[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 164 (Wednesday, August 27, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41831-41832]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-16383]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OPP-2025-0295; FRL-12946-01-OCSPP]


Pesticide Experimental Use Permit; Receipt of Application; 
Comment Request (May 2025)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces EPA's receipt of an application 102306-
EUP-R from Synvect, Inc. 505 Coast Blvd., Suite 210, La Jolla, CA 
92037, requesting an experimental use permit (EUP) for the 
Streptococcus pyogenes Cas9 (SpCas9) protein. The Agency has determined 
that the permit may be of regional and national significance. 
Therefore, because of the potential significance, EPA is seeking 
comments on this application.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before September 26, 2025.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by docket identification 
(ID) number EPA-HQ-OPP-2025-0295, through the Federal eRulemaking 
Portal at 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. Additional 
instructions on commenting and visiting the docket, along with more 
information about dockets generally, is available at https://www.epa.gov/dockets.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Each application summary in Unit II. 
specifies a contact division. The appropriate division contacts are 
identified as follows:
     BPPD (Biopesticides and Pollution Prevention Division) 
(Mail Code 7511M); Shannon Borges; main

[[Page 41832]]

telephone number: (202) 566-1400; 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. Although this 
action may be of particular interest to those persons who conduct or 
sponsor research on pesticides, the Agency has not attempted to 
describe all the specific entities that may be affected by this action.

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 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 5 of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and 
Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), 7 U.S.C. 136c, EPA can allow manufacturers to 
field test pesticides under development. Manufacturers are required to 
obtain an EUP before testing new pesticides or new uses of pesticides 
if they conduct experimental field tests on 10 acres or more of land or 
one acre or more of water.
    Pursuant to 40 CFR 172.11(a), the Agency has determined that the 
following EUP application may be of regional and national significance, 
and therefore is seeking public comment on the EUP application:
     Experimental Use Permit Number: 102306-EUP-R. Docket ID 
Number: EPA-HQ-OPP-2025-0295. Submitter: Synvect, Inc., 505 Coast 
Blvd., Suite 210, La Jolla, CA 92037. Pesticide Chemical: Streptococcus 
pyogenes Cas9 (SpCas9) protein. Summary of Request: Synvect, Inc. is 
proposing to use 14.9142 oz of the active ingredient Streptococcus 
pyogenes Cas9 (SpCas9) protein in a total release number of 
3,585,200,000 Aedes aegypti eggs over 15,100 total acres for two years 
beginning at the issuance of the Experimental Use Permit. Proposed 
testing will include the states and territories of Florida, Texas, and 
Puerto Rico to generate data to fulfill the requirements for Section 3 
product registration under FIFRA. Contact: BPPD.
    Following the review of the application and any comments and data 
received in response to this solicitation, EPA will decide whether to 
issue or deny the EUP request, and if issued, the conditions under 
which it is to be conducted. Any issuance of an EUP will be announced 
in the Federal Register.
    Authority: 21 U.S.C. 346a.

    Dated: August 22, 2025.
Kimberly Smith,
Acting Director, Information Technology and Resources Management 
Division, Office of Program Support.
[FR Doc. 2025-16383 Filed 8-26-25; 8:45 am]
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