[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 113 (Wednesday, June 14, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27254-27255]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-12347]



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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OPP-2011-1017; FRL-9959-78]


Final Test Guideline; Product Performance Test Guidelines; OCSPP 
810.3900 Laboratory Product Performance Testing Methods for Bed Bug 
Pesticide Products; Notice of Availability

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: EPA is announcing the availability of a final test guideline, 
Laboratory Product Performance Testing Methods for Bed Bug Pesticide 
Products; OCSPP Test Guideline 810.3900. This test guideline is part of 
a series of test guidelines established by the Office of Chemical 
Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP) for use in testing pesticides 
and chemical substances. The test guidelines serve as a compendium of 
accepted scientific methodologies and protocols that are intended to 
provide data to inform regulatory decisions. This test guideline 
provides guidance for conducting a study to determine pesticide product 
performance against bed bugs, and is used by EPA, the public, and 
companies that submit data to EPA.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael L. Goodis, P.E., Registration 
Division (7505P), Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental 
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460-
0001; telephone number: (703) 305-7090; email address: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Introduction

    EPA is announcing the availability of a final test guideline, 
Laboratory Product Performance Testing Methods for Bed Bug Pesticide 
Products; OCSPP Test Guideline 810.3900.
    This test guideline is part of a series of test guidelines 
established by OCSPP for use in testing pesticides and chemical 
substances to develop data for submission to the agency under the 
Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) section 408 (21 U.S.C. 
346a), the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) 
(7 U.S.C. 136 et seq.), and the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) (15 
U.S.C. 2601 et seq.). The test guidelines serve as a compendium of 
accepted scientific methodologies and protocols that are intended to 
provide data to inform regulatory decisions under TSCA, FIFRA, and/or 
FFDCA.
    The test guidelines provide guidance for conducting the test, and 
are also used by EPA, the public, and companies that are subject to 
data submission requirements under TSCA, FIFRA, and/or FFDCA. As 
guidance documents, the test guidelines are not binding on either EPA 
or any outside parties, and EPA may depart from the test guidelines 
where circumstances warrant and without prior notice. At places in this 
guidance, the agency uses the word ``should.'' In this guidance, use of 
``should'' with regard to an action means that the action is 
recommended rather than mandatory. The procedures contained in the test 
guidelines are recommended for generating the data that are the subject 
of the test guideline, but EPA recognizes that departures may be 
appropriate in specific situations. You may propose alternatives to the 
recommendations described in the test guidelines, and the agency will 
assess them for appropriateness on a case-by-case basis.

II. 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 are or may be 
required to conduct testing of pesticides and chemical substances for 
submission to EPA under TSCA, FIFRA, and/or FFDCA, the agency has not 
attempted to describe all the specific entities that may be affected by 
this action.

B. How can I get copies of this document and other related information?

    1. Docket for this document. The docket for this action, identified 
by docket identification (ID) number EPA-HQ-OPP-2011-1017, is available 
at http://www.regulations.gov or at the Office of Pesticide Programs 
Regulatory Public Docket (OPP Docket) in the Environmental Protection 
Agency Docket Center (EPA/DC), West William Jefferson Clinton Bldg., 
Rm. 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001. The 
Public Reading Room is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through 
Friday, excluding legal holidays. The telephone number for the Public 
Reading Room is (202) 566-1744, and the telephone number for the OPP 
Docket is (703) 305-5805. Please review the visitor instructions and 
additional information about the docket available at http://www.epa.gov/dockets.
    2. Electronic access to the OCSPP test guidelines. To access OCSPP 
test guidelines electronically, please go to http://www.epa.gov/ocspp/pubs/frs/home/testmeth.htm. You may also access the test guidelines in 
http://www.regulations.gov, grouped by series under docket ID numbers: 
EPA-HQ-OPPT-2009-0150 through EPA-HQ-OPPT-2009-0159 and EPA-HQ-OPPT-
2009-0576.

III. Overview

A. What action is EPA taking?

    EPA is announcing the availability of a final test guideline under 
Series 810.3900 entitled ``Laboratory Product Performance Testing 
Methods for Bed Bug Pesticide Products'' and identified as OCSPP Test 
Guideline 810.3900. This guideline provides recommendations for the 
design and execution of laboratory studies to evaluate the performance 
of pesticide products intended to repel, attract, and/or kill the 
common bed bug (Cimex lectularius) in connection with registration of 
pesticide products under the FIFRA (7 U.S.C. 136, et seq.). This 
guidance applies to products in any formulation such as a liquid, 
aerosol, fog, or impregnated fabric, if intended to be applied to have 
a pesticidal purpose such as to attract, repel, or kill bed bugs. It 
does not apply to repellent products applied to human skin, and does 
not apply to those products exempt from FIFRA registration under 40 CFR 
152.25.

B. How was this final test guideline developed?

    EPA-registered pesticide products are an important part of pest 
management programs for the control of bed bugs. The agency developed 
the product performance guideline to standardize the approaches to 
testing methods to ensure the quality and validity of the efficacy data 
for these types of products. The agency attended entomology and bed bug 
specific conferences, consulted with leading bed bug academics, and 
consulted peer-reviewed scientific journal articles on the issues 
associated with the guideline to draft the original document. Further, 
EPA sought advice and recommendations from the FIFRA Scientific 
Advisory Panel (SAP). The SAP meeting, held on March 6-7, 2012, was 
announced in the Federal Register issue of January 11, 2012 (77 FR 
1677) (FRL-9331-6). The guideline has been revised based on comments 
from the SAP and the public. The revisions include decreasing the 
number of individuals and replicates tested, rescinding the 
recommendation to test each field strain for its resistance ratio and 
including a resistance management statement, clarifying the agency's 
Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) requirements, reducing the recommended 
length of time

[[Page 27255]]

individuals are exposed to insecticides, recommending individuals to be 
observed up to 96 hours after treatment, and revising the statistical 
analyses recommendations.

    Authority: 7 U.S.C. 136 et seq.; 15 U.S.C. 2601 et seq.; 21 
U.S.C. 301 et seq.

    Dated: May 16, 2017.
Wendy C. Hamnett,
Acting Assistant Administrator, Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution 
Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2017-12347 Filed 6-13-17; 8:45 am]
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