Petition to Revoke all Tolerances and Cancel all Registrations for the Pesticide 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid; Notice of Availability, 79100-79102 [E8-30527]

Download as PDF 79100 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 248 / Wednesday, December 24, 2008 / Notices I. General Information mstockstill on PROD1PC66 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. 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. How Can I Get Copies of this Document and Other Related Information? 1. Docket. EPA has established a docket for this action under docket identification (ID) number EPA–HQ– OPP–2008–0607. 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 Office of Pesticide Programs (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. In accordance with section 3(c)(2) of FIFRA, a copy of the approved label, the list of data references, the data and other scientific information used to support registration, except for material specifically protected by section 10 of FIFRA, are also available for public inspection. Requests for data must be made in accordance with the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act and must be addressed to the Freedom of Information Office (A–101), 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460–0001. Such requests should: Identify the product name and registration number and specify the data or information desired. VerDate Aug<31>2005 18:45 Dec 23, 2008 Jkt 217001 A paper copy of the fact sheet, which provides more detail on this registration, may be obtained from the National Technical Information Service (NTIS), 5285 Port Royal Rd., Springfield, VA 22161. 2. Electronic access. You may access this Federal Register document electronically through the EPA Internet under the ‘‘Federal Register’’ listings at https://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr. II. Did EPA Approve the Application? The Agency approved the application after considering all required data on risks associated with the proposed use of n-tetradecyl acetate, and information on social, economic, and environmental benefits to be derived from use. Specifically, the Agency has considered the nature of the chemical and its pattern of use, application methods and rates, and level and extent of potential exposure. Based on these reviews, the Agency was able to make basic health and safety determinations which show that use of n-tetradecyl acetate when used in accordance with widespread and commonly recognized practice, will not generally cause unreasonable adverse effects to the environment. III. Approved Application EPA issued a notice, published in the Federal Register of August 27, 2008 (73 FR 50613–50614) (FRL–8373–8), which announced that BASF Corporation, P.O. Box 13528, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, had submitted an application to register the pesticide product, nTetradecyl Acetate Technical Pheromone, Straight Chain Lepidopteran Pheromone (EPA File Symbol 7969-EIE), containing ntetradecyl acetate at 99.56%. This product was not previously registered. The application was approved on December 4, 2008, as n-Tetradecyl Acetate Technical Pheromone (EPA Registration Number 7969–282 for manufacturing use. (A. Bryceland). List of Subjects Environmental protection, Chemicals, Pests and pesticides. Dated: December 12, 2008. Janet L. Andersen, Director, Biopesticides and Pollution Prevention Division, Office of Pesticide Programs. [FR Doc. E8–30494 Filed 12–23–08; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6560–50–S PO 00000 Frm 00062 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [EPA–HQ–OPP–2008–0877; FRL–8395–7] Petition to Revoke all Tolerances and Cancel all Registrations for the Pesticide 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid; Notice of Availability AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: EPA is seeking public comment on a November 6, 2008, petition from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), requesting that the Agency revoke all tolerances and cancel all registrations for the pesticide 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D). The petitioner, NRDC, requests this action to obtain what they believe would be proper application of the safety standards of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), section 408, as amended by the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) of 1996. DATES: Comments must be received on or before February 23, 2009. ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by docket identification (ID) number EPA–HQ–OPP–2008–0877, 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 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–2008– 0877. 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. E:\FR\FM\24DEN1.SGM 24DEN1 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 248 / Wednesday, December 24, 2008 / Notices mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES 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 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: Cathryn O’Connell, 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– 0136; fax number: (703) 308–7070; email address: oconnell.cathryn @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 VerDate Aug<31>2005 18:45 Dec 23, 2008 Jkt 217001 agricultural advocates; the chemical industry; pesticide users; and members of the public interested in the sale, distribution, or use of pesticides. This listing is not intended to be exhaustive, but rather provides a guide for readers regarding entities likely to be affected by this action.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. PO 00000 Frm 00063 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 79101 viii. Make sure to submit your comments by the comment period deadline identified. II. Background A. What Action is the Agency Taking? EPA requests public comment during the next 60 days on a petition (available under docket ID number EPA–HQ– OPP–2008–0877) received from the NRDC requesting that the Agency revoke all tolerances (maximum legal residue limits) and cancel all registrations for the pesticide 2,4-D. The petitioner, NRDC, claims that EPA cannot make a finding that there is a reasonable certainty of no harm from dietary residues of 2,4-D and, therefore, that the Agency must revoke all tolerances established under section 408 of FFDCA, as amended by FQPA. As a part of the petition, NRDC claims that the Agency did not consider the full spectrum of potential human health effects associated with 2,4-D in connection with EPA’s reassessment of the existing 2,4-D tolerances, and EPA’s environmental risk assessment including: 1. Information on the endocrine disrupting effects of 2,4-D. 2. Information on the neurotoxicity related to 2,4-D exposure. 3. Information that products containing 2,4-D are mutagenic. 4. Data showing that dermal absorption of 2,4-D is enhanced by alcohol consumption, sunscreen, and DEET which the EPA’s exposure assessment failed to include. 5. Information about adverse developmental effects at doses below those included in EPA’s risk assessment for exposure of infants to 2,4-D in breast milk. EPA’s risk assessment of 2,4-D and findings on whether the tolerances for 2,4-D comply with the safety standard in FFDCA section 408, as amended by FQPA, are contained in the Reregistration Eligibility Decision (RED) document for 2,4-D which is available on EPA’s pesticide webpage at https:// www.epa.gov/pesticides/reregistration/ status.htm. Docket materials for this pesticide are available in the electronic docket at https://www.regulations.gov; risk assessment and related documents for this pesticide can be found under docket ID number EPA–HQ–OPP–2004– 0167. B. What is the Agency’s Authority for Taking this Action? This action is taken under the authority of FFDCA section 408(d)(3), 21 U.S.C. 346a(d)(3). E:\FR\FM\24DEN1.SGM 24DEN1 79102 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 248 / Wednesday, December 24, 2008 / Notices List of Subjects Environmental protection, 2,4dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, 2,4-D, Natural Resources Defense Council, pesticides and pests. Dated: December 16, 2008. Margaret J. Rice, Acting Director, Special Review and Reregistration Division, Office of Pesticide Programs. [FR Doc. E8–30527 Filed 12–23–08; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6560–50–S ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [EPA–HQ–OPP–2007–0994; FRL–8391–9] Registration Review; Atonik Docket Opened for Review and Comment mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: EPA has established registration review dockets for the pesticides listed in the table in Unit III.A. With this document, EPA is opening the public comment period for these registration reviews. Registration review is EPA’s periodic review of pesticide registrations to ensure that each pesticide continues to satisfy the statutory standard for registration, that is, the pesticide can perform its intended function without unreasonable adverse effects on human health or the environment. Registration review dockets contain information that will assist the public in understanding the types of information and issues that the Agency may consider during the course of registration reviews. Through this program, EPA is ensuring that each pesticide’s registration is based on current scientific and other knowledge, including its effects on human health and the environment. This document also announces the Agency’s intent not to open a registration review docket for Ampelomyces quisqualis and for Candia oleophila]. These pesticides do not currently have any actively registered pesticide products and are not, therefore, scheduled for review under the registration review program. DATES: Comments must be received on or before February 23, 2009. ADDRESSES: Submit your comments identified by the docket identification (ID) number for the specific pesticide of interest provided in the table in Unit III.A., by one of the following methods: • Federal eRulemaking Portal: https:// www.regulations.gov. Follow the on-line instructions for submitting comments. VerDate Aug<31>2005 18:45 Dec 23, 2008 Jkt 217001 • 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 the docket ID numbers listed in the table in Unit III.A. for the pesticides you are commenting on. 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 publicly available only in hard copy form. Publicly available docket PO 00000 Frm 00064 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 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: For pesticide specific information contact: The Regulatory Action Leader (RAL)] identified in the table in Unit III.A. for the pesticide of interest. For general information 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 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, farmworker, 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 E:\FR\FM\24DEN1.SGM 24DEN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 248 (Wednesday, December 24, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 79100-79102]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-30527]


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

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OPP-2008-0877; FRL-8395-7]


Petition to Revoke all Tolerances and Cancel all Registrations 
for the Pesticide 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid; Notice of 
Availability

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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

SUMMARY: EPA is seeking public comment on a November 6, 2008, petition 
from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), requesting that the 
Agency revoke all tolerances and cancel all registrations for the 
pesticide 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D). The petitioner, NRDC, 
requests this action to obtain what they believe would be proper 
application of the safety standards of the Federal Insecticide, 
Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and the Federal Food, Drug, and 
Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), section 408, as amended by the Food Quality 
Protection Act (FQPA) of 1996.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before February 23, 2009.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by docket identification 
(ID) number EPA-HQ-OPP-2008-0877, 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 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-
2008-0877. 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.

[[Page 79101]]

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: Cathryn O'Connell, Special Review and 
Reregistration Division (7508P), Office of Pesticide Programs, 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., 
Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone number: (703) 308-0136; fax 
number: (703) 308-7070; e-mail address: oconnell.cathryn @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. This listing is not intended to be 
exhaustive, but rather provides a guide for readers regarding entities 
likely to be affected by this action.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 requests public comment during the next 60 days on a petition 
(available under docket ID number EPA-HQ-OPP-2008-0877) received from 
the NRDC requesting that the Agency revoke all tolerances (maximum 
legal residue limits) and cancel all registrations for the pesticide 
2,4-D. The petitioner, NRDC, claims that EPA cannot make a finding that 
there is a reasonable certainty of no harm from dietary residues of 
2,4-D and, therefore, that the Agency must revoke all tolerances 
established under section 408 of FFDCA, as amended by FQPA.
    As a part of the petition, NRDC claims that the Agency did not 
consider the full spectrum of potential human health effects associated 
with 2,4-D in connection with EPA's reassessment of the existing 2,4-D 
tolerances, and EPA's environmental risk assessment including:
    1. Information on the endocrine disrupting effects of 2,4-D.
    2. Information on the neurotoxicity related to 2,4-D exposure.
    3. Information that products containing 2,4-D are mutagenic.
    4. Data showing that dermal absorption of 2,4-D is enhanced by 
alcohol consumption, sunscreen, and DEET which the EPA's exposure 
assessment failed to include.
    5. Information about adverse developmental effects at doses below 
those included in EPA's risk assessment for exposure of infants to 2,4-
D in breast milk.
    EPA's risk assessment of 2,4-D and findings on whether the 
tolerances for 2,4-D comply with the safety standard in FFDCA section 
408, as amended by FQPA, are contained in the Reregistration 
Eligibility Decision (RED) document for 2,4-D which is available on 
EPA's pesticide webpage at https://www.epa.gov/pesticides/
reregistration/status.htm. Docket materials for this pesticide are 
available in the electronic docket at https://www.regulations.gov; risk 
assessment and related documents for this pesticide can be found under 
docket ID number EPA-HQ-OPP-2004-0167.

B. What is the Agency's Authority for Taking this Action?

    This action is taken under the authority of FFDCA section 
408(d)(3), 21 U.S.C. 346a(d)(3).

[[Page 79102]]

List of Subjects

    Environmental protection, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, 2,4-D, 
Natural Resources Defense Council, pesticides and pests.

    Dated: December 16, 2008.
Margaret J. Rice,
Acting Director, Special Review and Reregistration Division, Office of 
Pesticide Programs.
[FR Doc. E8-30527 Filed 12-23-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-S
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