[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 206 (Friday, October 23, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67536-67538]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-23500]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OPP-2017-0750; FRL-10015-60]


Pesticide Registration Review; Proposed Interim Decision for 
Paraquat

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of EPA's proposed 
interim registration review decision and opens a 60-day public comment 
period on the proposed interim decision for paraquat.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before December 22, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by the docket 
identification (ID) number for the specific pesticide of interest 
provided in the Table in Unit IV, 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.

[[Page 67537]]

    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 for the pesticide of interest identified in the Table in Unit 
IV.
    For general information on the registration review program, 
contact: Melanie Biscoe, Pesticide Re-Evaluation Division (7508P), 
Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 
Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone number: 
(703) 305-7106; 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 for the pesticide of interest 
identified in the Table in Unit IV.

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 on 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. Background

    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 proposed interim decisions for all pesticides 
listed in the Table in Unit IV. 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.

III. Authority

    EPA is conducting its registration review of the chemicals listed 
in the Table in Unit IV 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.

IV. What action is the Agency taking?

    Pursuant to 40 CFR 155.58, this notice announces the availability 
of EPA's proposed interim registration review decision for the 
pesticide shown in Table 1 and opens a 60-day public comment period on 
the proposed interim registration review decision.

                                       Table 1--Proposed Interim Decisions
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                                                                                    Chemical review manager and
Registration review case name and No.                 Docket ID No.                     contact information
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Paraquat Dichloride, Case Number 0262  EPA-HQ-OPP-2011-0855                        Ana Pinto, [email protected],
                                                                                    (703) 347-8421.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The registration review docket for a pesticide includes earlier 
documents related to the registration review case. For example, the 
review opened with a Preliminary Work Plan, for public comment. A Final 
Work Plan was placed in the docket following public comment on the 
Preliminary Work Plan.
    The documents in the dockets describe EPA's rationales for 
conducting additional risk assessments for the registration review of 
the pesticides included in the tables in Unit IV, as well as the 
Agency's subsequent risk findings and consideration of possible risk 
mitigation measures. These proposed interim registration review 
decisions are supported by the rationales included in those documents. 
Following public comment, the Agency will issue interim or final 
registration review decisions for the pesticides listed in Table 1 in 
Unit IV.
    The registration review final rule at 40 CFR 155.58(a) provides for 
a minimum 60-day public comment period on all proposed interim 
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 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 the pesticides included in the Tables in Unit IV. 
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 may provide a ``Response to Comments Memorandum'' in 
the docket. The interim registration review decision will explain the 
effect that any comments had on the interim decision and provide the 
Agency's response to significant comments.
    Background on the registration review program is provided at: 
http://www.epa.gov/pesticide-reevaluation.

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


[[Page 67538]]


    Dated: October 6, 2020.
Mary Reaves,
Acting Director, Pesticide Re-Evaluation Division, Office of Pesticide 
Programs.
[FR Doc. 2020-23500 Filed 10-22-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P