[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 145 (Wednesday, July 29, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45219-45220]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-18615]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OPP-2015-0374; FRL-9930-74]


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-E) from the University of Kentucky's Department of Entomology 
requesting an experimental use permit (EUP) for Wolbachia pipientis, 
wAlbB Strain. EPA has determined that the permit may be of regional and 
national significance. Therefore, because of the potential 
significance, EPA is seeking comments on this application.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before August 28, 2015.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by docket identification 
(ID) number EPA-HQ-OPP-2015-0374, 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: Robert McNally, Director, 
Biopesticides and Pollution Prevention Division (7511P), 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?

    This action is directed to the public in general. Although this 
action may be of particular interest to those persons who conduct or 
sponsor research on pesticides, EPA has not attempted to describe all 
the specific entities that may be affected by this action.

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, EPA 
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 EPA taking?

    Under section 5 of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and 
Rodenticide Act (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), EPA has determined that the following 
EUP application may be of regional and national significance, and 
therefore is

[[Page 45220]]

seeking public comment on the EUP application:
    Submitter: University of Kentucky, Department of Entomology, S-225 
Agricultural Science Center North, Lexington, KY 40546-0091, (88877-
EUP-E).
    Pesticide Chemical: Wolbachia pipientis, wAlbB Strain.
    Summary of Request: The University of Kentucky's Department of 
Entomology has proposed to field test a new strain of Wolbachia 
pipientis (wAlbB Strain) to determine its pesticidal value for 
suppression and elimination of Aedes aegypti, a mosquito that vectors 
some human diseases, e.g., dengue and chikungunya. For 6 months between 
autumn 2015 and December 31, 2016, approximately 100,000 Aedes aegypti 
WB1 strain male mosquitoes infected with Wolbachia pipientis, wAlbB 
Strain will be released weekly at four sites in Fresno County, 
California, with a total target area of 3.4 square kilometers (840 
acres) for control. The released male mosquitoes are expected to mate 
with indigenous female mosquitoes, causing conditional sterility and 
resulting in population decline and potential elimination. Adult and 
egg collection data from the treated area will be compared to data from 
the control site to evaluate the effect of the pesticide on the 
mosquito population.
    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.

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

    Dated: July 20, 2015.
R. McNally,
Director, Biopesticides and Pollution Prevention Division, Office of 
Pesticide Programs.
[FR Doc. 2015-18615 Filed 7-28-15; 8:45 am]
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