[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 40 (Tuesday, March 1, 2022)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 11319-11322]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-04078]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Part 180

[EPA-HQ-OPP-2020-0349; FRL-9550-01-OCSPP]


Potassium Acetate; Exemption From the Requirement of a Tolerance

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: This regulation establishes an exemption from the requirement 
of a tolerance for residues of potassium acetate (CAS Reg. No. 127-08-
2) when used as an inert ingredient (nutrient) in pesticide 
formulations applied to growing crops only. Valagro S.p.A. submitted a 
petition to EPA under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), 
requesting establishment of an exemption from the requirement of a 
tolerance for potassium acetate. This regulation eliminates the need to 
establish a maximum permissible level for residues of potassium acetate 
when used in accordance with this exemption.

DATES: This regulation is effective March 1, 2022. Objections and 
requests for hearings must be received on or before May 2, 2022, and 
must be filed in accordance with the instructions provided in 40 CFR 
part 178 (see also Unit I.C. of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION).

ADDRESSES: The docket for this action, identified by docket 
identification (ID) number EPA-HQ-OPP-2020-0349, is available at 
https://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.

[[Page 11320]]

    Due to the public health concerns related to COVID-19, the EPA 
Docket Center (EPA/DC) and Reading Room is closed to visitors with 
limited exceptions. The staff continues to provide remote customer 
service via email, phone, and webform. For the latest status 
information on EPA/DC services and docket access, visit https://www.epa.gov/dockets.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Marietta Echeverria, 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 an 
agricultural producer, food manufacturer, or pesticide manufacturer. 
The following list of North American Industrial Classification System 
(NAICS) codes is not intended to be exhaustive, but rather provides a 
guide to help readers determine whether this document applies to them. 
Potentially affected entities may include:
     Crop production (NAICS code 111).
     Animal production (NAICS code 112).
     Food manufacturing (NAICS code 311).
     Pesticide manufacturing (NAICS code 32532).

B. How can I get electronic access to other related information?

    You may access a frequently updated electronic version of 40 CFR 
part 180 through the Office of the Federal Register's e-CFR site at 
https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-40.

C. How can I file an objection or hearing request?

    Under FFDCA section 408(g), 21 U.S.C. 346a(g), any person may file 
an objection to any aspect of this regulation and may also request a 
hearing on those objections. You must file your objection or request a 
hearing on this regulation in accordance with the instructions provided 
in 40 CFR part 178. To ensure proper receipt by EPA, you must identify 
docket ID number EPA-HQ-OPP-2020-0349 in the subject line on the first 
page of your submission. All objections and requests for a hearing must 
be in writing and must be received by the Hearing Clerk on or before 
May 2, 2022. Addresses for mail and hand delivery of objections and 
hearing requests are provided in 40 CFR 178.25(b).
    In addition to filing an objection or hearing request with the 
Hearing Clerk as described in 40 CFR part 178, please submit a copy of 
the filing (excluding any Confidential Business Information (CBI)) for 
inclusion in the public docket. Information not marked confidential 
pursuant to 40 CFR part 2 may be disclosed publicly by EPA without 
prior notice. Submit the non-CBI copy of your objection or hearing 
request, identified by docket ID number EPA-HQ-OPP-2020-0349, 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 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/contacts.html.
    Additional instructions on commenting or visiting the docket, along 
with more information about dockets generally, is available at https://www.epa.gov/dockets.

II. Petition for Exemption

    In the Federal Register of September 10, 2020 (85 FR 55810) (FRL-
10013-78), EPA issued a document pursuant to FFDCA section 408, 21 
U.S.C. 346a, announcing the filing of a pesticide petition (PP IN-
11369) by SciReg, Inc., on behalf of Valagro S.p.A., 12733 Director's 
Loop, Woodbridge, VA 22192. The petition requested that 40 CFR 180.920 
be amended by establishing an exemption from the requirement of a 
tolerance for residues of potassium acetate (CAS Reg. No. 127-08-2) 
when used as an inert ingredient (nutrient) in pesticide formulations 
applied pre-harvest. That document referenced a summary of the petition 
prepared by SciReg, Inc., on behalf of Valagro S.p.A., the petitioner, 
which is available in the docket, https://www.regulations.gov. There 
were no comments received in response to the notice of filing.

III. Inert Ingredient Definition

    Inert ingredients are all ingredients that are not active 
ingredients as defined in 40 CFR 153.125 and include, but are not 
limited to, the following types of ingredients (except when they have a 
pesticidal efficacy of their own): Solvents such as alcohols and 
hydrocarbons; surfactants such as polyoxyethylene polymers and fatty 
acids; carriers such as clay and diatomaceous earth; thickeners such as 
carrageenan and modified cellulose; wetting, spreading, and dispersing 
agents; propellants in aerosol dispensers; microencapsulating agents; 
and emulsifiers. The term ``inert'' is not intended to imply 
nontoxicity; the ingredient may or may not be chemically active. 
Generally, EPA has exempted inert ingredients from the requirement of a 
tolerance based on the low toxicity of the individual inert 
ingredients.

IV. Aggregate Risk Assessment and Determination of Safety

    Section 408(c)(2)(A)(i) of the FFDCA allows EPA to establish an 
exemption from the requirement for a tolerance (the legal limit for a 
pesticide chemical residue in or on a food) only if EPA determines that 
the exemption is ``safe.'' Section 408(c)(2)(A)(ii) of the FFDCA 
defines ``safe'' to mean that EPA has determined that ``there is a 
reasonable certainty that no harm will result from aggregate exposure 
to the pesticide chemical residue, including all anticipated dietary 
exposures and all other exposures for which there is reliable 
information.'' This includes exposure through drinking water and in 
residential settings, but it does not include occupational exposure. 
Section 408(b)(2)(C) of FFDCA requires EPA to give special 
consideration to exposure of infants and children to the pesticide 
chemical residue in establishing an exemption and to ``ensure that 
there is a reasonable certainty that no harm will result to infants and 
children from aggregate exposure to the pesticide chemical residue.''
    EPA establishes exemptions from the requirement of a tolerance only 
in those cases where it can be clearly demonstrated that the risks from 
aggregate exposure to pesticide chemical residues under reasonably 
foreseeable circumstances will pose no harm to human health. In order 
to determine the risks from aggregate exposure to pesticide inert 
ingredients, the Agency considers the toxicity of the inert in 
conjunction with possible exposure to residues of the inert ingredient 
through food, drinking water, and through other exposures that occur as 
a result of pesticide use in residential settings. If EPA is able to 
determine that a tolerance is not necessary to ensure that there is a 
reasonable certainty that no harm will result from aggregate exposure 
to the inert ingredient, an

[[Page 11321]]

exemption from the requirement of a tolerance may be established.
    Consistent with FFDCA section 408(c)(2)(A), and the factors 
specified in FFDCA section 408(c)(2)(B), EPA has reviewed the available 
scientific data and other relevant information in support of this 
action. EPA has sufficient data to assess the hazards of and to make a 
determination on aggregate exposure to potassium acetate including 
exposure resulting from the exemption established by this action. EPA's 
assessment of exposures and risks associated with potassium acetate 
follows.

A. Toxicological Profile

    EPA has evaluated the available toxicity data and considered their 
validity, completeness, and reliability as well as the relationship of 
the results of the studies to human risk. EPA has also considered 
available information concerning the variability of the sensitivities 
of major identifiable subgroups of consumers, including infants and 
children. Specific information on the studies received and the nature 
of the adverse effects caused by potassium acetate as well as the no-
observed-adverse-effect-level (NOAEL) and the lowest-observed-adverse-
effect-level (LOAEL) from the toxicity studies are discussed in this 
unit.
    Available acute toxicity studies show potassium acetate exhibits 
low oral, dermal, and inhalation toxicity. An eye irritation study 
showed mild effects, and a dermal irritation study showed no effect of 
treatment.
    Potassium acetate is the potassium salt of acetic acid. In aqueous 
solutions potassium acetate dissociates to potassium and the acetate 
ion. As one of the salts of acetic acid, sodium acetate, like potassium 
acetate, dissociates in aqueous solutions to the acetate ion and a 
counter ion, in this case sodium. Based on their similarities (e.g., 
physical/chemical properties, chemical structure, subsequent 
dissociation into the acetate ion and corresponding anion) data on 
sodium acetate has been used to support the safety determination for 
potassium acetate when chemical specific data was not available.
    No adverse effects of treatment were seen in rats treated with 
sodium acetate in either a 4-week oral toxicity study or a 
developmental toxicity study at the highest dose tested. Therefore, the 
NOAEL for the 4-week study was 3,600 mg/kg/day and the parental and 
developmental NOAELs were 1,000 mg/kg/day.
    There was no evidence of carcinogenicity or neuropathological 
changes or effects reported in any of the studies on potassium acetate 
or sodium acetate. There were no in vitro mutagenic effects in 
mutagenicity testing with sodium acetate. Therefore, there is low 
concern for carcinogenicity or neurotoxicity for potassium acetate.

B. Toxicological Points of Departure/Levels of Concern

    No toxicological endpoint of concern for potassium acetate has been 
identified in the database.

C. Exposure Assessment

    1. Dietary exposure from food, feed uses, and drinking water. In 
evaluating dietary exposure to potassium acetate, EPA considered 
exposure under the current and proposed uses of potassium acetate. 
Dietary exposure to potassium acetate may occur from eating foods 
treated with pesticide formulations containing this inert ingredient 
and drinking water containing runoff from soils containing the treated 
crops. In addition, potassium acetate is used as a food additive. 
However, no toxicological endpoint of concern was identified for 
potassium acetate, and therefore, a quantitative assessment of dietary 
exposure is not necessary.
    2. Non-dietary exposure. The term ``residential exposure'' is used 
in this document to refer to non-occupational, non-dietary exposure 
(e.g., textiles (clothing and diapers), carpets, swimming pools, and 
hard surface disinfection on walls, floors, tables). Residential 
exposure to potassium acetate may occur based on its use as an inert 
ingredient in pesticide formulations registered for residential uses. 
Additional non-dietary exposure may occur from use of potassium acetate 
in consumer products. However, no toxicological endpoint of concern was 
identified for potassium acetate, and therefore, a quantitative 
residential exposure assessment for potassium acetate was not 
conducted.
    3. Cumulative effects from substances with a common mechanism of 
toxicity. Section 408(b)(2)(D)(v) of FFDCA requires that, when 
considering whether to establish, modify, or revoke a tolerance or 
exemption, the Agency consider ``available information'' concerning the 
cumulative effects of a particular pesticide's residues and ``other 
substances that have a common mechanism of toxicity.''
    EPA has not found potassium acetate to share a common mechanism of 
toxicity with any other substances, and potassium acetate does not 
appear to produce a toxic metabolite produced by other substances. For 
the purposes of this action, therefore, EPA has assumed that potassium 
acetate does not have a common mechanism of toxicity with other 
substances. For information regarding EPA's efforts to determine which 
chemicals have a common mechanism of toxicity and to evaluate the 
cumulative effects of such chemicals, see EPA's website at https://www.epa.gov/pesticides/cumulative.

D. Safety Factor for Infants and Children

    Section 408(b)(2)(C) of the FFDCA requires EPA to retain an 
additional tenfold margin of safety in the case of threshold effects to 
ensure that there is a reasonable certainty that no harm will result to 
infants and children from aggregate exposure to the pesticide chemical 
residue. As noted in Unit IV.B., there is no indication of threshold 
effects being caused by potassium acetate. Due to the lack of any 
toxicological endpoints of concern, EPA conducted a qualitative 
assessment of potassium acetate, which does not use safety factors for 
assessing risk, and no additional safety factor is needed for assessing 
risk to infants and children.

E. Aggregate Risks and Determination of Safety

    Taking into consideration all available information on potassium 
acetate, EPA has determined that there is a reasonable certainty that 
no harm to the general population or any population subgroup, including 
infants and children, will result from aggregate exposure to potassium 
acetate residues. Therefore, the establishment of an exemption from the 
requirement of a tolerance under 40 CFR 180.920 for residues of 
potassium acetate when used as an inert ingredient in pesticide 
formulations applied to growing crops is safe under FFDCA section 408.

V. Analytical Enforcement Methodology

    An analytical method is not required for enforcement purposes since 
the Agency is establishing an exemption from the requirement of a 
tolerance without any numerical limitation.

VI. Conclusions

    Therefore, an exemption from the requirement of a tolerance is 
established under 40 CFR 180.920 for potassium acetate (CAS Reg. No. 
84632-65-5) when used as an inert ingredient (nutrient) in pesticide 
formulations applied to growing crops only.

VII. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews

    This action establishes an exemption from the requirement of a 
tolerance under FFDCA section 408(d) in

[[Page 11322]]

response to a petition submitted to the Agency. The Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) has exempted these types of actions from 
review under Executive Order 12866, entitled ``Regulatory Planning and 
Review'' (58 FR 51735, October 4, 1993). Because this action has been 
exempted from review under Executive Order 12866, this action is not 
subject to Executive Order 13211, entitled ``Actions Concerning 
Regulations That Significantly Affect Energy Supply, Distribution, or 
Use'' (66 FR 28355, May 22, 2001) or Executive Order 13045, entitled 
``Protection of Children from Environmental Health Risks and Safety 
Risks'' (62 FR 19885, April 23, 1997). This action does not contain any 
information collections subject to OMB approval under the Paperwork 
Reduction Act (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), nor does it require any 
special considerations under Executive Order 12898, entitled ``Federal 
Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and 
Low-Income Populations'' (59 FR 7629, February 16, 1994).
    Since tolerances and exemptions that are established on the basis 
of a petition under FFDCA section 408(d), such as the tolerance 
exemption in this final rule, do not require the issuance of a proposed 
rule, the requirements of the Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA) (5 
U.S.C. 601 et seq.), do not apply.
    This action directly regulates growers, food processors, food 
handlers, and food retailers, not States or Tribes, nor does this 
action alter the relationships or distribution of power and 
responsibilities established by Congress in the preemption provisions 
of FFDCA section 408(n)(4). As such, the Agency has determined that 
this action will not have a substantial direct effect on States or 
Tribal Governments, on the relationship between the National Government 
and the States or Tribal Governments, or on the distribution of power 
and responsibilities among the various levels of government or between 
the Federal Government and Indian Tribes. Thus, the Agency has 
determined that Executive Order 13132, entitled ``Federalism'' (64 FR 
43255, August 10, 1999) and Executive Order 13175, entitled 
``Consultation and Coordination with Indian Tribal Governments'' (65 FR 
67249, November 9, 2000) do not apply to this action. In addition, this 
action does not impose any enforceable duty or contain any unfunded 
mandate as described under Title II of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act 
(UMRA) (2 U.S.C. 1501 et seq.). This action does not involve any 
technical standards that would require Agency consideration of 
voluntary consensus standards pursuant to section 12(d) of the National 
Technology Transfer and Advancement Act (NTTAA) (15 U.S.C. 272 note).

VIII. Congressional Review Act

    Pursuant to the Congressional Review Act (5 U.S.C. 801 et seq.), 
EPA will submit a report containing this rule and other required 
information to the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House of Representatives, and 
the Comptroller General of the United States prior to publication of 
the rule in the Federal Register. This action is not a ``major rule'' 
as defined by 5 U.S.C. 804(2).

List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 180

    Environmental protection, Administrative practice and procedure, 
Agricultural commodities, Pesticides and pests, Reporting and 
recordkeeping requirements.

    Dated: February 17, 2022.
Marietta Echeverria,
Acting Director, Registration Division, Office of Pesticide Programs.

    Therefore, for the reasons stated in the preamble, 40 CFR chapter I 
is amended as follows:

PART 180--TOLERANCES AND EXEMPTIONS FOR PESTICIDE CHEMICAL RESIDUES 
IN FOOD

0
1. The authority citation for part 180 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: 21 U.S.C. 321(q), 346a and 371.

0
2. In Sec.  180.920, amend Table 1 to 180.920 by adding in alphabetical 
order the inert ingredient ``Potassium acetate (CAS Reg. No. 127-08-
2)'' to read as follows:


Sec.  180.920  Inert ingredients used pre-harvest; exemptions from the 
requirement of a tolerance.

* * * * *

                           Table 1 to 180.920
------------------------------------------------------------------------
           Inert ingredients             Limits            Uses
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
                                * * * * *
Potassium acetate (CAS Reg. No. 127-08- .......  Nutrient.
 2).
 
                                * * * * *
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[FR Doc. 2022-04078 Filed 2-28-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P