Environmental Protection Agency August 5, 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This regulation establishes an exemption from the requirement of a tolerance for residues of Polyoxyethylene polyoxypropylene mono(di-sec-butylphenyl) ether when used as an inert ingredient in herbicide formulations only, for pre-harvest uses and at no more than 30% by weight in herbicide formulations intended for application to turf. The Joint Inerts Task Force (JITF), Cluster Support Team Number 20, submitted a petition to EPA under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), requesting an exemption from the requirement of a tolerance. This regulation eliminates the need to establish a maximum permissible level for residues of Polyoxyethylene polyoxypropylene mono(di-sec-butylphenyl) ether.

This regulation establishes an exemption from the requirement of a tolerance for residues of sodium alkyl naphthalenesulfonate, herein referred to in this document as SANS, when used as an inert ingredient at a maximum of 30% by weight in pesticide formulations for pre-harvest and post-harvest uses, as well as, for application to animals. The Joint Inerts Task Force (JITF), Cluster Support Team Number 10, submitted a petition to EPA under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), requesting an exemption from the requirement of a tolerance. This regulation eliminates the need to establish a maximum permissible level for residues of SANS.

In a Federal Register notice dated July 15, 2009, the EPA Science Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office announced a public teleconference on August 28, 2009 for a chartered SAB quality review of its draft report on the Agency's Expert Elicitation White Paper. That teleconference will occur as announced, but will include the addition of a briefing on the SAB Integrated Nitrogen Committee draft report. The briefing will provide information in preparation for a future quality review of the Integrated Nitrogen Committee report to be announced in a future Federal Register notice. This corrected notice announces the addition of the Integrated Nitrogen Committee.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA)(44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this document announces that an Information Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. This is a request to renew an existing approved collection. The ICR, which is abstracted below, describes the nature of the information collection and its estimated burden and cost.

Pursuant to the Clean Air Act, EPA is proposing to approve two State implementation plan revisions submitted by the State of Arizona. The State submitted the 2008 Revision to the Carbon Monoxide Limited Maintenance Plan for the Tucson Air Planning Area on July 10, 2008. EPA is proposing to approve the 2008 Limited Maintenance Plan because it provides for the maintenance of the carbon monoxide national ambient air quality standard within the Tucson Air Planning Area through the second 10-year portion of the maintenance period. EPA is also proposing to approve a statutory provision that was submitted by the State on June 22, 2009 as a revision to the State implementation plan and that extends the life of the State's vehicle emissions inspection program through the end of 2016. EPA is taking this action pursuant to those provisions of the Clean Air Act that obligate the Agency to take action on submittals of revisions to State implementation plans. The effect of this action would be to make certain commitments related to maintenance of the carbon monoxide standard in the Tucson Air Planning Area Federally enforceable as part of the Arizona State implementation plan.

This regulation establishes a temporary exemption from the requirement of a tolerance for residues of the microbial pesticide, Pasteuria usgae, on strawberries when applied/used as a nematicide in accordance with the terms of Experimental Use Permit (EUP) 85004-EUP-1. MacIntosh and Associates, Incorporated, 1203 Hartford Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55116-1622 (on behalf of Pasteuria Bioscience, Incorporated, 12085 Research Drive, Suite 185, Alachua, FL 32615) submitted a petition to EPA under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), requesting the temporary tolerance exemption. This regulation eliminates the need to establish a maximum permissible level for residues of Pasteuria usgae in or on strawberries. The temporary tolerance exemption expires on December 31, 2010.

By this action the Environmental Protection Agency proposes to revise the Noise Labeling Standards for Hearing Protection Devices (HPD). These standards have not been amended since 1979 and technologies have evolved and improved in the interim. The proposed revisions provide manufacturers with newly developed testing methodologies that are the most appropriate to assess and label hearing protection devices, and to allow legitimate hearing protection products to be sold as such in U.S. markets. In particular, this action should result in the availability of a new generation of significantly improved devices that are precluded from entering the marketplace as ``hearing protectors'' by the 1979 regulation. Finally, the Agency is mindful of the relatively large percentage of small entities that comprise the HPD industry. In recognition of the evolutionary changes in marketing and selling products brought about by the internet, and in order to minimize the potential economic burden on manufacturers that sell their products ``exclusively'' over the internet, the Agency is proposing to allow ``electronic labeling'' as a means for certain manufacturers (as defined in subpart B) to comply with the labeling requirements of this proposed rule.