Environmental Protection Agency February 16, 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Science Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office is announcing two public meetings of the SAB's Environmental Engineering Committee (EEC). The EEC will convene to provide advice on the proposed redesign of EPA's Pollution Prevention and New Technologies research program and conduct other committee business.

EPA is reopening the comment period for a document published on January 12, 2005 (70 FR 2085). In the January 12, 2005 notice of proposed rulemaking, EPA proposed to approve State Implementation Plan (SIP) revisions submitted by the State of Maryland, Commonwealth of Virginia and the District of Columbia for the Metropolitan Washington, DC severe 1-hour ozone nonattainment area (the Washington area). These revisions include the post 1996-1999 and post 1999-2005 rate-of- progress (ROP) plans, changes to the 1990 base year inventory, a contingency measures plan, certain transportation control measures (TCMs), and a demonstration that each SIP contains sufficient transportation control measures to offset growth in vehicle miles traveled (VMT) as necessary to demonstrate ROP and attainment of the 1- hour national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS) for ozone. EPA is reopening the comment period through February 25, 2005. All comments received on or before February 25, 2005 will be entered into the public record and considered by EPA before taking final action on the proposed rule.

This regulation establishes a tolerance for the combined residues of the insecticide/miticide avermectin B1 (a mixture of avermectins containing greater than or equal to 80% avermectin B1a (5-O-demethyl avermectin A1) and less than or equal to 20% avermectin B1b (5-O-demethyl-25-de (1-methylpropyl)-25-(1-methylethyl) avermectin A1)), and its delta-8,9-isomer, in or on avocado at 0.020 ppm; food products in food handling establishments (other than those already covered by higher tolerances as a result of use on growing crops, and other than those already covered by tolerances on milk, meat, and meat byproducts) at 0.01 ppm; herbs, subgroup 19A (except chives) at 0.030 ppm; meat and meat byproducts of goat, hog, horse, poultry, and sheep at 0.02 ppm; mint at 0.010 ppm; plum at 0.010 ppm; plum, prune, dried at 0.025 ppm; vegetable, fruiting, group 8 at 0.020 ppm; and vegetable, leafy, except Brassica, group 4 at 0.10 ppm. These tolerances were requested under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), as amended by the Food Quality Protection Act of 1996 (FQPA) in petitions filed by Syngenta Crop Protection, Inc. (formerly Novartis Crop Protection, Inc.), Interregional Research Project Number 4, and Whitmire Micro-Gen Research Laboratories, Inc.

This regulation establishes a tolerance for residues of glyphosate, N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine, resulting from the application of glyphosate, the isopropylamine salt of glyphosate, the ethanolamine salt of glyphosate, the ammonium salt of glyphosate, and the potassium salt of glyphosate in or on alfalfa, seed. Monsanto Company requested this tolerance under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), as amended by the Food Quality Protection Act of 1996 (FQPA).

This regulation establishes an exemption from the requirement of a tolerance for residues of syrups, hydrolyzed starch, hydrogenated (CAS Reg. No. 68425-17-2) when used as an inert ingredient in pesticide products. Grain Processing Corporation and SPI Polyols submitted a petition to EPA under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), as amended by the Food Quality Protection Act of 1996 (FQPA), requesting an exemption from the requirement of a tolerance. This regulation eliminates the need to establish a maximum permissible level for residues of syrups, hydrolyzed starch, hydrogenated.

In accordance with section 6(f)(1) of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), as amended, EPA is issuing a notice of receipt of a request by the registrant to amend their registrations to terminate uses of certain products containing the pesticide DCPA (or dacthal). The requests would terminate DCPA use in or on alfalfa, arracacha, artichokes (Chinese and Jerusalem), beans, bean yam, beets, chestnuts (soil treatment and nursery stock), chufa, citron melon, cotton,crabapples (soil treatment and nursery stock), cucumber, edible canna, eggplant, garlic, ginger, kale, leren, peas, pepper, potatoes, residential uses (turf and ornamentals), squash (including pumpkin), sweet potatoes, tanier, turnips, walnuts (non- bearing and nursery stock), and yam. These requests would not terminate the last DCPA products registered for use in the U.S. EPA intends to grant these requests at the close of the comment period for this announcement unless the Agency receives substantive comments within the comment period that would merit its further review of the requests. Upon acceptance of these requests, any sale, distribution, or use of products listed in this notice will be permitted only if such sale, distribution, or use is consistent with the terms as described in the final order.

This notice announces the availability of EPA's Reregistration Eligibility Decision (RED) for the pesticide 2,4-DB (4-2,4- dichlorophenoxy) butyric acid and 2,4-DB-DMAS (dimethylamine 4-2,4- dichlorophenoxy) butyrate. The Agency's risk assessments and other related documents also are available in the 2,4-DB butyric acid and 2,4-DB-DMAS butyrate docket. 2,4-DB is a member of the chlorophenoxy class of herbicides which function by mimicking the action of auxins, plant growth hormones. 2,4-DB is used to control broadleaf weeds in alfalfa, clover, soybeans, peanuts, peppermint, spearmint, and birdfoot trefoil. 2,4-DB is manufactured as an acid and as the dimethylamine salt, 2, 4-DB-DMAS. EPA has reviewed 2,4-DB butyric acid and 2,4-DB- DMAS butyrate through the public participation process that the Agency uses to involve the public in developing pesticide reregistration and tolerance reassessment decisions. Through these programs, EPA is ensuring that all pesticides meet current health and safety standards.

This regulation establishes exemptions from the requirement of a tolerance for residues of N,N-dimethyloctanamide or octanamide, N,N- dimethyl (CAS Reg. No. 1118-92-9), and N,N-dimethyldecanamide or decanamide, N,N-dimethyl (CAS Reg. No. 14433-76-2) when used as inert ingredients (emulsifier, solvent, and cosolvent) in pesticide formulations applied only to growing crops. The C.P. Hall Company, now doing business as CPH Services, submitted a petition to EPA under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), as amended by the Food Quality Protection Act of 1996 (FQPA), requesting an exemption from the requirement of a tolerance. This regulation eliminates the need to establish a maximum permissible level for residues of N,N- dimethyloctanamide and N,N-dimethyldecanamide.

This notice announces receipt of an application 432-EUP-O from Bayer Environmental Science requesting an experimental use permit (EUP) for Imidacloprid. The Agency has determined that the application may be of regional and national significance. Therefore, in accordance with 40 CFR 172.11(a), the Agency is soliciting comments on this application.