Pronamide; Receipt of Application for Emergency Exemption, Solicitation of Public Comment, 24696-24698 [E6-6288]

Download as PDF 24696 Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 80 / Wednesday, April 26, 2006 / Notices • Food manufacturing (NAICS code 311). • Pesticide manufacturing (NAICS code 32532). 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 questions regarding the applicability of this action to a particular entity, consult the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. wwhite on PROD1PC61 with NOTICES 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 e-mail. 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 submitting comments, remember to: i. Identify the document by docket ID number and other identifying information (subject heading, Federal Register date and page number). ii. Follow directions. The Agency may ask you to respond to specific questions or organize comments by referencing a Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) part or section number. iii. Explain why you agree or disagree; suggest alternatives and substitute language for your requested changes. iv. Describe any assumptions and provide any technical information and/ or data that you used. v. If you estimate potential costs or burdens, explain how you arrived at your estimate in sufficient detail to allow for it to be reproduced. vi. Provide specific examples to illustrate your concerns and suggest alternatives. VerDate Aug<31>2005 16:58 Apr 25, 2006 Jkt 208001 vii. Explain your views as clearly as possible, avoiding the use of profanity or personal threats. viii. Make sure to submit your comments by the comment period deadline identified. Dated: April 13, 2006. Donald R. Stubbs, Acting Director, Registration Division, Office of Pesticide Programs. [FR Doc. E6–6298 Filed 4–25–06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6560–50–S II. What Action is the Agency Taking? EPA is printing a summary of a pesticide petition received under section 408 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), 21 U.S.C. 346a, proposing the establishment or amendment of regulations in 40 CFR part 180 for residues of pesticide chemicals in or on various food commodities. EPA has determined that this pesticide petition contains data or information regarding the elements set forth in FFDCA section 408(d)(2); however, EPA has not fully evaluated the sufficiency of the submitted data at this time or whether the data support granting of the pesticide petition. Additional data may be needed before EPA rules on this pesticide petition. Pursuant to 40 CFR 180.7(f), a summary of the petition included in this notice, prepared by the petitioner along with a description of the analytical method available for the detection and measurement of the pesticide chemical residues is available on EPA’s Electronic Docket at https://www.regulations.gov. To locate this information on the home page of EPA’s Electronic Docket, select ‘‘Quick Search’’ and type the OPP docket ID number. Once the search has located the docket, clicking on the ‘‘Docket ID’’ will bring up a list of all documents in the docket for the pesticide including the petition summary. New Tolerance PP 6F7023. Syngenta Crop Protection, P.O. Box 18300, Greensboro, NC 27409, proposes to establish tolerances for residues of the herbicide mesotrione in or on food/feed commodities flax, meal/ seed at 0.01 parts per million (ppm); millet, forage/grain at 0.01 ppm; millet, hay/straw at 0.02 ppm; Berry group and cranberry at 0.01 ppm. Practical and specific analytical method RAM 366/01 (MRID 45651803) is available for detecting and measuring the level of mesotrione in or one various crop commodities. List of Subjects Environmental protection, Agricultural commodities, Feed additives, Food additives, Pesticides and pests, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements. PO 00000 Frm 00060 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [EPA–HQ–OPP–2006–0308; FRL–8063–6] Pronamide; Receipt of Application for Emergency Exemption, Solicitation of Public Comment Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: SUMMARY: EPA has received a specific exemption request from the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources to use the pesticide pronamide (CAS No. 23950– 58–5) to treat up to 8,000 acres of cranberries to control dodder. The applicant proposes a use which has been requested in 3 or more previous years, and a petition for tolerance has not yet been submitted to the Agency. Due to the urgent nature of the emergency and the very narrow and extremely limited use being requested, EPA has eliminated the public comment period. Nonetheless, interested parties may still contact the Agency with comments about this notice and treatment program. ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by docket identification (ID) number EPA–HQ–OPP–2006–0308, by one of the following methods: • Federal eRulemaking Portal: https:// www.regulations.gov. Follow the on-line instructions for submitting comments. • Mail: Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) Regulatory Public Docket (7502C), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460–0001. • Hand Delivery: OPP Regulatory Public Docket, Environmental Protection Agency, Rm. 119, Crystal Mall #2, 1801 S. Bell St., Arlington, VA. Deliveries are only accepted during the Docket’s normal hours of operation (8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays). Special arrangements should be made for deliveries of boxed information. The Docket telephone number is (703) 305– 5805. • Important Note: OPP will be moving to a new location the first week of May 2006. As a result, from Friday, April 28 to Friday, May 5, 2006, the OPP Regulatory Public Docket will NOT be accepting any deliveries at the E:\FR\FM\26APN1.SGM 26APN1 wwhite on PROD1PC61 with NOTICES Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 80 / Wednesday, April 26, 2006 / Notices Crystal Mall #2 address and this facility will be closed to the public. Beginning on May 8, 2006, the OPP Regulatory Public Docket will reopen at 8:30 a.m. and deliveries will be accepted in Rm. S–4400, One Potomac Yard (South Building), 2777 S. Crystal Drive, Arlington, VA 22202. The mail code for the mailing address will change to (7502P), but will otherwise remain the same. The OPP Regulatory Public Docket telephone number and hours of operation will remain the same after the move. Instructions: Direct your comments to docket ID number EPA–HQ–OPP–2006– 0308. EPA’s policy is that all comments received will be included in the docket without change and may be made available on-line at https:// www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided, unless the comment includes information claimed to be Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Do not submit information that you consider to be CBI or otherwise protected through regulations.gov or email. The Federal regulations.gov Web site is an ‘‘anonymous access’’ system, which means EPA will not know your identity or contact information unless you provide it in the body of your comment. If you send an e-mail comment directly to EPA without going through regulations.gov, your e-mail address will be automatically captured and included as part of the comment that is placed in the docket and made available on the Internet. If you submit an electronic comment, EPA recommends that you include your name and other contact information in the body of your comment and with any disk or CD-ROM you submit. If EPA cannot read your comment due to technical difficulties and cannot contact you for clarification, EPA may not be able to consider your comment. Electronic files should avoid the use of special characters, any form of encryption, and be free of any defects or viruses. Docket: All documents in the docket are listed in the docket index. Although listed in the index, some information is not publicly available, e.g., CBI or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Certain other material, such as copyrighted material, is not placed on the Internet and will be publicly available only in hard copy form. Publicly available docket materials are available in the electronic docket at https://www.regulations.gov, or, if only available in hard copy, at the OPP Regulatory Public Docket at the location identified under ‘‘Delivery’’ VerDate Aug<31>2005 16:58 Apr 25, 2006 Jkt 208001 and ‘‘Important Note.’’ The hours of operation for this docket facility are from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The docket telephone number is (703) 305–5805. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Andrew Ertman, Registration Division (7505C), Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460–0001; telephone number: (703) 308–9367; fax number: (703) 308– 5433; e-mail address: Sec–18– Mailbox@epa.gov]. 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. Potentially affected entities may include, but are not limited to: • Crop production (NAICS code 111) • Animal production (NAICS code 112) • Food manufacturing (NAICS code 311) • Pesticide manufacturing (NAICS code 32532) 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 questions regarding the applicability of this action to a particular entity, consult the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. 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 e-mail. 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 PO 00000 Frm 00061 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 24697 accordance with procedures set forth in 40 CFR part 2. 2. Tips for preparing your comments. When submitting comments, remember to: i. Identify the document by docket number and other identifying information (subject heading, Federal Register date and page number). ii. Follow directions. The agency may ask you to respond to specific questions or organize comments by referencing a Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) part or section number. iii. Explain why you agree or disagree; suggest alternatives and substitute language for your requested changes. iv. Describe any assumptions and provide any technical information and/ or data that you used. v. If you estimate potential costs or burdens, explain how you arrived at your estimate in sufficient detail to allow for it to be reproduced. vi. Provide specific examples to illustrate your concerns, and suggest alternatives. vii. Explain your views as clearly as possible, avoiding the use of profanity or personal threats. viii. Make sure to submit your comments by the comment period deadline identified. II. Background A. 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 Administrator, a Federal or State agency may be exempted from any provision of FIFRA if the Administrator determines that emergency conditions exist which require the exemption. The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources has requested the Administrator to issue a specific exemption for the use of pronamide on cranberries to control dodder. Information in accordance with 40 CFR part 166 was submitted as part of this request. As part of this request, the applicant asserts that with the widespread adoption of water harvesting, dodder infestations have become practically ubiquitous in the Massachusetts cranberry production area. The detrimental impact of dodder infestations on cranberry yields have been reported widely in scientific journals, extension publications and internal memorandum. Yield losses can range from 12% in slight infestations up to 100% in severe infestations. Currently registered herbicides have not been totally effective, leading to a steady increase in dodder infestations. E:\FR\FM\26APN1.SGM 26APN1 24698 Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 80 / Wednesday, April 26, 2006 / Notices The Applicant proposes to make no more than two pre-emergence broadcast applications at a rate of 1.0–2.0 lbs of product per acre (0.5–1.0 lbs acre (a.i.) on 8,000 acres of cranberries. No more than 2.0 lbs of product/acre/season 1.0 lbs a.i. may be made as a result of single or split application. This notice does not constitute a decision by EPA on the application itself. The regulations governing section 18 of FIFRA require publication of a notice of receipt of an application for a specific exemption proposing a use which has been requested in 3 or more previous years, and a petition for tolerance has not yet been submitted to the Agency. As noted above, the Agency is eliminating the comment period due to the urgent nature of an emergency situation and the very narrow and extremely limited use being requested. Nonetheless, interested parties may still contact the Agency with comments about this notice and treatment program. List of Subjects Environmental protection, Pesticides and pests. Dated: April 17, 2006. Donald R. Stubbs, Acting Director, Registration Division, Office of Pesticide Programs. [FR Doc. E6–6288 Filed 4–25–06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6560–50–S ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [EPA–HQ–OAR–2003–0017; FRL–8162–2] Protection of Stratospheric Ozone: Request for Critical Use Exemption Applications for the Years 2008 and 2009 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice of solicitation of applications and information on alternatives. wwhite on PROD1PC61 with NOTICES AGENCY: SUMMARY: EPA is soliciting applications for the critical use exemption from the phaseout of methyl bromide for 2009 and beyond. In addition, those applicants who missed last year’s deadline to apply for a critical use exemption for the year 2008 may file a supplemental application in response to the notice. This exemption is an annual exemption and all entities interested in obtaining a critical use exemption must provide EPA with technical and economic information to support a ‘‘critical use’’ claim, and must do so by VerDate Aug<31>2005 16:58 Apr 25, 2006 Jkt 208001 the deadline specified in this notice even if they have previously applied for an exemption. This notice also invites interested parties to provide EPA with new data on the technical and economic feasibility of methyl bromide alternatives. Applications for the critical use exemption must be postmarked on or before July 10, 2006. Applications for an exemption are due one month earlier to EPA this year to reflect the compressed schedule for review of applications in 2007. DATES: Applications for the methyl bromide critical use exemption should be submitted in duplicate (two copies) by mail to: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air and Radiation, Stratospheric Protection Division, Attention: Marta Montoro/ Methyl Bromide Review Team, Mail Code 6205J, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460 or by courier delivery (other than U.S. Post Office overnight) to: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air and Radiation, Stratospheric Protection Division, Attention: Marta Montoro/ Methyl Bromide Review Team, 1310 L St., NW., Room 827L, Washington, DC 20005. EPA also encourages users to submit their applications electronically to Marta Montoro, Stratospheric Protection Division, at montoro.marta@epa.gov. If the application is submitted electronically, applicants are requested to fax a signed copy of Worksheet 1 to Marta Montoro at (202) 343–2338 by the application deadline. ADDRESSES: FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: General Information: U.S. EPA Stratospheric Ozone Information Hotline, 1–800–296–1996; also https:// www.epa.gov/ozone/mbr. Technical Information: Colwell Cook, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Pesticide Programs (7503C), 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460, (703) 308–8146. E-mail: cook.colwell@epa.gov. Economic Information: Elisa Rim, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Pesticide Programs (7503C), 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460, (703) 308–8123. E-mail: rim.elisa@epa.gov. Regulatory Information: Marta Montoro, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Stratospheric Protection Division (6205J), 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460, (202) 343–9321. E-mail: Montoro.marta@epa.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Applications are due one month earlier PO 00000 Frm 00062 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 to EPA due to the compressed review schedule for critical use exemptions in the year 2007. The 19th Meeting of the Parties is scheduled to be held in September 2007, almost two months earlier than previous meetings of the parties which typically occur in November or December. The EPA will submit a nomination for critical uses earlier than the end of January and will shorten its own review process by one month. In addition, in this notice, EPA is notifying applicants that their application process is being shortened by one month with July 10th as the deadline for applications. EPA also renewed the Information Collection Request (ICR) for the applications on August 31, 2005. The ICR is now valid through August 31, 2008. As a result of the ICR renewal, the format and numbering of the application worksheets changed minimally. Table of Contents I. What do I need to know to respond to this request for applications? A. Who can respond to this request for information? B. Who can I contact to find out if a consortium is submitting an application form for my methyl bromide use? C. How do I obtain an application form for the methyl bromide critical use exemption? D. What alternatives must applicants address when applying for a critical use exemption? E. What portions of the applications will be considered confidential business information? F. Must I submit a ‘‘Notice of Intent to Apply?’’ G. What if I submit an incomplete application? H. What if I already applied in 2002 and/ or 2003 and/or 2004? II. What is the legal authority for the critical use exemption? A. What is the Clean Air Act (CAA) authority for implementing the critical use exemption to the methyl bromide phaseout? B. What is the Montreal Protocol authority for granting a critical use exemption after the methyl bromide phaseout? III. How is the U.S. implementing the critical use exemption? A. When will the exemption become available to U.S. users of methyl bromide? B. What is the projected timeline for the critical use exemption application process? I. What do I need to know to respond to this request for applications? A. Who can respond to this request for information? Entities interested in obtaining a critical use exemption must fill out the application form available at https:// E:\FR\FM\26APN1.SGM 26APN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 80 (Wednesday, April 26, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24696-24698]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-6288]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OPP-2006-0308; FRL-8063-6]


Pronamide; Receipt of Application for Emergency Exemption, 
Solicitation of Public Comment

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: EPA has received a specific exemption request from the 
Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources to use the pesticide 
pronamide (CAS No. 23950-58-5) to treat up to 8,000 acres of 
cranberries to control dodder. The applicant proposes a use which has 
been requested in 3 or more previous years, and a petition for 
tolerance has not yet been submitted to the Agency. Due to the urgent 
nature of the emergency and the very narrow and extremely limited use 
being requested, EPA has eliminated the public comment period. 
Nonetheless, interested parties may still contact the Agency with 
comments about this notice and treatment program.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by docket identification 
(ID) number EPA-HQ-OPP-2006-0308, by one of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the on-line instructions for submitting comments.
     Mail: Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) Regulatory Public 
Docket (7502C), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania 
Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001.
     Hand Delivery: OPP Regulatory Public Docket, Environmental 
Protection Agency, Rm. 119, Crystal Mall 2, 1801 S. Bell St., 
Arlington, VA. Deliveries are only accepted during the Docket's normal 
hours of operation (8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, 
excluding legal holidays). Special arrangements should be made for 
deliveries of boxed information. The Docket telephone number is (703) 
305-5805.
     Important Note: OPP will be moving to a new location the 
first week of May 2006. As a result, from Friday, April 28 to Friday, 
May 5, 2006, the OPP Regulatory Public Docket will NOT be accepting any 
deliveries at the

[[Page 24697]]

Crystal Mall 2 address and this facility will be closed to the 
public. Beginning on May 8, 2006, the OPP Regulatory Public Docket will 
reopen at 8:30 a.m. and deliveries will be accepted in Rm. S-4400, One 
Potomac Yard (South Building), 2777 S. Crystal Drive, Arlington, VA 
22202. The mail code for the mailing address will change to (7502P), 
but will otherwise remain the same. The OPP Regulatory Public Docket 
telephone number and hours of operation will remain the same after the 
move.
    Instructions: Direct your comments to docket ID number EPA-HQ-OPP-
2006-0308. EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included 
in the docket without change and may be made available on-line at 
https://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information 
provided, unless the comment includes information claimed to be 
Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose 
disclosure is restricted by statute. Do not submit information that you 
consider to be CBI or otherwise protected through regulations.gov or e-
mail. The Federal regulations.gov Web site is an ``anonymous access'' 
system, which means EPA will not know your identity or contact 
information unless you provide it in the body of your comment. If you 
send an e-mail comment directly to EPA without going through 
regulations.gov, your e-mail address will be automatically captured and 
included as part of the comment that is placed in the docket and made 
available on the Internet. If you submit an electronic comment, EPA 
recommends that you include your name and other contact information in 
the body of your comment and with any disk or CD-ROM you submit. If EPA 
cannot read your comment due to technical difficulties and cannot 
contact you for clarification, EPA may not be able to consider your 
comment. Electronic files should avoid the use of special characters, 
any form of encryption, and be free of any defects or viruses.
    Docket: All documents in the docket are listed in the docket index. 
Although listed in the index, some information is not publicly 
available, e.g., CBI or other information whose disclosure is 
restricted by statute. Certain other material, such as copyrighted 
material, is not placed on the Internet and will be publicly available 
only in hard copy form. Publicly available docket materials are 
available in the electronic docket at https://www.regulations.gov, or, 
if only available in hard copy, at the OPP Regulatory Public Docket at 
the location identified under ``Delivery'' and ``Important Note.'' The 
hours of operation for this docket facility are from 8:30 a.m. to 4 
p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The docket 
telephone number is (703) 305-5805.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Andrew Ertman, Registration Division 
(7505C), Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental Protection Agency, 
1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone 
number: (703) 308-9367; fax number: (703) 308-5433; e-mail address: 
Sec-18-Mailbox@epa.gov].

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. 
Potentially affected entities may include, but are not limited to:
     Crop production (NAICS code 111)
     Animal production (NAICS code 112)
     Food manufacturing (NAICS code 311)
     Pesticide manufacturing (NAICS code 32532)
    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 
questions regarding the applicability of this action to a particular 
entity, consult the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
CONTACT.

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 e-mail. 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 submitting comments, 
remember to:
    i. Identify the document by docket number and other identifying 
information (subject heading, Federal Register date and page number).
    ii. Follow directions. The agency may ask you to respond to 
specific questions or organize comments by referencing a Code of 
Federal Regulations (CFR) part or section number.
    iii. Explain why you agree or disagree; suggest alternatives and 
substitute language for your requested changes.
    iv. Describe any assumptions and provide any technical information 
and/or data that you used.
    v. If you estimate potential costs or burdens, explain how you 
arrived at your estimate in sufficient detail to allow for it to be 
reproduced.
    vi. Provide specific examples to illustrate your concerns, and 
suggest alternatives.
    vii. Explain your views as clearly as possible, avoiding the use of 
profanity or personal threats.
    viii. Make sure to submit your comments by the comment period 
deadline identified.

II. Background

A. 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 
Administrator, a Federal or State agency may be exempted from any 
provision of FIFRA if the Administrator determines that emergency 
conditions exist which require the exemption. The Massachusetts 
Department of Agricultural Resources has requested the Administrator to 
issue a specific exemption for the use of pronamide on cranberries to 
control dodder. Information in accordance with 40 CFR part 166 was 
submitted as part of this request.
    As part of this request, the applicant asserts that with the 
widespread adoption of water harvesting, dodder infestations have 
become practically ubiquitous in the Massachusetts cranberry production 
area. The detrimental impact of dodder infestations on cranberry yields 
have been reported widely in scientific journals, extension 
publications and internal memorandum. Yield losses can range from 12% 
in slight infestations up to 100% in severe infestations. Currently 
registered herbicides have not been totally effective, leading to a 
steady increase in dodder infestations.

[[Page 24698]]

    The Applicant proposes to make no more than two pre-emergence 
broadcast applications at a rate of 1.0-2.0 lbs of product per acre 
(0.5-1.0 lbs acre (a.i.) on 8,000 acres of cranberries. No more than 
2.0 lbs of product/acre/season 1.0 lbs a.i. may be made as a result of 
single or split application.
    This notice does not constitute a decision by EPA on the 
application itself. The regulations governing section 18 of FIFRA 
require publication of a notice of receipt of an application for a 
specific exemption proposing a use which has been requested in 3 or 
more previous years, and a petition for tolerance has not yet been 
submitted to the Agency.
    As noted above, the Agency is eliminating the comment period due to 
the urgent nature of an emergency situation and the very narrow and 
extremely limited use being requested. Nonetheless, interested parties 
may still contact the Agency with comments about this notice and 
treatment program.

List of Subjects

    Environmental protection, Pesticides and pests.

    Dated: April 17, 2006.
Donald R. Stubbs,
Acting Director, Registration Division, Office of Pesticide Programs.
[FR Doc. E6-6288 Filed 4-25-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-S
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