Notice of Availability Regarding Activity-Based Reentry Restrictions, 43424-43426 [05-14851]
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43424
Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 143 / Wednesday, July 27, 2005 / Notices
metabolized very quickly and
eliminated from the body by fecal and
urinary routes.
7. Metabolite toxicology . IR5878 is
extensively metabolized and quickly
cleared from the body. Low dose single
administration was 5 mg/kg bw and
high was 1,000 mg/kg bw, and repeated
doses at low dose was 5 mg/kg bw.
Single low and high dose, as well as
repeated low dose excretion was mainly
via feces. Radioactivity was almost
completely excreted via urine by 24
hours post dose and via feces by 48
hours post dosing. Excretion patterns
following the three dose administrations
were not markedly different, and there
was no difference due to sex.
Metabolites included at least 9
compounds. Metabolic profiles were
almost the same following single oral
low and high administration, and
repeated oral administration, although
the amounts of some compounds were
different especially between low and
high doses. The metabolic profiles for
males and females were the same.
Identical metabolites were found both in
urine and feces. The identity of
metabolites found showed that IR5878
was metabolized mainly by Odemethylation yielding compound C6,
N-demethylation yielding compound C5,
O and N-demethylations yielding
compound C4 and hydrolytic cleavage of
the sulfamoylurea linkage yielding
compounds C3, C8 and C9.
8. Endocrine disruption.
Orthosulfamuron did not have any
effects on endocrine organs or tissues
except in the rat at very high doses. In
addition, there were no indications of
effects on fetal developmental in either
rats or rabbits, or on reproductive
performance in rats. Therefore, at doses
likely to be encountered,
orthosulfamuron is not likely to be an
endocrine disruptor.
C. Aggregate Exposure
1. Dietary exposure. The chronic
reference dose (cRfD) and the acute
reference dose (aRfD) of 0.05 mg/kg bw
and 1.65 mg/kg bw, respectively, were
used to assess chronic and acute dietary
exposure. ISAGRO has conducted Tier 1
chronic and acute risk assessments
which indicate that the highest chronic
and acute exposure estimates never
exceed 0.13% and 0.01% (at the 95th
percentile of exposure) for the chronic
and acute RFDs, respectively.
i. Food. The chronic reference dose
(cRfD) and the acute reference dose
(aRfD) of 0.05 mg/kg bw and 1.65 mg/
kg bw, respectively, were used to assess
chronic and acute dietary exposure.
ISAGRO has conducted Tier 1 chronic
and acute risk assessments which
VerDate jul<14>2003
20:48 Jul 26, 2005
Jkt 205001
indicate that the highest chronic and
acute exposure estimates never exceed
0.13% and 0.01% (at the 95th percentile
of exposure) for the chronic and acute
RFDs, respectively.
ii. Drinking water. For drinking water,
the FIRST model (FQPA Index Reservoir
Screening Tool) was used to
conservatively estimate concentrations
of orthosulfamuron in surface water.
The chronic and acute drinking water
estimated concentrations (DWECs)
estimated with the FIRST model were
0.35 ppb (chronic) and 4.8 ppb (acute).
These compare very favorably to the
lowest drinking water level of
comparison (DWLOC) values of 500 ppb
(chronic) and 16,498 ppb (acute).
2. Non-dietary exposure.
Orthosulfamuron is currently not
registered for use on any residential
non-food site. Therefore, residential
exposure to orthosulfamuron residues
will be through dietary exposure only.
D. Cumulative Effects
There is no information currently
available to indicate that toxic effects
produced by orthosulfamuron are
cumulative with those of any other
compound.
E. Safety Determination
1. U.S. population. Based on the
conservative exposure assumptions
described above and on the
completeness of the toxicology database,
it can be concluded that total aggregate
exposure from food and water to the
U.S. population and all evaluated
population subgroups from
orthosulfamuron from all proposed uses
will be well below the chronic and
acute RfDs. EPA generally has no
concerns for estimated exposures below
100% of the RfD, since the RfD
represents the level at or below which
daily aggregate exposure will not pose
an appreciable risk to human health.
Thus, ISAGRO believes it can be
concluded that there is reasonable
certainty that no harm will result from
aggregate exposure to orthosulfamuron
residues.
2. Infants and children. In assessing
the potential for additional sensitivity of
infants and children to residues of
orthosulfamuron, the data from
developmental toxicity studies in both
the rat and rabbit and a two generation
reproduction study in rats have been
considered. The developmental toxicity
studies evaluate potential adverse
effects on the developing animal
resulting from pesticide exposure to the
mother during prenatal development.
The reproduction study evaluates effects
from exposure to the pesticide on the
reproductive capability of mating
PO 00000
Frm 00035
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
animals through two generations, as
well as any observed systemic toxicity.
Since none of the studies indicate the
offspring to be more sensitive and all
effects were secondary to severe
maternal toxicity, ISAGRO believes that
infants and children are protected and
that an additional uncertainty factor for
infants and children is not warranted.
F. International Tolerances
No CODEX maximum residue levels
(MRL’s) have been established for
residues of orthosulfamuron on any
crops at this time.
[FR Doc. 05–14606 Filed 7–26–05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–S
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
[OPP–2005–0079; FRL–7706–4]
Notice of Availability Regarding
Activity-Based Reentry Restrictions
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: To enhance transparency in
the EPA’s decision making, this notice
announces the availability of its
guidance, comments from interested
parties, its response to stakeholder
input, and several other documents
related to the use of activity-based
reentry restrictions. Based on
consideration of the extensive
stakeholder input, the EPA intends to
continue with its case-by-case
consideration in setting worker field
reentry restrictions described in its 2001
guidance document.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Richard Dumas, Special Review and
Reregistration Division (7508C), Office
of Pesticide Programs, Environmental
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania
Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20460–0001;
telephone number: (703) 308–8015; fax
number: (703) 308–8005; e-mail address:
dumas.richard@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. General Information
A. Does this Action Apply to Me?
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 in this unit could also
be affected. The North American
Industrial Classification System
(NAICS) codes have been provided to
assist you and others in determining
whether this action might apply to
certain entities. If you have any
E:\FR\FM\27JYN1.SGM
27JYN1
Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 143 / Wednesday, July 27, 2005 / Notices
questions regarding the applicability of
this action to a particular entity, consult
the person listed under FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT.
B. How Can I Get Copies of this
Document and Other Related
Information?
1. Docket. EPA has established an
official public docket for this action
under docket identification number
OPP–2005–0079. The official public
docket consists of the documents
specifically referenced in this action,
any public comments received, and
other information related to this action.
Although a part of the official docket,
the public docket does not include
Confidential Business Information (CBI)
or other information whose disclosure is
restricted by statute. The official public
docket is the collection of materials that
is available for public viewing at the
Public Information and Records
Integrity Branch (PIRIB), Rm. 119,
Crystal Mall #2, 1801 S. Bell St.,
Arlington, VA. This docket facility is
open from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday
through Friday, excluding legal
holidays. The docket telephone number
is (703) 305–5805.
2. Electronic access. You may access
this Federal Register document
electronically through the EPA Internet
under the ‘‘Federal Register’’ listings at
https://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/.
An electronic version of the public
docket is available through EPA’s
electronic public docket and comment
system, EPA Dockets. You may use EPA
Dockets at https://www.epa.gov/edocket/
to view public comments, access the
index listing of the contents of the
official public docket, and to access
those documents in the public docket
that are available electronically.
Although not all docket materials may
be available electronically, you may still
access any of the publicly available
docket materials through the docket
facility identified in Unit I.B.1. Once in
the system, select ‘‘search,’’ then key in
the appropriate docket ID number.
II. Background
A. What Action is the Agency Taking?
Under the Federal Insecticide,
Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act
(FIFRA), EPA (the Agency) is required
to ensure that pesticides do not cause
unreasonable adverse effects to the
environment. Data are presented to the
Agency regarding the safety of the
pesticide and it is the Agency’s
responsibility to determine if a pesticide
can be used consistent with the FIFRA
standard. The Agency makes its safety
determination based on the risks and
VerDate jul<14>2003
19:40 Jul 26, 2005
Jkt 205001
benefits associated with the use of the
pesticide. Using the best available data
and information, the Agency conducts
risk assessments for farmworkers
exposed to pesticides from contact with
treated surfaces while performing
various tasks in the field. Risk
assessments involved combining data
on the hazard of the chemical, estimates
of exposure for the tasks actually
performed in the field for a particular
crop and safety factors to account for
extrapolating animal data to humans
and differences among people. When a
risk of concern is identified, the Agency
considers ways to reduce exposure to
pesticide residues by farmworkers. One
of the measures used to mitigate the
exposure of workers to pesticide
residues is to restrict entry to areas
recently treated with pesticides. These
restricted entry intervals (REIs) take into
account the types of activities
conducted by farmworkers that cause
them to come into contact with treated
surfaces, high contact with treated plant
surfaces vs. low contact with treated
plant surfaces. The Agency determines
when it is safe for workers to enter a
treated area to conduct these activities.
In a few 1999 chemical decisions, the
Agency set more than one REI for some
crops. That is, it set one REI for higher
contact activities and a shorter REI for
all other activities for the same crop.
Among other things, this approach
created some confusion and concerns
that allowing reentry during a REI
erodes the effectiveness of over a decade
of worker protection training. To
address these concerns, a workgroup
was formed to address implementation
issues associated with REIs. This
workgroup included risk-management,
worker protection, and enforcement
staff from EPA headquarters, EPA
Regional offices and states. This effort
contributed to a guidance document for
Agency risk managers. The document
dated September 6, 2001, provides
guidance for Agency risk managers to
consider in making activity-based
reentry decisions, provides an
alternative to setting more than one REI
for a single crop by employing
exceptions and prohibitions to REI on
product labels, and encourages using
the approach sparingly.
Several stakeholder groups have
expressed concern and raised issues
about the approach described in the
guidance document. Over the past few
years, the Office of Pesticide Programs
(OPP) has actively sought input from
interested parties to understand the
range of perspectives on the approach
and to get ideas for improving the
overall approach. The Agency received
input from state officials responsible for
PO 00000
Frm 00036
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
43425
the implementation of pesticide labeling
and the Worker Protection Standard
(WPS), the pesticide industry who
developed much of the activity-based
worker exposure data in support of its
registrations, advocacy groups who
focus on worker protection issues, and
grower groups who seek the maximum
flexibility in the use of crop protection
chemicals. Because of its broad
stakeholder outreach, the Agency
believes that at this time, it is unlikely
that the public would provide
significant new information if a formal
public comment period were open on
this matter.
Based on consideration of extensive
stakeholder input, the Agency intends
to continue its current practice of
considering the use of activity-based
reentry restrictions on a case-by-case
basis. In reaching this conclusion, the
Agency shares the concerns raised by
some stakeholders regarding the
enforceability and the potential
reduction in the effectiveness of worker
training programs that may result from
the use of activity-based reentry
labeling. However, the Agency believes
there are circumstances when the use of
such labeling is warranted because of a
clear agronomic need and alternative
approaches for balancing risks and
benefits are less effective.
This notice announces the opening of
a special docket describing the Agency’s
general approach for considering
specific fieldworker activity information
in setting restricted entry intervals. A
docket has been established that
includes the program’s general approach
and supporting documentation
including written comments, the
Agency response and other related
documents. As mentioned above, based
on its consideration of the extensive
stakeholder input, the Agency intends
to continue its case-by-case
consideration in making reentry
decisions, as described in its 2001
guidance document. The approach
described in the guidance is nonbinding and the Agency remains open to
alternative approaches for addressing
worker reentry risk concerns.
B. What is the Agency’s Authority for
Taking this Action?
The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide
and Rodenticide Act, 7 U.S.C. 136, et
seq.
List of Subjects
Environmental protection, pesticides
and pests.
E:\FR\FM\27JYN1.SGM
27JYN1
43426
Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 143 / Wednesday, July 27, 2005 / Notices
Dated: July 21, 2005.
James Jones,
Director, Office of Pesticides Programs.
[FR Doc. 05–14851 Filed 7–26–05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–S
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
[FRL–7944–5]
Proposed CERCLA Administrative
Cost Recovery Settlement; Shawn
Callister, Plain City Drum Site, Weber
County, Utah
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Administrative order on
consent; request for public comment.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: In accordance with section
122(h)(1) of the Comprehensive
Environmental Response,
Compensation, and Liability Act, as
amended (CERCLA), 42 U.S.C. 9622(i),
notice is hereby given of a proposed
Administrative Order On Consent
(AOC) for recovery of certain past
response costs concerning the Plain City
Drum Site in Weber County, Utah, with
Mr. Shawn Callister, Respondent. The
settlement requires Mr. Callister to pay
$10,000.00 to the Hazardous Substance
Superfund for partial payment of past
response costs incurred by EPA. The
AOC includes a covenant not to sue or
to take judicial or administrative action
against the Respondent pursuant to
sections 106 and 107(a) of CERCLA, 42
U.S.C. 9606 and 9607(a). This covenant
not to sue is conditioned upon the
veracity and completeness of the
Financial Information provided to EPA
by Mr. Callister. The covenant not to sue
extends only to Mr. Callister and does
not extend to any other person.
In response to the release or
threatened release of hazardous
substances at or from the Site, EPA
undertook response actions at the Site
pursuant to section 104 of CERCLA, 42
U.S.C. 9604, including emergency
removal actions to overpack and
properly dispose of twenty eight (28) 55gallon drums containing flammable
liquids. At the time of removal the
drums were in poor condition. Some
were bulging and some had rusting
holes. On-site air monitoring showed
the drums were releasing hazardous
constituents in the air. The drums were
located adjacent to a residence with
horse corrals and were approximately
3.5 miles from the Harold’s Crane
Waterfowl Management Area.
DATES: Comments must be submitted on
or before August 26, 2005.
VerDate jul<14>2003
19:40 Jul 26, 2005
Jkt 205001
The proposed settlement is
available for public inspection at the
Superfund Records Center, EPA Region
8, 999 18th Street, Suite 300, Denver,
CO 80202–2466, (303) 312–6473.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Katherine Letson Bradford, (8ENF–L),
EPA Senior Enforcement Attorney, U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency,
Region 8, 999 18th Street, Denver, CO
80202–2466, (303) 312–6641.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: For thirty
(30) days following the date of
publication of this notice, the Agency
will receive written comments relating
to the settlement. The Agency will
consider all comments received and
may modify or withdraw its consent to
the settlement if comments received
disclose facts or considerations which
indicate that the settlement is
inappropriate, improper, or inadequate.
The Agency’s response to any comments
received will be available for public
inspection at the Superfund Records
Center, EPA Region 8, 999 18th Street,
Suite 300, Denver, CO 80202–2466,
(303) 312–6473.
ADDRESSES:
Dated: July 11, 2005.
Eddie A. Sierra,
Acting Assistant Regional Administrator,
Office of Enforcement, Compliance and
Environmental Justice.
[FR Doc. 05–14899 Filed 7–26–05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
[FRL–7940–5]
Notice of Proposed Administrative
Settlement Pursuant to the
Comprehensive Environmental
Response, Compensation, and Liability
Act, as Amended by the Superfund
Amendments and Reauthorization Act
(PRC Patterson Superfund Removal
Site)
AGENCY:
Environmental Protection
Agency.
Notice, request for public
comments.
ACTION:
In accordance with Section
122(i) of the Comprehensive
Environmental Response,
Compensation, and Liability Act, as
amended (‘‘CERCLA’’), 42 U.S.C.
9622(i), notice is hereby given of a
proposed Administrative Order on
Consent (‘‘AOC, Region 9 Docket No.
2005–0005) pursuant to Section 122(h)
of CERCLA concerning the PRC
PATTERSON SUPERFUND REMOVAL
SITE (the ‘‘Site’’), located in Patterson,
California. The respondent to the AOC
is the Ramos Environmental Services
(‘‘Ramos’’). Through the proposed AOC,
Ramos will reimburse the United States
$70,000 in response costs incurred at
the Site. The AOC provides Ramos with
a covenant not to sue and contribution
protection for the removal action at the
Site. This AOC follows three previous
administrative settlements, and will be
the last enforcement action regarding
this Site. Ramos is the last remaining
viable party that is potentially
responsible for federal costs at the Site,
and is resolving its liability after EPA
determined its financial strength and
ability to make a reimbursement
payment. In total, EPA will have
recovered $570,001 for this Site, leaving
an unrecovered balance of
approximately $200,000.
For thirty (30) days following the date
of publication of this Notice, the Agency
will receive written comments relating
to the proposed AOC. The Agency’s
response to any comments received will
be available for public inspection at
EPA’S Region IX offices, located at 75
Hawthorne Street, San Francisco,
California 94105.
DATES: Comments must be submitted on
or before 30 days following the date of
publication of the Notice.
ADDRESSES: The proposed AOC may be
obtained from Judith Winchell, Docket
Clerk, telephone (415) 972–3124.
Comments regarding the proposed
Agreement should be addressed to
Judith Winchell (SFD–7) at EPA Region
IX, 75 Hawthorne Street, San Francisco,
California 94105, and should reference
the PRC Patterson Superfund Removal
Site, Patterson, California, and USEPA
Docket No. 2005–0005.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: J.
Andrew Helmlinger, Office of Regional
Counsel, (415) 972–3904, U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency,
Region 9, 75 Hawthorne Street, San
Francisco, CA 94105.
Dated: July 19, 2005.
Kay Lawerence,
Acting Director Superfund Division.
[FR Doc. 05–14897 Filed 7–26–05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00037
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS
COMMISSION
Notice of Public Information
Collection(s) Being Reviewed by the
Federal Communications Commission,
Comments Requested
July 15, 2005.
SUMMARY: The Federal Communications
Commission, as part of its continuing
effort to reduce paperwork burden
E:\FR\FM\27JYN1.SGM
27JYN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 143 (Wednesday, July 27, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43424-43426]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-14851]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[OPP-2005-0079; FRL-7706-4]
Notice of Availability Regarding Activity-Based Reentry
Restrictions
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: To enhance transparency in the EPA's decision making, this
notice announces the availability of its guidance, comments from
interested parties, its response to stakeholder input, and several
other documents related to the use of activity-based reentry
restrictions. Based on consideration of the extensive stakeholder
input, the EPA intends to continue with its case-by-case consideration
in setting worker field reentry restrictions described in its 2001
guidance document.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Richard Dumas, Special Review and
Reregistration Division (7508C), Office of Pesticide Programs,
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW,
Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone number: (703) 308-8015; fax
number: (703) 308-8005; e-mail address: dumas.richard@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. General Information
A. Does this Action Apply to Me?
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 in this unit could also be
affected. The North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS)
codes have been provided to assist you and others in determining
whether this action might apply to certain entities. If you have any
[[Page 43425]]
questions regarding the applicability of this action to a particular
entity, consult the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT.
B. How Can I Get Copies of this Document and Other Related Information?
1. Docket. EPA has established an official public docket for this
action under docket identification number OPP-2005-0079. The official
public docket consists of the documents specifically referenced in this
action, any public comments received, and other information related to
this action. Although a part of the official docket, the public docket
does not include Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other
information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. The official
public docket is the collection of materials that is available for
public viewing at the Public Information and Records Integrity Branch
(PIRIB), Rm. 119, Crystal Mall 2, 1801 S. Bell St., Arlington,
VA. This docket facility is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday
through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The docket telephone number
is (703) 305-5805.
2. Electronic access. You may access this Federal Register document
electronically through the EPA Internet under the ``Federal Register''
listings at https://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/.
An electronic version of the public docket is available through
EPA's electronic public docket and comment system, EPA Dockets. You may
use EPA Dockets at https://www.epa.gov/edocket/ to view public comments,
access the index listing of the contents of the official public docket,
and to access those documents in the public docket that are available
electronically. Although not all docket materials may be available
electronically, you may still access any of the publicly available
docket materials through the docket facility identified in Unit I.B.1.
Once in the system, select ``search,'' then key in the appropriate
docket ID number.
II. Background
A. What Action is the Agency Taking?
Under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act
(FIFRA), EPA (the Agency) is required to ensure that pesticides do not
cause unreasonable adverse effects to the environment. Data are
presented to the Agency regarding the safety of the pesticide and it is
the Agency's responsibility to determine if a pesticide can be used
consistent with the FIFRA standard. The Agency makes its safety
determination based on the risks and benefits associated with the use
of the pesticide. Using the best available data and information, the
Agency conducts risk assessments for farmworkers exposed to pesticides
from contact with treated surfaces while performing various tasks in
the field. Risk assessments involved combining data on the hazard of
the chemical, estimates of exposure for the tasks actually performed in
the field for a particular crop and safety factors to account for
extrapolating animal data to humans and differences among people. When
a risk of concern is identified, the Agency considers ways to reduce
exposure to pesticide residues by farmworkers. One of the measures used
to mitigate the exposure of workers to pesticide residues is to
restrict entry to areas recently treated with pesticides. These
restricted entry intervals (REIs) take into account the types of
activities conducted by farmworkers that cause them to come into
contact with treated surfaces, high contact with treated plant surfaces
vs. low contact with treated plant surfaces. The Agency determines when
it is safe for workers to enter a treated area to conduct these
activities.
In a few 1999 chemical decisions, the Agency set more than one REI
for some crops. That is, it set one REI for higher contact activities
and a shorter REI for all other activities for the same crop. Among
other things, this approach created some confusion and concerns that
allowing reentry during a REI erodes the effectiveness of over a decade
of worker protection training. To address these concerns, a workgroup
was formed to address implementation issues associated with REIs. This
workgroup included risk-management, worker protection, and enforcement
staff from EPA headquarters, EPA Regional offices and states. This
effort contributed to a guidance document for Agency risk managers. The
document dated September 6, 2001, provides guidance for Agency risk
managers to consider in making activity-based reentry decisions,
provides an alternative to setting more than one REI for a single crop
by employing exceptions and prohibitions to REI on product labels, and
encourages using the approach sparingly.
Several stakeholder groups have expressed concern and raised issues
about the approach described in the guidance document. Over the past
few years, the Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) has actively sought
input from interested parties to understand the range of perspectives
on the approach and to get ideas for improving the overall approach.
The Agency received input from state officials responsible for the
implementation of pesticide labeling and the Worker Protection Standard
(WPS), the pesticide industry who developed much of the activity-based
worker exposure data in support of its registrations, advocacy groups
who focus on worker protection issues, and grower groups who seek the
maximum flexibility in the use of crop protection chemicals. Because of
its broad stakeholder outreach, the Agency believes that at this time,
it is unlikely that the public would provide significant new
information if a formal public comment period were open on this matter.
Based on consideration of extensive stakeholder input, the Agency
intends to continue its current practice of considering the use of
activity-based reentry restrictions on a case-by-case basis. In
reaching this conclusion, the Agency shares the concerns raised by some
stakeholders regarding the enforceability and the potential reduction
in the effectiveness of worker training programs that may result from
the use of activity-based reentry labeling. However, the Agency
believes there are circumstances when the use of such labeling is
warranted because of a clear agronomic need and alternative approaches
for balancing risks and benefits are less effective.
This notice announces the opening of a special docket describing
the Agency's general approach for considering specific fieldworker
activity information in setting restricted entry intervals. A docket
has been established that includes the program's general approach and
supporting documentation including written comments, the Agency
response and other related documents. As mentioned above, based on its
consideration of the extensive stakeholder input, the Agency intends to
continue its case-by-case consideration in making reentry decisions, as
described in its 2001 guidance document. The approach described in the
guidance is non-binding and the Agency remains open to alternative
approaches for addressing worker reentry risk concerns.
B. What is the Agency's Authority for Taking this Action?
The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act, 7 U.S.C.
136, et seq.
List of Subjects
Environmental protection, pesticides and pests.
[[Page 43426]]
Dated: July 21, 2005.
James Jones,
Director, Office of Pesticides Programs.
[FR Doc. 05-14851 Filed 7-26-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-S