Environmental Protection Agency March 28, 2012 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or Agency) Science Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office announces two public teleconferences of the SAB Libby Amphibole Asbestos Panel to discuss the Panel's draft review report of EPA's Toxicological Review of Libby Amphibole Asbestos (August 2011 Draft).

Notice is hereby given in accordance with the provision of section 1413 of the Safe Drinking Water Act, as amended, and the requirements governing the National Primary Drinking Water Regulations Implementation, 40 CFR Part 142, that the Commonwealth of Virginia is revising its approved Public Water System Supervision Program. The Commonwealth has adopted the drinking water regulation for the Ground Water Rule (GWR) which will provide for better public health protection by reducing public water system consumers' risk of microbial illness from drinking water. EPA has determined that the Commonwealth rule meets all minimum federal requirements, and that the Commonwealth revision is no less stringent than the corresponding federal regulation. Therefore, EPA is taking action to tentatively approve these program revisions. All interested parties are invited to submit written comments on this determination and may request a public hearing.

Under the Federal Advisory Committee Act, Public Law 92-463, EPA gives notice of a meeting of the National Advisory Committee (NAC) and Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC) to the U.S. Representative to the North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC). The National and Governmental Advisory Committees advise the EPA Administrator in her capacity as the U.S. Representative to the CEC Council. The Committees are authorized under Articles 17 and 18 of the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation (NAAEC), North American Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act, Public Law 103-182, and as directed by Executive Order 12915, entitled ``Federal Implementation of the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation.'' The NAC is composed of 13 members representing academia, environmental non-governmental organizations, and private industry. The GAC consists of 12 members representing state, local, and Tribal governments. The Committees are responsible for providing advice to the U.S. Representative on a wide range of strategic, scientific, technological, regulatory, and economic issues related to implementation and further elaboration of the NAAEC. The purpose of the meeting is to provide advice on the Guidelines for Submissions on Enforcement Matters under Articles 14 and 15 of the NAAEC and to discuss other trans-boundary environmental and trade issues. The meeting will also include a public comment session. A copy of the agenda will be posted at https://www.epa.gov/ofacmo/nacgac- page.htm.

EPA has established registration review dockets for the pesticides listed in the table in Unit III.A. With this document, EPA is opening the public comment period for these registration reviews. Registration review is EPA's periodic review of pesticide registrations to ensure that each pesticide continues to satisfy the statutory standard for registration, that is, the pesticide can perform its intended function without unreasonable adverse effects on human health or the environment. Registration review dockets contain information that will assist the public in understanding the types of information and issues that the Agency may consider during the course of registration reviews. Through this program, EPA is ensuring that each pesticide's registration is based on current scientific and other knowledge, including its effects on human health and the environment. This document also announces the Agency's intent not to open a registration review docket for dicofol, molinate, or bromonitrostyrene. Bromonitrostyrene and molinate do not currently have any actively registered pesticide products and are not, therefore, scheduled for review under the registration review program. Dicofol is undergoing a phase-out of all U.S. pesticide registrations. The cancellations of the end use registrations are effective October 31, 2013. Therefore, dicofol is not scheduled for review under the registration review program. EPA is also announcing the availability of an amended final work plan for the registration review of the pesticide tribenuron methyl; this work plan has been amended to incorporate revisions to the data requirements.

This notice rescinds a previously issued Cancellation Order, printed in the Federal Register on December 28, 2011, to the extent it is applicable to one methyl parathion product. The product in question, EPA Registration Number 070506-00193, was previously cancelled under a separate Cancellation Order published in the Federal Register on July 27, 2010. The July 27, 2010 order correctly identifies the effective date of cancellation for the affected product registration as well as the correct dates associated with the disposition of existing stocks. This rescission only applies to the methyl parathion registration. All other product registrations for all other chemicals that were included in the December 28, 2011 cancellation order remain in effect and are not otherwise affected by this action.

Under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), EPA is proposing: To add nine benzidine-based chemical substances to the Significant New Use Rule (SNUR) on benzidine-based chemical substances; a SNUR for di-n-pentyl phthalate (DnPP) (1,2-benzenedicarboxylic acid, 1,2-dipentyl ester) (CAS No. 131-18-0); and a SNUR for alkanes, C12-13, chloro (CAS No. 71011-12-6). In the case of the benzidine-based chemical substances, EPA is also proposing to make inapplicable the exemption relating to persons that import or process substances as part of an article. If finalized, this rule would require persons who intend to manufacture, import, or process these chemical substances for an activity that is designated as a significant new use to notify EPA at least 90 days before commencing that activity. The required notification would provide EPA with the opportunity to evaluate activities associated with a significant new use and an opportunity to protect against potential unreasonable risks, if any, from exposure to the chemical substance.