[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 46 (Wednesday, March 9, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12489-12490]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-05279]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-HQ-OPP-2011-0855; FRL-9943-41]
Paraquat Dichloride; Proposed Interim Mitigation Decision; Notice
of Availability
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of EPA's proposed
interim mitigation decision for paraquat dichloride (paraquat) and
opens a public comment period on this proposed interim mitigation
decision. 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, that the pesticide can
perform its intended function without unreasonable adverse effects on
human health or the environment. 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. EPA may pursue mitigation at any time during the
registration review process if it finds that a pesticide poses
unreasonable adverse effects to human health or the environment. Based
on the number and severity of paraquat human health incidents, the EPA
believes that the mitigation measures outlined in this proposed interim
mitigation decision are necessary to address identified human health
risk concerns.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before May 9, 2016.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by docket identification
(ID) number EPA-HQ-OPP-2011-0855, 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:
For pesticide specific information, contact: Marianne Mannix,
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:
703-347-0275; email address: [email protected].
For general information on the registration review program,
contact: Richard Dumas, Pesticide Re-Evaluation Division (7508P),
Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200
Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone number:
(703) 308-8015; 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 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 preparing and submitting
your comments, see the commenting tips at http://www.epa.gov/dockets/comments.html.
II. What action is the agency taking?
Pursuant to 40 CFR 155.58, this notice announces the availability
of EPA's proposed interim mitigation decision for paraquat, and opens a
60-day public comment period on the proposed interim mitigation
decision. Paraquat is a widely used broad spectrum herbicide for the
control of weeds in many agricultural and non-agricultural settings,
and is also used as a defoliant on crops, prior to harvest. It is
classified as restricted use due to high toxicity. An estimated 1.5 tsp
can be lethal if ingested and there is no known antidote. Paraquat
dichloride is associated with a disproportionately high number of
incidents including accidental ingestions typically leading to
fatalities as well as occupational spills, splashes, and leaks
resulting in
[[Page 12490]]
severe and often damaging dermal or ocular contact. Paraquat is known
to be corrosive to skin and eyes. EPA recently reviewed all available
incident information and determined that mitigation measures to address
these human health risk concerns are necessary. EPA has had some
discussions with the paraquat technical registrants that suggest that
the mitigation measures could be adopted voluntarily by pesticide
manufacturers.
The registration review docket for a pesticide includes earlier
documents related to the registration review of the case along with
supporting materials for this proposed interim mitigation decision.
Following public comment, the Agency will issue a final interim
mitigation decision for products containing paraquat. Notwithstanding
this action, paraquat is still undergoing registration review. Within
the next several years, EPA anticipates conducting comprehensive draft
human health and ecological risk assessments for paraquat, followed by
a proposed registration review decision, all of which will be posted
for public comment.
The registration review program is being conducted under
congressionally mandated time frames, and EPA recognizes the need both
to make timely decisions and to involve the public. Section 3(g) of the
Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) (7 U.S.C.
136a(g)) required EPA to establish by regulation procedures for
reviewing pesticide registrations, originally with a goal of reviewing
each pesticide's registration every 15 years to ensure that a pesticide
continues to meet the FIFRA standard for registration. The Agency's
final rule to implement this program was issued in August 2006 and
became effective in October 2006, and appears at 40 CFR part 155,
subpart C. The Pesticide Registration Improvement Act of 2003 (PRIA)
was amended and extended in September 2007. FIFRA, as amended by PRIA
in 2007, requires EPA to complete registration review decisions by
October 1, 2022, for all pesticides registered as of October 1, 2007.
The registration review final rule at 40 CFR 155.58(a) provides for
a minimum 60-day public comment period on all proposed registration
review decisions. This comment period is intended to provide an
opportunity for public input and a mechanism for initiating any
necessary amendments to the proposed interim mitigation decision. All
comments should be submitted using the methods in ADDRESSES, and must
be received by EPA on or before the closing date. These comments will
become part of the docket for paraquat. Comments received after the
close of the comment period will be marked ``late.'' EPA is not
required to consider these late comments.
The Agency will carefully consider all comments received by the
closing date and will provide a ``Response to Comments Memorandum'' in
the docket. The final interim mitigation decision will explain the
effect that any comments had on the final decision and provide the
Agency's response to significant comments.
Background on the registration review program is provided at:
http://www2.epa.gov/pesticide-reevaluation. Links to earlier documents
related to the registration review of paraquat are provided at: http://www.epa.gov/ingredients-used-pesticide-products/paraquat.
Authority: 7 U.S.C. 136 et seq.
Dated: March 2, 2016.
Yu-Ting Guilaran,
Director, Pesticide Re-Evaluation Division, Office of Pesticide
Programs.
[FR Doc. 2016-05279 Filed 3-8-16; 8:45 am]
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