[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 115 (Thursday, June 14, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27766-27768]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-12803]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-HQ-OPP-2018-0278; FRL-9978-55]
Ortho-Phthalaldehyde; 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 specific exemption request from the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to use the
pesticide ortho-phthalaldehyde (OPA) (CAS No. 643-79-8) to treat the
coolant fluid of the internal active thermal control system of the
International Space Station to control aerobic/microaerophilic bacteria
in the aqueous coolant. The applicant proposes the use of a chemical
which is not registered by EPA. Accordingly, as required by the Code of
Federal Regulations, EPA is publishing this notice of receipt to allow
public comment.
DATES: Because of the long lead time required for acquiring and sending
products to the International Space Station (ISS), and because this is
a
[[Page 27767]]
repeat of a previously-approved emergency exemption request, EPA has
approved NASA's request in advance of publication of this Notice in
accordance with 40 CFR 166.24(c). Accordingly, there is no prescribed
period for submitting comments. EPA still welcomes public comment on
the request, and notes that EPA's regulations provide that an emergency
exemption may be modified or revoked if, among other things, additional
information indicates that the product may cause unreasonable adverse
effects or may not be effective at controlling the target pests.
Accordingly, the Agency will review all comments received in response
to this Notice, and consider whether any such comments identify a need
for modification or revocation of the specific exemption.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by docket identification
(ID) number EPA-HQ-OPP-2018-0278, by one of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://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 https://www.epa.gov/dockets/where-send-comments-epa-dockets.
Additional instructions on commenting or visiting the docket, along
with more information about dockets generally, is available at https://www.epa.gov/dockets.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael L. Goodis, 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 a
pesticide manufacturer (NAICS code 32532) or involved with the
International Space Station. This listing is not intended to be
exhaustive, but rather provides a guide for readers regarding entities
likely to be affected by this action. Other types of entities not
listed could also be affected.
B. What should I consider as I prepare my comments for EPA?
1. Submitting CBI. Do not submit this information to EPA through
www.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 https://www.epa.gov/dockets/commenting-epa-dockets.
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. NASA has requested the
EPA Administrator to issue a specific exemption for the use of ortho-
phthalaldehyde (OPA) in the coolant of the internal active thermal
control system (IATCS) of the International Space Station (ISS) to
control aerobic/microaerophilic bacteria in the aqueous coolant.
Information in accordance with 40 CFR part 166 was submitted as part of
this request.
As part of this request, the applicant stated that it has
considered the registered biocide alternatives and has concluded that
OPA is the most effective biocide which meets the requisite criteria
including: The need for safe, non-intrusive implementation and
operation in a functioning system; the ability to control existing
planktonic and biofilm-residing micro-organisms; a negligible impact on
system-wetted materials of construction; and a negligible reactivity
with existing coolant additives. The ISS would not have an adequate
long-term solution for controlling the micro-organisms in the IATCS
coolant without the use of OPA. The OPA is incorporated into a porous
resin material contained in a stainless-steel canister. The canister
containing the OPA-incorporated resin is inserted into a coolant system
loop, using flexible hose and quick disconnects, and is placed in-line
for 8 hours to deliver the OPA into the fluid. As the coolant fluid
flows through the canister, the OPA elutes from the resin material into
the coolant fluid. The total volume of the circulatory loops of the
IATCS is 829 liters. The maximum concentration would be 500 mg of OPA
per liter of coolant fluid. A total of 414,500 mg of OPA would be
needed for the entire system. The OPA is incorporated into the resin at
210 mg OPA per cm\3\ resin, resulting in a potential total use of 1,974
cm\3\ of the OPA-containing resin. The level of OPA in the coolant is
monitored periodically, and because OPA degrades over time, the
concentration decreases to a level that is no longer effective in about
1 to 2 years. At this point, replenishment with new OPA-containing
canisters is required. EPA has authorized similar emergency exemptions
for this use since 2011. With the decision to extend the mission of the
ISS to 2024, the need for this use is expected to continue for the
duration.
Previous notices of applications for emergency exemptions for this
same use of OPA in the ISS IATCS have not elicited significant
substantive comment. Owing to NASA's need for an expedited decision,
the negligible human and environmental exposures expected from the
proposed emergency use, and the absence of registered alternatives that
meet the ISS IATCS criteria, EPA has approved this emergency exemption
request prior to receipt of public comments, consistent with 40 CFR
166.24(c). EPA's regulations provide that an emergency exemption may be
modified or revoked if, among other things, additional information
indicates that the product
[[Page 27768]]
may cause unreasonable adverse effects or may not be effective at
controlling the target pests. Accordingly, EPA still welcomes comments
on this request and will review all comments received in response to
this Notice, and consider whether any such comments identify a need for
modification or revocation of the specific exemption.
Authority: 7 U.S.C. 136 et seq.
Dated: June 6, 2018.
Michael L. Goodis,
Director, Registration Division, Office of Pesticide Programs.
[FR Doc. 2018-12803 Filed 6-13-18; 8:45 am]
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