Environmental Protection Agency November 21, 2012 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Solid Waste Disposal Act, as amended, commonly referred to as the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), allows the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to authorize states to operate their hazardous waste management programs in lieu of the federal program. Colorado has applied to the EPA for final authorization of changes to its hazardous waste program under RCRA. The EPA has determined that these changes satisfy all requirements needed to qualify for final authorization, and is authorizing the state's changes through this final action.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will begin to accept requests, from December 1, 2012 through January 31, 2013, for grants to supplement State and Tribal Response Programs. This notice provides guidance on eligibility for funding, use of funding, grant mechanisms and process for awarding funding, the allocation system for distribution of funding, and terms and reporting under these grants. EPA has consulted with state and tribal officials in developing this guidance. The primary goal of this funding is to ensure that state and tribal response programs include, or are taking reasonable steps to include, certain elements and a public record. Another goal is to provide funding for other activities that increase the number of response actions conducted or overseen by a state or tribal response program. This funding is not intended to supplant current state or tribal funding for their response programs. Instead, it is to supplement their funding to increase their response capacity. For fiscal year 2013, EPA will consider funding requests up to a maximum of $1.1 million per state or tribe. Subject to the availability of funds, EPA regional personnel will be available to provide technical assistance to states and tribes as they apply for and carry out these grants.

This notice announces EPA's receipt of an application 524-EUP- RNU from Monsanto Company requesting an experimental use permit (EUP) for the plant-incorporated protectants (PIPs) corn events with a double stranded RNA (dsRNA) transcript comprising a Dv49 inverted repeat sequence derived from Diabrotica virgifera, and the genetic material necessary for its production (vector PV-ZMIR10871). These events are proposed for experimental use in combination with single and combined traits against lepidoptera and corn rootworm (CRW). The Agency has determined that the permit may be of regional and national significance. Therefore, because of the potential significance, EPA is seeking comments on this application.

In accordance with the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), EPA is issuing a notice of receipt of a request by the registrant to voluntarily cancel the registrations of products containing the pesticide iodomethane. In addition, the registrant has amended the terms and conditions of registration for their iodomethane technical product so that as of January 1, 2013, Arysta LifeScience North America, LLC (Arysta) will not sell or distribute this product unless it bears a label statement. The registrant's request would terminate the last iodomethane products registered for use in the United States. EPA intends to grant this request 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 request. If EPA issues a final order granting this request, the sale, distribution, or use of the products listed in this notice will be permitted only in accordance with the terms as described in the final order.

The Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) requires any person who intends to manufacture (defined by statute to include import) a new chemical (i.e., a chemical not on the TSCA Chemical Substances Inventory (TSCA Inventory)) to notify EPA and comply with the statutory provisions pertaining to the manufacture of new chemicals. In addition under TSCA, EPA is required to publish in the Federal Register a notice of receipt of a premanufacture notice (PMN) or an application for a test marketing exemption (TME), and to publish in the Federal Register periodic status reports on the new chemicals under review and the receipt of notices of commencement (NOC) to manufacture those chemicals. This document, which covers the period from October 1, 2012 to October 12, 2012, and provides the required notice and status report, consists of the PMNs pending or expired, and the NOC to manufacture a new chemical that the Agency has received under TSCA section 5 during this time period.

The Association of American Pesticide Control Officials (AAPCO)/State FIFRA Issues Research and Evaluation Group (SFIREG) Full Committee, will hold a 2-day meeting, beginning on December 10, 2012, and ending December 11, 2012. This notice announces the location and times for the meeting and sets forth the tentative agenda topics.