Triclosan; Reregistration Eligibility Decision; Notice of Availability, 64331-64333 [E8-25829]
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<![CDATA[
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 210 / Wednesday, October 29, 2008 / Notices
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:
Rosanna Louie, Special Review and
Reregistration Division (7508P), Office
of Pesticide Programs, Environmental
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania
Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460–
0001; telephone number: (703) 308–
0037; fax number: (703) 308–8005; email address: louie.rosanna@epa.gov.
For general questions on the
registration review program, contact
Kevin Costello, 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–
5026; fax number: (703) 308–8090; email address: costello.kevin@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. General Information
64331
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.
II. Background
A. What Action is the Agency Taking?
This notice announces the final
registration review decisions for the
sulfluramid case as shown in Table 1.
Does this Action Apply to Me?
This action is directed to the public
in general, and may be of interest to a
TABLE 1.—REGISTRATION REVIEW DOCKET - FINAL DECISION
Registration Review Case
Name and Number
Sulfluramid Case 7411
Pesticide Docket ID Number
EPA–HQ–OPP–2007–1082
jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES
The docket for registration review of
this pesticide case includes the final
registration review decision document
as well as other relevant documents
related to the registration review of the
subject case. The proposed registration
review decision was posted to the
docket for the above case and the public
was invited to submit any comments or
new information. During the 60–day
comment period, no public comments
were received for the sulfluramid case.
Background on the registration review
program is provided at: https://
www.epa.gov/oppsrrd1/
registration_review/. Quick links to
earlier documents related to the
registration review of this pesticide are
provided at: https://www.epa.gov/
oppsrrd1/registration_review/
sulfluramid/index.htm.
B. What is the Agency’s Authority for
Taking this Action?
FIFRA Section 3(g) and 40 CFR 155.57
and 155.58 provide authority for this
action.
A registration review decision is the
Agency’s determination whether a
pesticide meets, or does not meet, the
standard for registration in FIFRA. This
final decision continues to be supported
by the rationales included in the
VerDate Aug<31>2005
17:17 Oct 28, 2008
Regulatory Contact name, Phone Number, E-mail Address
Jkt 217001
Rosanna Louie
(703) 308–0037
Louie.rosanna@epa.gov
proposed final decision for sulfluramid.
The documents in the docket describe
the Agency’s rationale for issuing a
registration review final decision for
sulfluramid. No additional risk
mitigation measures are required or
specified for products containing
sulfluramid and no labeling changes are
currently required as a result of this
final decision.
ACTION:
Notice.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
SUMMARY: This notice announces the
availability of EPA’s Reregistration
Eligibility Decision (RED) for the
pesticide triclosan, and opens a public
comment period on this document. The
Agency’s risk assessments and other
related documents also are available in
the triclosan Docket. Triclosan is
regulated by both the U.S. EPA and the
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
(FDA). The EPA regulates the
antimicrobial uses of triclosan when
used as a bacteriostat, fungistat,
mildewstat, and deodorizer. EPA has
reviewed triclosan through the public
participation process that the Agency
uses to involve the public in developing
pesticide reregistration and tolerance
reassessment decisions. Through these
programs as mentioned in Unit II.A. of
the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. EPA is
ensuring that all pesticides meet current
health and safety standards.
[EPA–HQ–OPP–2007-0513; FRL–8388–8]
DATES:
Triclosan; Reregistration Eligibility
Decision; Notice of Availability
ADDRESSES:
List of Subjects
Environmental protection,
Registration review, Pesticides, Pests,
and Sulfluramid.
Dated: October 20, 2008.
Steven Bradbury,
Director, Special Review and Reregistration
Division, Office of Pesticide Programs.
[FR Doc. E8–25667 Filed 10–28–08; 8:45
a.m.]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–S
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
AGENCY:
PO 00000
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Sfmt 4703
Comments must be received on
or before December 29, 2008.
Submit your comments,
identified by docket identification (ID)
number EPA–HQ–OPP–2007-0513, by
one of the following methods:
E:\FR\FM\29OCN1.SGM
29OCN1
jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES
64332
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 210 / Wednesday, October 29, 2008 / Notices
• 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
Facility’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–20070513. 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
at https://www.regulations.gov. 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
VerDate Aug<31>2005
17:17 Oct 28, 2008
Jkt 217001
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:
Heather Garvie, Antimicrobials Division
(7510P), Office of Pesticide Programs,
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200
Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington,
DC 20460–0001; telephone number:
(703) 308-0034; fax number: (703) 3055620; e-mail address: garvie.heather
@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.
PO 00000
Frm 00032
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
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?
Under section 4 of the Federal
Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide
Act (FIFRA), EPA is reevaluating
existing pesticides to ensure that they
meet current scientific and regulatory
standards. EPA has completed a RED for
the pesticide, triclosan under section
4(g)(2)(A) of FIFRA. Triclosan is
regulated by both EPA and the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
EPA regulates the antimicrobial uses of
triclosan when used as a bacteriostat,
fungistat, mildewistat, and deodorizer.
Triclosan is used in commercial,
institutional and industrial premises
and equipment; residential and public
access premises; and as material
preservative. Commercial, institutional
and industrial premises and equipment
uses include conveyor belts, fire hoses,
dye bath vats and ice making
equipment. As a material preservative,
triclosan is used in many products
including adhesives, fabrics, vinyl,
plastics (toys, toothbrushes),
polyethylene, polyurethane,
polypropylene, floor wax emulsions,
textiles (footwear, clothing), caulking
compounds, sealants, rubber, and latex
paints. There are a multitude of
residential and public access premises
uses including direction application to
HVAC coils (limited to commercial
applicators), and use as a materials
E:\FR\FM\29OCN1.SGM
29OCN1
jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 210 / Wednesday, October 29, 2008 / Notices
preservative in toys, paints, mattresses,
clothing, brooms, mulch, floors, shower
curtains, awnings, tents, toilet bowls,
urinals, garbage cans, refuse container
liners, insulation, concrete mixtures,
grouts, and upholstery fabrics. The
FDA-regulated uses include hand soaps,
toothpaste, deodorants, laundry
detergent, fabric softeners, facial tissues,
antiseptics for wound care, and medical
devices. Although these uses are not
regulated under pesticide law, EPA
considered these exposures in the
aggregate risk assessment. EPA used
population-based biological monitoring
data to assess the co-occurrence of uses
to develop an aggregate exposure
assessment.
EPA has determined that the data base
to support reregistration is substantially
complete and that products containing
triclosan are eligible for reregistration
provided the risks are mitigated either
in the manner described in the RED or
by another means that achieves
equivalent risk reduction. Upon
submission of any required product
specific data under section 4(g)(2)(B) of
FIFRA and any necessary changes to the
registration and labeling (either to
address concerns identified in the RED
or as a result of product specific data),
EPA will make a final reregistration
decision under section 4(g)(2)(C) of
FIFRA for products containing triclosan.
Although the triclosan RED was
signed on September 18, 2008, certain
components of the document, which did
not affect the final regulatory decision,
were undergoing final editing at that
time. These components, the
appendices, have been added to the
triclosan RED document.
EPA is applying the principles of
public participation to all pesticides
undergoing reregistration and tolerance
reassessment. 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, EPA is
tailoring its public participation process
to be commensurate with the level of
risk, extent of use, complexity of issues,
and degree of public concern associated
with each pesticide. Due to its uses,
risks, and other factors, triclosan was
reviewed through the modified 4–Phase
process. Through this process, EPA
worked extensively with stakeholders
and the public to reach the regulatory
decisions for triclosan.
The reregistration program is being
conducted under congressionally
mandated time frames, and EPA
recognizes the need both to make timely
decisions and to involve the public. The
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64333
Agency is issuing the triclosan RED for
public comment. This comment period
is intended to provide an additional
opportunity for public input and a
mechanism for initiating any necessary
amendments to the RED. All comments
should be submitted using the methods
in ADDRESSES, and must be received by
EPA on or before the closing date. These
comments will become part of the
Agency Docket for triclosan. Comments
received after the close of the comment
period will be marked ‘‘late.’’ EPA is not
required to consider these late
comments.
The Agency will carefully consider all
comments received by the closing date
and will provide a Response to
Comments Memorandum in the Docket
and regulations.gov. If any comment
significantly affects the document, EPA
also will publish an amendment to the
RED in the Federal Register. In the
absence of substantive comments
requiring changes, the triclosan RED
will be implemented as it is now
presented.
Capital Officer, Office of Human
Resources, U.S. Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission, 1801 L Street,
NW., Washington, DC 20507, (202) 663–
4306.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Publication of the Performance Review
Board (PRB) is required by 5 U.S.C.
Section 4314(c)(4). The PRB reviews
and evaluates the initial appraisal of a
senior executive’s performance by the
supervisor, and makes written
recommendations regarding
performance ratings, performance
awards, potential Presidential Rank
Award nominees, and performancebased pay adjustments to the Chair. The
Board shall consist of at least three
voting members. When evaluating a
career appointee’s initial appraisal or
recommending a career appointee for a
performance award, more than half of
the members must be career appointees.
The names and titles of the PRB
members and alternates are as follows:
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.’’
Anthony J. Kaminski, Chief Operating
Officer (Chairperson);
Michel C. Fetzer, Director, Dallas
District Office;
Kimberly J. Hancher, Chief Information
Officer;
Jeffrey Smith, Chief Financial Officer;
and
A. Jacy Thurmond, Jr. Esq., Senior
Advisor to the Commissioner, Social
Security Administration.
List of Subjects
Environmental protection, Pesticides
and pests, antimicrobials, triclosan.
Dated: October 23, 2008.
Joan Harrigan Farrelly,
Director, Antimicrobials Division, Office of
Pesticide Programs.
[FR Doc. E8–25829 Filed 10–28–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–S
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
COMMISSION
Primary Members:
Alternates:
John Czajkowski, Assistant Inspector
General for Management, Department
of Treasury;
Peggy R. Mastroianni, Associate Legal
Counsel; and
Roy J. Ruff, Jr., Director, Houston
District Office.
DATES: Membership is effective on the
date of this notice.
Signed at Washington, DC, on this 23rd
day of October 2008.
For the Commission.
Naomi C. Earp,
Chair.
[FR Doc. E8–25794 Filed 10–28–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6570–01–P
SES Performance Review Board
U.S. Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
ACTION: Notice of Membership of the
EEOC Performance Review Board.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of the
appointment of members to the EEOC
Performance Review Board.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Joann C. Riggs, Acting Chief Human
PO 00000
Frm 00033
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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS
COMMISSION
[DA 08–2338]
Consumer Advisory Committee
Federal Communications
Commission.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 210 (Wednesday, October 29, 2008)]
[NOTI]
[Pages 64331-64333]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-25829]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-HQ-OPP-2007-0513; FRL-8388-8]
Triclosan; Reregistration Eligibility Decision; Notice of
Availability
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of EPA's Reregistration
Eligibility Decision (RED) for the pesticide triclosan, and opens a
public comment period on this document. The Agency's risk assessments
and other related documents also are available in the triclosan Docket.
Triclosan is regulated by both the U.S. EPA and the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA). The EPA regulates the antimicrobial uses of
triclosan when used as a bacteriostat, fungistat, mildewstat, and
deodorizer. EPA has reviewed triclosan through the public participation
process that the Agency uses to involve the public in developing
pesticide reregistration and tolerance reassessment decisions. Through
these programs as mentioned in Unit II.A. of the SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION. EPA is ensuring that all pesticides meet current health
and safety standards.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before December 29, 2008.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by docket identification
(ID) number EPA-HQ-OPP-2007-0513, by one of the following methods:
[[Page 64332]]
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 Facility'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-
2007-0513. 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 at https://www.regulations.gov. 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: Heather Garvie, Antimicrobials
Division (7510P), Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460-
0001; telephone number: (703) 308-0034; fax number: (703) 305-5620; e-
mail address: garvie.heather @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?
Under section 4 of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and
Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), EPA is reevaluating existing pesticides to
ensure that they meet current scientific and regulatory standards. EPA
has completed a RED for the pesticide, triclosan under section
4(g)(2)(A) of FIFRA. Triclosan is regulated by both EPA and the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA). EPA regulates the antimicrobial
uses of triclosan when used as a bacteriostat, fungistat, mildewistat,
and deodorizer. Triclosan is used in commercial, institutional and
industrial premises and equipment; residential and public access
premises; and as material preservative. Commercial, institutional and
industrial premises and equipment uses include conveyor belts, fire
hoses, dye bath vats and ice making equipment. As a material
preservative, triclosan is used in many products including adhesives,
fabrics, vinyl, plastics (toys, toothbrushes), polyethylene,
polyurethane, polypropylene, floor wax emulsions, textiles (footwear,
clothing), caulking compounds, sealants, rubber, and latex paints.
There are a multitude of residential and public access premises uses
including direction application to HVAC coils (limited to commercial
applicators), and use as a materials
[[Page 64333]]
preservative in toys, paints, mattresses, clothing, brooms, mulch,
floors, shower curtains, awnings, tents, toilet bowls, urinals, garbage
cans, refuse container liners, insulation, concrete mixtures, grouts,
and upholstery fabrics. The FDA-regulated uses include hand soaps,
toothpaste, deodorants, laundry detergent, fabric softeners, facial
tissues, antiseptics for wound care, and medical devices. Although
these uses are not regulated under pesticide law, EPA considered these
exposures in the aggregate risk assessment. EPA used population-based
biological monitoring data to assess the co-occurrence of uses to
develop an aggregate exposure assessment.
EPA has determined that the data base to support reregistration is
substantially complete and that products containing triclosan are
eligible for reregistration provided the risks are mitigated either in
the manner described in the RED or by another means that achieves
equivalent risk reduction. Upon submission of any required product
specific data under section 4(g)(2)(B) of FIFRA and any necessary
changes to the registration and labeling (either to address concerns
identified in the RED or as a result of product specific data), EPA
will make a final reregistration decision under section 4(g)(2)(C) of
FIFRA for products containing triclosan.
Although the triclosan RED was signed on September 18, 2008,
certain components of the document, which did not affect the final
regulatory decision, were undergoing final editing at that time. These
components, the appendices, have been added to the triclosan RED
document.
EPA is applying the principles of public participation to all
pesticides undergoing reregistration and tolerance reassessment. 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, EPA is tailoring its public participation process to be
commensurate with the level of risk, extent of use, complexity of
issues, and degree of public concern associated with each pesticide.
Due to its uses, risks, and other factors, triclosan was reviewed
through the modified 4-Phase process. Through this process, EPA worked
extensively with stakeholders and the public to reach the regulatory
decisions for triclosan.
The reregistration program is being conducted under congressionally
mandated time frames, and EPA recognizes the need both to make timely
decisions and to involve the public. The Agency is issuing the
triclosan RED for public comment. This comment period is intended to
provide an additional opportunity for public input and a mechanism for
initiating any necessary amendments to the RED. All comments should be
submitted using the methods in ADDRESSES, and must be received by EPA
on or before the closing date. These comments will become part of the
Agency Docket for triclosan. Comments received after the close of the
comment period will be marked ``late.'' EPA is not required to consider
these late comments.
The Agency will carefully consider all comments received by the
closing date and will provide a Response to Comments Memorandum in the
Docket and regulations.gov. If any comment significantly affects the
document, EPA also will publish an amendment to the RED in the Federal
Register. In the absence of substantive comments requiring changes, the
triclosan RED will be implemented as it is now presented.
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, antimicrobials,
triclosan.
Dated: October 23, 2008.
Joan Harrigan Farrelly,
Director, Antimicrobials Division, Office of Pesticide Programs.
[FR Doc. E8-25829 Filed 10-28-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-S
