transmission of Huanglongbing disease (citrus greening) caused by Asian 
Citrus Psyllid. As part of this request, the FDACS asserts that 
clothianidin is needed to control the transmission of Huanglongbing 
disease caused by Asian Citrus Psyllid due to the lack of available 
alternative treatments and effective control practices. Further, the 
FDACS affirms that significant economic loss will occur if this pest is 
not controlled. The FDACS proposes to make no more than two 
applications, at a maximum rate of 0.2 lb of clothianidin active 
ingredient (a.i.) per acre, on no more than 125,376 acres per year 
(based on 150 trees per acre) between April 15 and November 15, 2014, 
in commercial groves in Florida. As currently proposed, the maximum 
amount applied would be 25,037 lb of a.i., clothianidin, per year. 
FDACS proposes the use of clothianidin, which belongs to the 
neonicotinoid class of pesticides and is a metabolite of another 
neonicotinoid, thiamethoxam.
    2. Streptomycin. (EPA-HQ-OPP-2014-0260). The Florida Department of 
Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) has requested a specific 
exemption to use the pesticide streptomycin (CAS No. 3810-74-0) to 
treat up to 48,191 acres of fresh-market grapefruit to control citrus 
canker (caused by the bacteria Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. Citri (Xac)). 
The FDACS asserts that available alternative controls cause phytotoxic 
effects to the citrus when used during higher temperatures, and 
therefore are not adequate to effectively control citrus canker in 
grapefruit grown for the fresh market. The FDACS claims that 
significant economic losses are occurring and that this introduced 
pathogen has become a serious threat to the fresh-market grapefruit 
industry in the state of Florida. The FDACS proposes to make no more 
than two applications per crop at a rate of 0.448 lb streptomycin 
sulfate active ingredient (a.i.) per acre, equivalent to 2 lb 
formulated product per acre. A maximum total of 0.896 lb a.i. (4 lb 
product) per acre could be applied on up to 48,191 acres of grapefruit 
in June through September of 2014. Use could potentially occur 
statewide, but would primarily be in the commercial grapefruit-
producing counties of Collier, De Soto, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, 
Indian River, Manatee, Martin, Polk, and St. Lucie. At maximum rates, 
applications, and acreage, 43,179 lb of a.i., streptomycin sulfate 
(192,764 lb formulated product) per year, could be used under the 
proposed program. The FDACS proposes use of streptomycin sulfate, which 
is also used in humans and animals as an antibiotic drug.
    3. Terbufos. (EPA-HQ-OPP-2014-0255). The Georgia Department of 
Agriculture (GDA) has requested a specific exemption to use the 
pesticide terbufos (CAS No. 13071-79-9) to treat up to 300,000 acres of 
cotton to control southern root knot nematodes. As part of this 
request, the GDA asserts that the loss of the registered alternative, 
aldicarb, has resulted in a critical and urgent need for a replacement 
product. Significant economic losses are expected since there are no 
viable options available for cotton growers in Georgia to control 
southern root knot nematodes. The GDA proposes to make no more than one 
at-plant treatment of terbufos per year at a rate of 1.0-2.0 lb 
terbufos active ingredient (a.i.) or 5-10 lb product per acre, on no 
more than 300,000 acres between April 15 and July 1, 2014, restricted 
to the following cotton-producing counties: Appling, Atkinson, Bacon, 
Baker, Ben Hill, Berrien, Bleckley, Brooks, Bulloch, Burke, Calhoun, 
Candler, Clay, Coffee, Colquitt, Cook, Crisp, Decatur, Dodge, Dooly, 
Early, Emanuel, Grady, Houston, Irwin, Jeff Davis, Jefferson, Jenkins, 
Johnson, Lanier, Laurens, Lee, Macon, Miller, Mitchell, Montgomery, 
Pierce, Pulaski, Randolph, Screven, Seminole, Sumter, Tattnall, 
Telfair, Terrell, Thomas, Tift, Toombs, Turner, Ware, Wayne, Wheeler, 
Wilcox, and Worth. As currently proposed, the maximum amount applied 
would be 1,950,000 lb of formulated product or 390,000 lb a.i. terbufos 
per year. The GDA proposes the use of terbufos, which belongs to the 
organophosphate class of pesticides.
    The notice provides an opportunity for public comment on the 
exemption requests. This notice does not constitute decisions by EPA on 
the applications themselves. EPA is soliciting public comment before 
making the decisions whether or not to grant the exemptions. The Agency 
will review and consider all comments received during the comment 
periods in determining whether to issue the emergency exemptions 
requested.

List of Subjects

    Environmental protection, Pesticides and pests.


[[Page 29187]]


    Dated: May 13, 2014.
Daniel J. Rosenblatt,
Acting Director, Registration Division, Office of Pesticide Programs.
[FR Doc. 2014-11800 Filed 5-20-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P