Environmental Protection Agency December 8, 2010 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice announces EPA's order for the amendments to terminate use, voluntarily requested by the registrant and accepted by the Agency, of products containing methomyl, pursuant to section 6(f)(1) of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), as amended. This cancellation order follows an October 24, 2007 Federal Register Notice of Receipt of Requests from the registrant listed in Table 2 of Unit II. to voluntarily amend to terminate the grape use from all product registrations. In the October 24, 2007 notice, EPA indicated that it would issue an order implementing the amendments to terminate use, unless the Agency received substantive comments within the 180 day comment period that would merit its further review of these requests, or unless the registrant withdrew the requests. On April 14, 2008, the registrant withdrew the voluntary cancellation of the grape use and submitted a Pesticide Registration Improvement Act (PRIA) action to modify the methomyl use on grapes. While this new information refined the dietary risk assessment, it was not sufficient to change the Agency's previous conclusion. As a result, the registrant withdrew the PRIA action on April 9, 2010. Accordingly, EPA hereby issues in this notice a cancellation order granting the requested amendments to terminate use. Any distribution, sale, or use of the products subject to this cancellation order is permitted only in accordance with the terms of this order, including any existing stocks provisions.

This notice makes available for review and public comment a petition submitted by Beyond Pesticides, and Food & Water Watch (hereafter referred to as ``the petitioners'') to the Environmental Protection Agency (hereafter referred to as ``EPA'' or ``the Agency''), asking EPA to use its authority under various statutes to regulate triclosan. Triclosan is an antimicrobial substance used in pesticide products, hand sanitizers, toothpaste, and other consumer products. The petitioners claim that the ``pervasive and widespread use'' of triclosan poses significant risks to human health and the environment. In addition, the petitioners claim that the agency failed to address the impacts posed by triclosan's degradation products on human health and the environment, failed to conduct separate assessments for triclosan residues in contaminated drinking water and food, and is complacent in seriously addressing concerns related to antibacterial resistance and endocrine disruption. EPA has established a public docket, which contains a copy of the petition and will contain all comments received in response to this notice. The docket may be accessed as described in this notice.

EPA is announcing a 45-day public comment period for the draft document titled, ``Lymphohematopoietic Cancers Induced by Chemicals and Other Agents: Overview and Implications for Risk Assessment'' (EPA/600/ R-10/095A). The draft document was prepared by the National Center for Environmental Assessment within EPA's Office of Research and Development. The draft document provides an overview of the types and mechanisms underlying the lymphohematopoietic cancers induced by chemical agents and radiation in humans, with a primary emphasis on leukemia and leukemia-inducing agents. In addition, the document also focuses on how mechanistic information on human leukemia-inducing agents can inform risk assessment. EPA is releasing this draft document solely for the purpose of pre- dissemination peer review under applicable information quality guidelines. This draft document has not been formally disseminated by EPA. It does not represent and should not be construed to represent any Agency policy or determination. All public comments received will be provided to the peer reviewers at the beginning of the review process.

EPA is proposing to approve a July 29, 2010, request from the State of Illinois to exempt sources of Nitrogen Oxides (NOX) in the Illinois portions of the Chicago-Gary-Lake County, Illinois- Indiana and St. Louis, Missouri-Illinois 8-hour ozone nonattainment areas from Clean Air Act (CAA) requirements for NOX Reasonably Available Control Technology (RACT) for purposes of attaining the 1997 8-hour ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS). The State's NOX RACT waiver request is based on the most recent three years of complete, quality-assured ozone monitoring data, which demonstrate that additional reduction of NOX emissions in the ozone nonattainment areas would not contribute to attainment of the 1997 8-hour ozone NAAQS in the two ozone nonattainment areas. In addition to waiving the NOX RACT requirement for the State of Illinois, final approval of the NOX RACT waiver would also suspend a requirement for EPA to promulgate a NOX RACT Federal Implementation Plan (FIP) for the 8-hour ozone nonattainment areas.

There will be a 4-day meeting of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act Scientific Advisory Panel (FIFRA SAP) to consider and review the Chlorpyrifos Physiologically-Based Pharmacokinetic/Pharmacodynamic (PBPK/PD) Modeling linked to the Cumulative and Aggregate Risk Evaluation System (CARES).