FIFRA Pesticide Registration Review and ESA Consultation Processes; Stakeholder Input; Notice of Availability, 18585-18586 [2013-06920]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 59 / Wednesday, March 27, 2013 / Notices Online service, please email FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or call (866) 208–3676 (toll free). For TTY, call (202) 502–8659. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Dated: March 21, 2013. Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr., Deputy Secretary. [Docket No. ER13–1100–000] mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Energy Technology Savings LLC; Supplemental Notice That Initial Market-Based Rate Filing Includes Request for Blanket Section 204 Authorization [FR Doc. 2013–06992 Filed 3–26–13; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717–01–P This is a supplemental notice in the above-referenced proceeding, of Energy Technology Savings LLC’s application for market-based rate authority, with an accompanying rate schedule, noting that such application includes a request for blanket authorization, under 18 CFR part 34, of future issuances of securities and assumptions of liability. Any person desiring to intervene or to protest should file with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE., Washington, DC 20426, in accordance with Rules 211 and 214 of the Commission’s Rules of Practice and Procedure (18 CFR 385.211 and 385.214). Anyone filing a motion to intervene or protest must serve a copy of that document on the Applicant. Notice is hereby given that the deadline for filing protests with regard to the applicant’s request for blanket authorization, under 18 CFR part 34, of future issuances of securities and assumptions of liability is April 10, 2013. The Commission encourages electronic submission of protests and interventions in lieu of paper, using the FERC Online links at https:// www.ferc.gov. To facilitate electronic service, persons with Internet access who will eFile a document and/or be listed as a contact for an intervenor must create and validate an eRegistration account using the eRegistration link. Select the eFiling link to log on and submit the intervention or protests. Persons unable to file electronically should submit an original and 5 copies of the intervention or protest to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE., Washington, DC 20426. The filings in the above-referenced proceeding(s) are accessible in the Commission’s eLibrary system by clicking on the appropriate link in the above list. They are also available for review in the Commission’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. There is an eSubscription link on the Web site that enables subscribers to receive email notification when a document is added to a subscribed docket(s). For assistance with any FERC VerDate Mar<15>2010 18:10 Mar 26, 2013 Jkt 229001 ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [EPA–HQ–OPP–2012–0442; FRL–9382–5] FIFRA Pesticide Registration Review and ESA Consultation Processes; Stakeholder Input; Notice of Availability Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: SUMMARY: EPA is announcing the availability of the final paper describing enhanced opportunities for stakeholder input during its review of pesticide registrations under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and associated consultations under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The paper was jointly prepared by EPA, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) in the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in the Department of Interior (collectively, the Services). The paper describes significant changes to EPA’s registration review process intended to facilitate ESA pesticide consultations and coordination across these Federal agencies, and calls for a greater role for USDA. EPA accepted public comment on the proposed changes for 60 days, and then reviewed the comments received. Subsequently, EPA, USDA, and the Services revised the paper to outline specific roles and responsibilities for each agency, and to provide clarifying information on focus meetings and the timing for public input. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Richard P. Keigwin, Jr., Pesticide Reevaluation Division (7501P), Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460–0001; telephone number: (703) 308–8000; fax number: (703) 308–8005; email address: Keigwin.Richard@epa.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: PO 00000 Frm 00027 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 18585 I. General Information A. Does this action apply to me? You may be potentially affected by this action if you manufacture, buy, sell, distribute, or use pesticide products. B. How can I get copies of this document and other related information? The docket for this action, identified by docket identification (ID) number EPA–HQ–OPP–2012–0442, is available at https://www.regulations.gov or at the Office of Pesticide Programs Regulatory Public Docket (OPP Docket) in the Environmental Protection Agency Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA West Bldg., Rm. 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460–0001. The Public Reading Room is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The telephone number for the Public Reading Room is (202) 566–1744, and the telephone number for the OPP Docket is (703) 305–5805. Please review the visitor instructions and additional information about the docket available at https://www.epa.gov/dockets. II. Background EPA is announcing the availability of a document titled, ‘‘Enhancing Stakeholder Input in the Pesticide Registration Review and ESA Consultation Processes and Development of Economically and Technologically Feasible Reasonable and Prudent Alternatives.’’ A copy of this document is available in the docket at https://www.regulations.gov under docket ID number EPA–HQ–OPP–2012– 0442. The document describes changes to EPA’s pesticide registration review program and how it conducts consultation with the Services under section 7 of the ESA. In an effort to be responsive to stakeholders’ desires for a mechanism to get information into the registration review process as early as possible, EPA is holding ‘‘focus’’ meetings at the start of registration review for each active ingredient. In response to stakeholders’ desires for a more open, reliable, and transparent pesticide consultation process, EPA will initiate any needed formal ESA consultations at a later stage in the review process. Consulting later in the registration review process allows EPA to develop more refined ecological risk assessments and to engage affected stakeholders in discussions that should result in more focused consultation packages inclusive of mitigation for listed species. There is a consensus that EPA and the Services should engage informally and early in the consultation process, but that formal consultation E:\FR\FM\27MRN1.SGM 27MRN1 18586 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 59 / Wednesday, March 27, 2013 / Notices should be reserved until EPA’s ecological risk assessment and proposed decision are more fully formed. This approach has the potential to maximize the opportunity to effect changes that provide protections for species and their designated critical habitat, lessen the impacts on agriculture, and narrow the scope of the Federal action. Additionally, the document describes EPA’s plans to reach out to pesticide users potentially affected to discuss the technological and economic feasibility of reasonable and prudent alternatives (RPAs) intended to avoid jeopardy to threatened and/or endangered species. The USDA’s relationships with the agricultural community provide a critical link between EPA’s expertise on pesticides and the Services’ expertise on listed species’ locations, status and biology. Finally, the document describes the process by which public comments received on RPAs will be summarized and organized by EPA and provided to the Services, who will prepare a document to be included in the administrative record of the consultation explaining how comments were considered, and if appropriate, how the final biological opinion was modified to address the comments. The Services will provide the document to EPA, and both the Services and EPA will make the document available to the public upon request. These process changes are intended to provide clarity and transparency to the ESA section 7 consultation process for pesticides. List of Subjects Environmental protection, Endangered species, Pesticide registration review, Section 7 ESA consultation. Dated: March 19, 2013. Steven Bradbury, Director, Office of Pesticide Programs. [FR Doc. 2013–06920 Filed 3–26–13; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6560–50–P ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES [EPA–HQ–OPP–2013–0121; FRL–9381–9] Registration Review; Pesticide Dockets Opened for Review and Comment and Other Docket Acts Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: SUMMARY: With this document, EPA is opening the public comment period for several registration reviews. Registration VerDate Mar<15>2010 18:10 Mar 26, 2013 Jkt 229001 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 registration review dockets for iodomethane or ethametsulfuronmethyl. Iodomethane and ethametsulfuron-methyl are undergoing phase-outs of all U.S. pesticide registrations. The cancellations of the iodomethane end use registrations became effective on December 31, 2012, and the cancellation of the sole technical product registration will become effective on December 1, 2015. The cancellations of all ethametsulfuron-methyl product registrations became effective on February 20, 2013. Therefore, iodomethane and ethametsulfuronmethyl are not scheduled for review under the registration review program. This document also announces the registration review case closures for the pesticides alkyl amine hydrochloride (case #3051) and halofenozide (case #7425), and the availability of their respective Case Closure Documents. The cancellation of all alkyl amine hydrochloride registrations became effective on October 17, 2012. The cancellation of all U.S. halofenozide registrations became effective December 21, 2012. These case closure are being announced herein with no comment period. DATES: Comments must be received on or before May 28, 2013. 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 online instructions for submitting comments. Do not submit electronically any information you consider to be Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. • Mail: OPP Docket, Environmental Protection Agency Docket Center (EPA/ PO 00000 Frm 00028 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 DC), (28221T), 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460–0001. • Hand Delivery: To make special arrangements for hand delivery or delivery of boxed information, please follow the instructions at https:// www.epa.gov/dockets/contacts.html. Additional instructions on commenting or visiting the docket, along with more information about dockets generally, is available at https://www.epa.gov/dockets. For pesticide specific information contact: The Chemical Review Manager identified in the table in Unit III.A. for the pesticide of interest. For general information contact: Jane Robbins, Pesticide Re-evaluation Division (7508P), Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460–0001; telephone number: (703) 308–0048; fax number: (703) 308–8090; email address: robbins.jane@epa.gov. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 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. 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 email. 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. E:\FR\FM\27MRN1.SGM 27MRN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 59 (Wednesday, March 27, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18585-18586]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-06920]


=======================================================================
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OPP-2012-0442; FRL-9382-5]


FIFRA Pesticide Registration Review and ESA Consultation 
Processes; Stakeholder Input; Notice of Availability

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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

SUMMARY: EPA is announcing the availability of the final paper 
describing enhanced opportunities for stakeholder input during its 
review of pesticide registrations under the Federal Insecticide, 
Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and associated consultations 
under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The paper was jointly prepared 
by EPA, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the National 
Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) in the U.S. Department of Commerce and 
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in the Department of 
Interior (collectively, the Services). The paper describes significant 
changes to EPA's registration review process intended to facilitate ESA 
pesticide consultations and coordination across these Federal agencies, 
and calls for a greater role for USDA. EPA accepted public comment on 
the proposed changes for 60 days, and then reviewed the comments 
received. Subsequently, EPA, USDA, and the Services revised the paper 
to outline specific roles and responsibilities for each agency, and to 
provide clarifying information on focus meetings and the timing for 
public input.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Richard P. Keigwin, Jr., Pesticide Re-
evaluation Division (7501P), Office of Pesticide Programs, 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., 
Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone number: (703) 308-8000; fax 
number: (703) 308-8005; email address: Keigwin.Richard@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. General Information

A. Does this action apply to me?

    You may be potentially affected by this action if you manufacture, 
buy, sell, distribute, or use pesticide products.

B. How can I get copies of this document and other related information?

    The docket for this action, identified by docket identification 
(ID) number EPA-HQ-OPP-2012-0442, is available at https://www.regulations.gov or at the Office of Pesticide Programs Regulatory 
Public Docket (OPP Docket) in the Environmental Protection Agency 
Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA West Bldg., Rm. 3334, 1301 Constitution 
Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001. The Public Reading Room is open 
from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal 
holidays. The telephone number for the Public Reading Room is (202) 
566-1744, and the telephone number for the OPP Docket is (703) 305-
5805. Please review the visitor instructions and additional information 
about the docket available at https://www.epa.gov/dockets.

II. Background

    EPA is announcing the availability of a document titled, 
``Enhancing Stakeholder Input in the Pesticide Registration Review and 
ESA Consultation Processes and Development of Economically and 
Technologically Feasible Reasonable and Prudent Alternatives.'' A copy 
of this document is available in the docket at https://www.regulations.gov under docket ID number EPA-HQ-OPP-2012-0442. The 
document describes changes to EPA's pesticide registration review 
program and how it conducts consultation with the Services under 
section 7 of the ESA. In an effort to be responsive to stakeholders' 
desires for a mechanism to get information into the registration review 
process as early as possible, EPA is holding ``focus'' meetings at the 
start of registration review for each active ingredient. In response to 
stakeholders' desires for a more open, reliable, and transparent 
pesticide consultation process, EPA will initiate any needed formal ESA 
consultations at a later stage in the review process. Consulting later 
in the registration review process allows EPA to develop more refined 
ecological risk assessments and to engage affected stakeholders in 
discussions that should result in more focused consultation packages 
inclusive of mitigation for listed species. There is a consensus that 
EPA and the Services should engage informally and early in the 
consultation process, but that formal consultation

[[Page 18586]]

should be reserved until EPA's ecological risk assessment and proposed 
decision are more fully formed. This approach has the potential to 
maximize the opportunity to effect changes that provide protections for 
species and their designated critical habitat, lessen the impacts on 
agriculture, and narrow the scope of the Federal action.
    Additionally, the document describes EPA's plans to reach out to 
pesticide users potentially affected to discuss the technological and 
economic feasibility of reasonable and prudent alternatives (RPAs) 
intended to avoid jeopardy to threatened and/or endangered species. The 
USDA's relationships with the agricultural community provide a critical 
link between EPA's expertise on pesticides and the Services' expertise 
on listed species' locations, status and biology.
    Finally, the document describes the process by which public 
comments received on RPAs will be summarized and organized by EPA and 
provided to the Services, who will prepare a document to be included in 
the administrative record of the consultation explaining how comments 
were considered, and if appropriate, how the final biological opinion 
was modified to address the comments. The Services will provide the 
document to EPA, and both the Services and EPA will make the document 
available to the public upon request. These process changes are 
intended to provide clarity and transparency to the ESA section 7 
consultation process for pesticides.

List of Subjects

    Environmental protection, Endangered species, Pesticide 
registration review, Section 7 ESA consultation.

    Dated: March 19, 2013.
Steven Bradbury,
 Director, Office of Pesticide Programs.
[FR Doc. 2013-06920 Filed 3-26-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
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