Environmental Protection Agency April 26, 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

EPA is convening a public workshop to provide training for persons responsible for submitting information during the 2006 Inventory Update Reporting (IUR) period. The workshop will focus on reporting requirements, case studies, the electronic IUR software, and submission of IUR information through the Internet. The IUR requirements were modified by amendments to 40 CFR part 710 promulgated on January 7, 2003 (68 FR 847) (FRL-6767-4) and December 19, 2005 (70 FR 75059) (FRL-7743-9). This workshop is open to the public.

This notice announces the availability of EPA's risk assessments, preliminary risk reduction options, and related documents for the pesticides chlorine dioxide, sodium chlorite and sodium chlorate (antimicrobial uses), and opens a public comment period on these documents. The public also is encouraged to suggest risk management ideas or proposals to address the risks identified. EPA is developing a Reregistration Eligibility Decision (RED) for chlorine dioxide through a modified, 4-Phase 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.

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 requests by registrants to amend napropamide and MCPA registrations to terminate certain uses. The requests would terminate MCPA use on rice and grain sorghum as well as terminate napropamide uses on pistachio, walnut, grapefruit, lemon, nectarine, orange, tangerine, tangelo, apricot, cherry, peach, plum, prune, apple, pear, fig, avocado, pomegranate, artichoke, and olive. The requests would not terminate the last napropamide or MCPA products registered for use in the United States. 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, or unless the registrants withdraw their requests within this period. 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 risk assessment, preliminary risk reduction options, and related documents for the pesticide 2-(Thiocyanomethylthio)benzothiazole (TCMTB), and opens a public comment period on these documents. The public also is encouraged to suggest risk management ideas or proposals to address the risks identified. EPA is developing a Reregistration Eligibility Decision (RED) for TCMTB through a modified, 4-Phase 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 notice announces the initial filing of a pesticide petition proposing the establishment of regulations for residues of mesotrione in or on flax, millet, berry group, and cranberry commodities.

This notice announces the initial filing of a pesticide petition proposing the establishment of a regulation for residues of the molluscicide metaldehyde in or on various food commodities.

EPA is soliciting applications for the critical use exemption from the phaseout of methyl bromide for 2009 and beyond. In addition, those applicants who missed last year's deadline to apply for a critical use exemption for the year 2008 may file a supplemental application in response to the notice. This exemption is an annual exemption and all entities interested in obtaining a critical use exemption must provide EPA with technical and economic information to support a ``critical use'' claim, and must do so by the deadline specified in this notice even if they have previously applied for an exemption. This notice also invites interested parties to provide EPA with new data on the technical and economic feasibility of methyl bromide alternatives.

The EPA Science Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office announces two public teleconferences and a face-to-face meeting of the SAB Environmental Engineering Committee to provide advice on the Sustainability Research Strategy and the associated multi-year research plan, Science and Technology for Sustainability. Agendas and documents will be posted on the SAB Web site at: http:/ /www.epa.gov/sab prior to the teleconferences and face-to-face meeting.

This notice announces the initial filing of a pesticide petition proposing the establishment of an exemption from the requirement of regulations for residues of poly (2-ethylhexyl acrylate/ 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate/N-(hydroxymethyl)-2-methylacrylamide/ methacrylic acid/methyl methacrylate/styrene), ammonium salt in or on all food commodities when used as an inert ingredient in pesticide products.

This notice announces that EPA is accepting applications from organizations seeking to become registered printers and distributors of the new national Uniform Hazardous Waste Manifest.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 8 announces its intent to delete the Internal Parcel, encompassing 7,399 acres of the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Priorities List Site (RMA/NPL Site) On-Post Operable Unit (OU), from the National Priorities List (NPL) and requests public comment on this proposed action. The NPL constitutes Appendix B of 40 CFR Part 300, which is the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP), which EPA promulgated pursuant to Section 105 of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). EPA bases its proposal to delete the Internal Parcel of the RMA/NPL Site on the determination by EPA and the State of Colorado, through the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), that all appropriate actions under CERCLA have been implemented to protect human health, welfare and the environment and that no further response action by responsible parties is appropriate. This partial deletion pertains to the surface media (soil, surface water, sediment) and structures within the Internal Parcel of the On- Post OU of the RMA/NPL Site as well as the groundwater below the Internal Parcel that is east of E Street, with the exception of a small area of contaminated groundwater located in the northwest corner of Section 6. The rest of the On-Post OU, including groundwater below RMA that is west of E Street, and the Off-Post OU will remain on the NPL and response activities will continue at those OUs.

EPA is revoking specific tolerances and tolerance exemptions for residues of the insecticides paraformaldehyde and tetradifon; fungicides captafol, hexaconazole, and sodium dimethyldithiocarbamate; and bee repellent benzaldehyde. EPA canceled food use registrations or deleted food uses from registrations following requests for voluntary cancellation or use deletion by the registrants, or non-payment of registration maintenance fees. Also, stakeholders have withdrawn their support for import tolerances for captafol and hexaconazole. The regulatory actions in this document contribute toward the Agency's tolerance reassessment requirements of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) section 408(q), as amended by the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) of 1996. By law, EPA is required by August 2006 to reassess the tolerances in existence on August 2, 1996. The regulatory actions in this document pertain to the revocation of 39 tolerances and tolerance exemptions of which 38 count as tolerance reassessments toward the August, 2006 review deadline.