[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 237 (Wednesday, December 10, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 73301-73302]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-28703]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OPP-2014-0848; FRL-9919-89]


Potassium Chloride; Receipt of Application for Emergency 
Exemption; Solicitation of Public Comment

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: EPA has received a quarantine exemption request from the 
Minnesota Department of Agriculture to use the chemical potassium 
chloride to treat Christmas Lake and Lake Independence in Hennepin 
County, Minnesota to control zebra mussels and quagga mussels. The 
applicant proposes the use of a new chemical which has not been 
registered by EPA. EPA is soliciting public comments about this notice 
and treatment program.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before December 26, 2014.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by docket identification 
(ID) number EPA-HQ-OPP-2014-0848, by one of the following methods:

[[Page 73302]]

     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: Susan Lewis, 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 
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 preparing and submitting 
your comments, see the commenting tips at http://www.epa.gov/dockets/comments.html.
    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 
pesticide(s) discussed in this document, compared to the general 
population.

II. What action is the Agency taking?

    Under section 18 of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and 
Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) (7 U.S.C. 136p), at the discretion of the EPA 
Administrator, a Federal or State agency may be exempted from any 
provision of FIFRA if the EPA Administrator determines that emergency 
conditions exist which require the exemption. The Minnesota Department 
of Agriculture has requested the EPA Administrator to issue a 
quarantine exemption for the use of potassium chloride (Chemical 
Abstracts Service Registry Number (CAS No.) 7447-40-7) to treat 
Christmas Lake and Lake Independence to control zebra mussels 
(Dreissena polymorpha) and quagga mussels (Dreissena bugensis). 
Information in accordance with 40 CFR part 166 was submitted as part of 
this request.
    As part of this request, the applicant asserts that zebra and 
quagga mussels need to be eradicated in these bodies of water to 
prevent the establishment and spread of this aquatic invasive species. 
Zebra and quagga mussels have a variety of detrimental environmental 
and recreational impacts. Without treatment it is likely that zebra and 
quagga mussels will establish a reproducing, self-sustaining population 
in both lakes, which would, in turn, serve as another source population 
and possibly contribute to the infestation of other area lakes. This 
chemical provides the best efficacy for the desired result with the 
best economic and environmental feasibility and least impact to human 
health and the environment.
    The applicant proposes to apply an initial dose of approximately 
1,700 lbs of granular potassium chloride, formulated as muriate of 
potash, mixed with water to form a slurry, to each treatment area. The 
chemical will be applied to the surface water or injected below the 
surface of the ice using a spray wand. Additional applications may be 
required to achieve and maintain the desired 100 parts per million 
(ppm) potassium concentration. The treatment areas are within Christmas 
Lake and Lake Independence in Hennepin County, MN.
    This notice does not constitute a decision by EPA on the 
application itself. The regulations governing FIFRA section 18 require 
publication of a notice of receipt of an application for a quarantine 
exemption proposing use of a new chemical (i.e., an active ingredient) 
which has not been registered by EPA. The Agency will review and 
consider all comments received regarding the Minnesota Department of 
Agriculture's treatment program.

    Authority: 7 U.S.C. 136 et seq.

    Dated: November 25, 2014.
Susan Lewis,
Director, Registration Division, Office of Pesticide Programs.
[FR Doc. 2014-28703 Filed 12-9-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P