Pesticide Experimental Use Permit; Receipt of Application; Comment Request, 38624 [2019-16810]

Agencies

• ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 152 (Wednesday, August 7, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Page 38624]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-16810]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OPP-2019-0367; FRL-9996-71]


Pesticide Experimental Use Permit; Receipt of Application; 
Comment Request

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces EPA's receipt of application 73049-EUP-
RE from Valent BioSciences LLC, requesting an experimental use permit 
(EUP) for 1-Aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid. EPA has determined 
that the permit may be of regional or national significance. Therefore, 
because of the potential significance, EPA is seeking comments on this 
application.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before September 6, 2019.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket Identification 
(ID) Number EPA-HQ-OPP-2019-0367, 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/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 FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert McNally, Biopesticides and 
Pollution Prevention Division (7511P), Office of Pesticide Programs, 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, 
DC 20460-0001; main telephone number: (703) 305-7090; email address: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. General Information

A. Does this action apply to me?

    This action is directed to the public in general. Although this 
action may be of particular interest to those persons who conduct or 
sponsor research on pesticides, EPA 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.
    2. Tips for preparing your comments. When preparing and submitting 
your comments, see the commenting tips at https://www.epa.gov/dockets/comments.html.
    3. Environmental justice. EPA seeks to achieve environmental 
justice, the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of any group, 
including minority and/or low income populations, in the development, 
implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and 
policies. To help address potential environmental justice issues, EPA 
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 or disproportionately high and adverse human health 
impacts or environmental effects from exposure to the pesticide 
discussed in this document, compared to the general population.

II. What action is the Agency taking?

    Under section 5 of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and 
Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), 7 U.S.C. 136c, EPA can allow manufacturers to 
field test pesticides under development. Manufacturers are required to 
obtain an EUP before testing new pesticides or new uses of pesticides 
if they conduct experimental field tests on more than 10 acres of land 
or more than one surface acre of water.
    Pursuant to 40 CFR 172.11(a), EPA has determined that the following 
EUP application may be of regional or national significance, and 
therefore is seeking public comment on the EUP application:
    Submitter: Valent BioSciences LLC, 870 Technology Way, 
Libertyville, IL 60048 (73049-EUP-RE).
    Pesticide Chemical: 1-Aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC).
    Summary of Request: The biochemical plant regulator ACC is intended 
to be applied to apples and stone fruits at flowering for the purpose 
of fruit thinning. The objective of the testing is to verify the 
efficacy of and crop tolerance to the test pesticide product under 
commercial production methods. The testing is intended to last 3 years. 
The testing will take place on 1,800 acres and 325 pounds of formulated 
pesticide product (30 pounds of active ingredient) will be applied in 
total each year. The testing on apples will occur in the following 
states: California, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, 
Michigan, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, 
Pennsylvania, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and 
Wisconsin. The apple applications will be applied at 46 fluid ounces of 
pesticide per acre on a total of 1,150 acres each year. The testing on 
stone fruits will occur in the following states: California, Georgia, 
Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and 
South Carolina. The stone fruit applications will be applied at 103 
fluid ounces of pesticide per acre on a total of 650 acres each year. 
(Note: The formulated pesticide product contains 10% active ingredient 
and is diluted for spraying.)
    Following the review of the application and any comments and data 
received in response to this solicitation, EPA will decide whether to 
issue or deny the EUP request, and if issued, the conditions under 
which it is to be conducted. Any issuance of an EUP will be announced 
in the Federal Register.

    Authority:  7 U.S.C. 136 et seq.

    Dated: July 15, 2019.
Delores Barber,
Director, Information Technology and Re
[FR Doc. 2019-16810 Filed 8-6-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P