Sulfometuron Methyl Risk Assessments; Notice of Availability, 10436-10438 [E8-3699]
Download as PDF
10436
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 39 / Wednesday, February 27, 2008 / Notices
available in hard copy, at the OPP
Regulatory Public Docket in Rm. S–
4400, One Potomac Yard (South Bldg.),
2777 S. Crystal Dr., Arlington, VA. The
hours of operation of 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: Mari
L. Duggard, Biopesticides and Pollution
Prevention Division (7511P), Office of
Pesticide Programs, Environmental
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania
Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460–
0001; telephone number: (703) 308–
0028; e-mail address:
duggard.mari@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. General Information
jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES
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. To determine whether
you or your business may be affected by
this action, you should carefully
examine the applicability provisions. 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
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
VerDate Aug<31>2005
19:49 Feb 26, 2008
Jkt 214001
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.
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. Registration Application
EPA received applications as follows
to register pesticide products containing
active ingredients not included in any
previously registered products pursuant
to the provision of section 3(c)(4) of
FIFRA. Notice of receipt of these
applications does not imply a decision
by the Agency on the applications.
Application Form
File Symbol: 84316-R. Applicant:
Moss Buster LLC 3002 Fair Lane, Mason
City, IA 50401. Product name: Moss
Buster. Herbicide. Active ingredient:
Oregano Oil at 1%. Proposal
classification/Use: Biochemical
herbicide spot treatment for control of
moss. (M. Duggard).
List of Subjects
Environmental protection, Pesticides
and pest.
PO 00000
Frm 00019
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Dated: February 14, 2008.
Janet L. Andersen,
Director, Biopesticides and Pollution
Prevention Division, Office of Pesticide
Programs.
[FR Doc. E8–3618 Filed 2–26–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–S
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
[EPA–HQ–OPP–2008–0129; FRL–8353–7]
Sulfometuron Methyl Risk
Assessments; Notice of Availability
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: This notice announces the
availability of EPA’s risk assessments,
and related documents for the pesticide
sulfometuron methyl, and opens a
public comment period on these
documents (Phase 3 of 4–Phase
Process). The public is encouraged to
suggest risk management ideas or
proposals to address the risks identified.
EPA is developing a Reregistration
Eligibility Decision (RED) for
sulfometuron methyl through a
modified, 4–Phase public participation
process that the Agency uses to involve
the public in developing pesticide
reregistration decisions. Through this
program, EPA is ensuring that all
pesticides meet current health and
safety standards.
DATES: Comments must be received on
or before April 28, 2008.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments,
identified by docket identification (ID)
number EPA–HQ–OPP–2008–0129, 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 (7502P),
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200
Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington,
DC 20460–0001.
• Delivery: OPP Regulatory Public
Docket (7502P), Environmental
Protection Agency, Rm. S–4400, One
Potomac Yard (South Bldg.), 2777 S.
Crystal Dr., 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 Facility telephone number is
(703) 305–5805.
Instructions: Direct your comments to
docket ID number EPA–HQ–OPP–2008–
E:\FR\FM\27FEN1.SGM
27FEN1
jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 39 / Wednesday, February 27, 2008 / Notices
0129. 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 regulations.gov website 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 available
in regulations.gov. To access the
electronic docket, go to https://
www.regulations.gov, select ‘‘Advanced
Search,’’ then ‘‘Docket Search.’’ Insert
the docket ID number where indicated
and select the ‘‘Submit’’ button. Follow
the instructions on the regulations.gov
website to view the docket index or
access available documents. 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 either in the
electronic docket at https://
www.regulations.gov, or, if only
available in hard copy, at the OPP
Regulatory Public Docket in Rm. S–
4400, One Potomac Yard (South Bldg.),
2777 S. Crystal Dr., Arlington, VA. The
hours of operation of this Docket
Facility are from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.,
Monday through Friday, excluding legal
holidays. The Docket Facility telephone
number is (703) 305–5805.
VerDate Aug<31>2005
19:49 Feb 26, 2008
Jkt 214001
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Rusty Wasem, Special Review and
Reregistration Division (7508P), Office
of Pesticide Programs, Environmental
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania
Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460–
0001; telephone number: (703) 305–
6979; fax number: (703) 308–7070; email address: wasem.russell@epa.gov.
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, 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 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
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.
PO 00000
Frm 00020
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
10437
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?
EPA is releasing for public comment
its human health and environmental
fate and effects risk assessments and
related documents for sulfometuron
methyl and soliciting public comment
on risk management ideas or proposals.
Sulfometuron methyl is a non-selective
sulfonylurea herbicide primarily used
for weed control in forestry, and
vegetative management in rights of
ways, roadways, and railroads. There
are no food uses for sulfometuron
methyl. EPA developed the risk
assessments and risk characterization
for sulfometuron methyl through a
modified version of its public process
for making pesticide reregistration
eligibility decisions. Through these
programs, EPA is ensuring that
pesticides meet current standards under
the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and
Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and the
Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act
(FFDCA), as amended by the Food
Quality Protection Act of 1996 (FQPA).
Sulfometuron methyl controls a
variety of broad leaf weeds and grasses
by inhibiting the activity of the enzyme
acetolactate synthase (ALS), which
inhibits the production of amino acids
required for growth. Sulfometuron
methyl is formulated as a water
dispersible granule (WDG) and applied
using a variety of methods including
helicopter, fixed-wing aircraft, ground
spray (boom and backpack), and spot
treatment.
EPA is providing an opportunity,
through this notice, for interested
parties to provide comments and input
on the Agency’s risk assessments for
sulfometuron methyl. Such comments
and input could address the availability
of additional data to further refine the
risk assessments, or could address the
Agency’s risk assessment methodologies
and assumptions as applied to this
specific pesticide.
Through this notice, EPA also is
providing an opportunity for interested
E:\FR\FM\27FEN1.SGM
27FEN1
10438
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 39 / Wednesday, February 27, 2008 / Notices
jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES
parties to provide risk management
proposals or otherwise comment on risk
management for sulfometuron methyl.
Risks of concern associated with the use
of sulfometuron methyl are: indirect
effects on freshwater fish and
invertebrates, estuarine/marine fish and
invertebrates, and acute and chronic
exposure to aquatic and terrestrial
plants. In targeting these risks of
concern, the Agency solicits information
on effective and practical risk reduction
measures.
EPA seeks to achieve environmental
justice, the fair treatment and
meaningful involvement of all people,
regardless of race, color, national origin,
or income, 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, unusually high exposure to
sulfometuron methyl, compared to the
general population.
EPA is applying the principles of
public participation to all pesticides
undergoing reregistration. The Agency’s
Pesticide Tolerance Reassessment and
Reregistration; Public Participation
Process, published in the Federal
Register on May 14, 2004 (69 FR 26819)
(FRL–7357–9), explains that in
conducting these programs, the Agency
is tailoring its public participation
process to be commensurate with the
level of risk, extent of use, complexity
of the issues, and degree of public
concern associated with each pesticide.
For sulfometuron methyl, a modified, 4–
Phase process with one comment period
seems appropriate in view of its limited
risk and few complex issues. However,
if as a result of comments received
during this comment period EPA finds
that additional issues warranting further
discussion are raised, the Agency may
lengthen the process and include a
second comment period, as needed.
All comments should be submitted
using the methods in ADDRESSES, and
must be received by EPA on or before
the closing date. Comments will become
part of the Agency Docket for
sulfometuron methyl. Comments
received after the close of the comment
period will be marked ‘‘late.’’ EPA is not
required to consider these late
comments.
B. What is the Agency’s Authority for
Taking this Action?
Section 4(g)(2) of FIFRA, as amended,
directs that, after submission of all data
concerning a pesticide active ingredient,
VerDate Aug<31>2005
19:49 Feb 26, 2008
Jkt 214001
‘‘the Administrator shall determine
whether pesticides containing such
active ingredient are eligible for
reregistration,’’ before calling in
product-specific data on individual enduse products and either reregistering
products or taking other ‘‘appropriate
regulatory action.’’
List of Subjects
Environmental protection, Pesticides
and pests.
Dated: February 21, 2008.
Peter Caulkins,
Acting Director, Special Review and
Reregistration Division, Office of Pesticide
Programs.
[FR Doc. E8–3699 Filed 2–26–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–S
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
[EPA–HQ–OPP–2008–0014; FRL–8352–4]
Tetramethrin Risk Assessments;
Notice of Availability and Risk
Reduction Options
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: This notice announces the
availability of EPA’s risk assessments,
and related documents, for the pesticide
tetramethrin and opens a public
comment period on these documents
(Phase 3 of 4–Phase Process). The public
is encouraged to suggest risk
management ideas or proposals to
address the risks identified. EPA is
developing a Reregistration Eligibility
Decision (RED) for tetramethrin through
a modified, 4–Phase public
participation process that the Agency
uses to involve the public in developing
pesticide reregistration decisions.
Through this program, EPA is ensuring
that all pesticides meet current health
and safety standards.
DATES: Comments must be received on
or before April 28, 2008.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments,
identified by docket identification (ID)
number EPA–HQ–OPP–2008–0014 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 (7502P),
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200
Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington,
DC 20460–0001.
• Delivery: OPP Regulatory Public
Docket (7502P), Environmental
PO 00000
Frm 00021
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Protection Agency, Rm. S–4400, One
Potomac Yard (South Bldg.), 2777 S.
Crystal Dr., 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 Facility telephone number is
(703) 305–5805.
Instructions: Direct your comments to
docket ID number EPA–HQ–OPP–2008–
0014. 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 regulations.gov website 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 available
in regulations.gov. To access the
electronic docket, go to https://
www.regulations.gov, select ‘‘Advanced
Search,’’ then ‘‘Docket Search.’’ Insert
the docket ID number where indicated
and select the ‘‘Submit’’ button. Follow
the instructions on the regulations.gov
website to view the docket index or
access available documents. 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
E:\FR\FM\27FEN1.SGM
27FEN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 39 (Wednesday, February 27, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10436-10438]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-3699]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-HQ-OPP-2008-0129; FRL-8353-7]
Sulfometuron Methyl Risk Assessments; Notice of Availability
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of EPA's risk
assessments, and related documents for the pesticide sulfometuron
methyl, and opens a public comment period on these documents (Phase 3
of 4-Phase Process). The public is encouraged to suggest risk
management ideas or proposals to address the risks identified. EPA is
developing a Reregistration Eligibility Decision (RED) for sulfometuron
methyl through a modified, 4-Phase public participation process that
the Agency uses to involve the public in developing pesticide
reregistration decisions. Through this program, EPA is ensuring that
all pesticides meet current health and safety standards.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before April 28, 2008.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by docket identification
(ID) number EPA-HQ-OPP-2008-0129, 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 (7502P), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania
Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001.
Delivery: OPP Regulatory Public Docket (7502P),
Environmental Protection Agency, Rm. S-4400, One Potomac Yard (South
Bldg.), 2777 S. Crystal Dr., 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 Facility telephone number is (703) 305-5805.
Instructions: Direct your comments to docket ID number EPA-HQ-OPP-
2008-
[[Page 10437]]
0129. 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
regulations.gov website 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
available in regulations.gov. To access the electronic docket, go to
https://www.regulations.gov, select ``Advanced Search,'' then ``Docket
Search.'' Insert the docket ID number where indicated and select the
``Submit'' button. Follow the instructions on the regulations.gov
website to view the docket index or access available documents.
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 either in the electronic docket at https://
www.regulations.gov, or, if only available in hard copy, at the OPP
Regulatory Public Docket in Rm. S-4400, One Potomac Yard (South Bldg.),
2777 S. Crystal Dr., Arlington, VA. The hours of operation of this
Docket Facility are from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday,
excluding legal holidays. The Docket Facility telephone number is (703)
305-5805.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rusty Wasem, Special Review and
Reregistration Division (7508P), Office of Pesticide Programs,
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW.,
Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone number: (703) 305-6979; fax
number: (703) 308-7070; e-mail address: wasem.russell@epa.gov.
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, 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 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
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.
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?
EPA is releasing for public comment its human health and
environmental fate and effects risk assessments and related documents
for sulfometuron methyl and soliciting public comment on risk
management ideas or proposals. Sulfometuron methyl is a non-selective
sulfonylurea herbicide primarily used for weed control in forestry, and
vegetative management in rights of ways, roadways, and railroads. There
are no food uses for sulfometuron methyl. EPA developed the risk
assessments and risk characterization for sulfometuron methyl through a
modified version of its public process for making pesticide
reregistration eligibility decisions. Through these programs, EPA is
ensuring that pesticides meet current standards under the Federal
Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and the Federal
Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), as amended by the Food Quality
Protection Act of 1996 (FQPA).
Sulfometuron methyl controls a variety of broad leaf weeds and
grasses by inhibiting the activity of the enzyme acetolactate synthase
(ALS), which inhibits the production of amino acids required for
growth. Sulfometuron methyl is formulated as a water dispersible
granule (WDG) and applied using a variety of methods including
helicopter, fixed-wing aircraft, ground spray (boom and backpack), and
spot treatment.
EPA is providing an opportunity, through this notice, for
interested parties to provide comments and input on the Agency's risk
assessments for sulfometuron methyl. Such comments and input could
address the availability of additional data to further refine the risk
assessments, or could address the Agency's risk assessment
methodologies and assumptions as applied to this specific pesticide.
Through this notice, EPA also is providing an opportunity for
interested
[[Page 10438]]
parties to provide risk management proposals or otherwise comment on
risk management for sulfometuron methyl. Risks of concern associated
with the use of sulfometuron methyl are: indirect effects on freshwater
fish and invertebrates, estuarine/marine fish and invertebrates, and
acute and chronic exposure to aquatic and terrestrial plants. In
targeting these risks of concern, the Agency solicits information on
effective and practical risk reduction measures.
EPA seeks to achieve environmental justice, the fair treatment and
meaningful involvement of all people, regardless of race, color,
national origin, or income, 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, unusually high exposure to sulfometuron methyl, compared
to the general population.
EPA is applying the principles of public participation to all
pesticides undergoing reregistration. The Agency's Pesticide Tolerance
Reassessment and Reregistration; Public Participation Process,
published in the Federal Register on May 14, 2004 (69 FR 26819) (FRL-
7357-9), explains that in conducting these programs, the Agency is
tailoring its public participation process to be commensurate with the
level of risk, extent of use, complexity of the issues, and degree of
public concern associated with each pesticide. For sulfometuron methyl,
a modified, 4-Phase process with one comment period seems appropriate
in view of its limited risk and few complex issues. However, if as a
result of comments received during this comment period EPA finds that
additional issues warranting further discussion are raised, the Agency
may lengthen the process and include a second comment period, as
needed.
All comments should be submitted using the methods in ADDRESSES,
and must be received by EPA on or before the closing date. Comments
will become part of the Agency Docket for sulfometuron methyl. Comments
received after the close of the comment period will be marked ``late.''
EPA is not required to consider these late comments.
B. What is the Agency's Authority for Taking this Action?
Section 4(g)(2) of FIFRA, as amended, directs that, after
submission of all data concerning a pesticide active ingredient, ``the
Administrator shall determine whether pesticides containing such active
ingredient are eligible for reregistration,'' before calling in
product-specific data on individual end-use products and either
reregistering products or taking other ``appropriate regulatory
action.''
List of Subjects
Environmental protection, Pesticides and pests.
Dated: February 21, 2008.
Peter Caulkins,
Acting Director, Special Review and Reregistration Division, Office of
Pesticide Programs.
[FR Doc. E8-3699 Filed 2-26-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-S