[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 108 (Monday, June 6, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36301-36303]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-13299]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-HQ-OPP-2015-0794; FRL-9945-06]
Atrazine, Simazine, and Propazine Registration Review; Draft
Ecological Risk Assessments; Notice of Availability
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of EPA's draft
ecological risk assessments for the registration review of atrazine,
propazine, and simazine and opens a public comment period on these
documents. 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 comprehensive draft ecological risk
assessments for all atrazine, propazine, and simazine uses. After
reviewing comments received during the public comment period, EPA may
issue revised risk assessments, explain any changes to the draft risk
assessments, respond to comments, and may request public input on risk
mitigation before completing proposed registration review decisions for
atrazine, propazine, and simazine. 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 August 5, 2016.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by docket identification
(ID) number EPA-HQ-OPP-2015-0794, 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: The Chemical Review Manager listed in Table 1 of Unit III.
For general questions 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
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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 in Table 1 of Unit III.
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 pesticides
discussed in this document, compared to the general population.
II. Authority
EPA is conducting its registration review of atrazine, simazine,
and propazine 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) (7
U.S.C. 136a(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
As directed by FIFRA section 3(g), EPA is reviewing the pesticide
registrations for atrazine, simazine, and propazine to ensure that they
continue to satisfy the FIFRA standard for registration--that is, that
atrazine, simazine, and propazine can still be used without
unreasonable adverse effects on human health or the environment.
Table 1--Draft Risk Assessments Being Made Available for Public Comment--
Triazines
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Chemical review
Registration review case name Docket ID No. manager and contact
and No. information
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Atrazine 0062................. EPA-HQ-OPP-2013-0 Marianne Mannix,
266. [email protected], (703) 347-0275.
Simazine 0070................. EPA-HQ-OPP-2013-0 Steven Snyderman,
251. [email protected], (703) 347-
0249.
Propazine, 0230............... EPA-HQ-OPP-2013-0 Steven Snyderman,
250. [email protected], (703) 347-
0249.
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Atrazine. Draft Ecological Risk Assessment (EPA-HQ-OPP-2013-0266).
Atrazine is one of the most widely used agricultural pesticides in the
United States. It is used primarily on corn, sorghum, and sugarcane to
control broadleaf and grassy weeds in the Midwest. The draft atrazine
ecological risk assessment evaluates risk to animals and plants. An
endangered species assessment has not been completed for atrazine at
this time. Atrazine was evaluated for its potential to affect endocrine
systems in mammals and wildlife and the results of the Agency's review
are found in the Weight of Evidence review in this Registration Review
docket.
Simazine. Draft Ecological Risk Assessment (EPA-HQ-OPP-2013-0251).
Simazine is an herbicide used to control broadleaf and grassy weeds on
corn, citrus, tree nuts, pome fruits, stone fruits, berries, and
grapes. The draft simazine ecological risk assessment evaluates risk to
animals and plants. An endangered species assessment has not been
completed for simazine at this time. Simazine was evaluated for its
potential to affect endocrine systems in mammals and wildlife and the
results of the Agency's review are found in the Weight of Evidence
review in this Registration Review docket.
Propazine. Ecological Risk Assessment (EPA-HQ-OPP-2013-0250).
Propazine is an herbicide used mainly to control broadleaf and grassy
weeds on sorghum. The draft propazine ecological risk assessment
evaluates risk to animals and plants. An endangered species assessment
has not been completed for propazine at this time. Propazine has not
been evaluated for its potential to affect endocrine systems in mammals
and wildlife.
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 draft ecological risk
assessments for atrazine, simazine, and propazine. Such comments and
input could address, among other things, the Agency's risk assessment
methodologies and assumptions, as
[[Page 36303]]
applied to these draft risk assessments. The Agency will consider all
comments received during the public comment period and make changes, as
appropriate, to the draft ecological risk assessments. After reviewing
comments received during the public comment period, EPA may issue
revised risk assessments, explain any changes to the draft risk
assessments, and respond to comments, and may request public input on
risk mitigation before completing a proposed registration review
decision for the identified pesticides.
1. Other related information. Additional information specific to
atrazine is available on the Pesticide Registration Review Status Web
page for this pesticide, https://www.epa.gov/ingredients-used-pesticide-products/atrazine-background-and-updates. 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.
Authority: 7 U.S.C. 136 et seq.
Dated: May 31, 2016.
Michael Goodis,
Acting Director, Pesticide Re-Evaluation Division, Office of Pesticide
Programs.
[FR Doc. 2016-13299 Filed 6-3-16; 8:45 am]
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