Environmental Protection Agency June 19, 2015 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This document describes how EPA is planning to incorporate an alternative scientific approach to screen chemicals for their ability to interact with the endocrine system. This will improve the Agency's ability to fulfill its statutory mandate to screen pesticide chemicals and other substances for their ability to cause adverse effects by their interaction with the endocrine system. The approach incorporates validated high throughput assays and a computational model and, based on current research, can serve as an alternative for some of the current assays in the Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program (EDSP) Tier 1 battery. EPA has partial screening results for over 1800 chemicals that have been evaluated using high throughput assays and a computational model for the estrogen receptor pathway. In the future, EPA anticipates that additional alternative methods will be available for EDSP chemical screening based on further advancements of high throughput assays and computational models for other endocrine pathways. Use of these alternative methods will accelerate the pace of screening, decrease costs, and reduce animal testing. In addition, this approach advances the goal of providing sensitive, specific, quantitative, and efficient screening using alternative test methods to some assays in the Tier 1 battery to protect human health and the environment.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is planning to submit an information collection request (ICR), ``Trade Secret Claims Submitted under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act.'' (EPA ICR No. 1428.10, OMB Control No. 2050-0078) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act. Before doing so, EPA is soliciting public comments on specific aspects of the proposed information collection as described below. This is a proposed extension of the ICR, which is currently approved through December 31, 2015. An Agency may not conduct or sponsor and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve State Implementation Plan (SIP) revisions submitted by the State of Utah on January 28, 2010, September 16, 2010, June 18, 2013, and August 29, 2014. These submittals revise the rules, general requirements and test methods for the State of Utah. The amendments also update the version of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) incorporated by reference into the rules of the State of Utah. EPA is not taking action on an April 26, 2012 submittal or a November 4, 2013 submittal because they have been superseded by the August 29, 2014 submittal. EPA is taking this action in accordance with section 110 of the Clean Air Act (CAA).

EPA issued a notice in the Federal Register of May 29, 2015, concerning EPA's Proposal to Mitigate Exposure to Bees from Acutely Toxic Pesticide Products. This document extends the comment period for 30 days, from June 29, 2015 to July 29, 2015. Multiple stakeholders requested that EPA extend the comment period due to the complexity and importance of this issue. EPA is granting the extension.

This regulation establishes a tolerance for residues of thiram in or on avocado. Taminco US, Inc. requested this tolerance under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA).