2024-25764. Receipt of a Pesticide Petition Filed for Residues of Pesticide Chemicals in or on Various Commodities (September 2024)

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Environmental Protection Agency

1. 40 CFR Part 180
2. [EPA-HQ-OPP-2024-0059; FRL-11682-09-OCSPP]

AGENCY:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION:

Notice of filing of petition and request for comment.

SUMMARY:

This document announces the Agency's receipt of an initial filing of a pesticide petition requesting the establishment or modification of regulations for residues of pesticide chemicals in or on various commodities.

DATES:

Comments must be received on or before December 12, 2024.

ADDRESSES:

Submit your comments, identified by docket identification (ID) number EPA-HQ-OPP-2024-0059, through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting comments. Do not submit electronically any information you consider to be Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Additional instructions on commenting and visiting the docket, along with more information about dockets generally, is available at https://www.epa.gov/​dockets.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Madison H. Le, Biopesticides and Pollution Prevention Division (BPPD) (7511M), main telephone number: [phone], email address: [e-mail]; or Charles Smith, Registration Division (RD) (7505T), main telephone number: [phone], email address: [e-mail]. The mailing address for each contact person is Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460-0001. As part of the mailing address, include the contact person's name, division, and mail code.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. General Information

A. Does this action apply to me?

You may be potentially affected by this action if you are an agricultural producer, food manufacturer, or pesticide manufacturer. The following list of North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) codes is not intended to be exhaustive, but rather provides a guide to help readers determine whether this document applies to them. Potentially affected entities may include:

• Crop production (NAICS code 111).
• Animal production (NAICS code 112).
• Food manufacturing (NAICS code 311).
• Pesticide manufacturing (NAICS code 32532).

B. What should I consider as I prepare my comments for EPA?

1. Submitting CBI. Do not submit this information to EPA through regulations.gov or email. Clearly mark the part or all of the information that you claim to be CBI. For CBI information in a disk or CD-ROM that you mail to EPA, mark the outside of the disk or CD-ROM as CBI and then identify electronically within the disk or CD-ROM the specific information that is claimed as CBI. In addition to one complete version of the comment that includes information claimed as CBI, a copy of the comment that does not contain the information claimed as CBI must be submitted for inclusion in the public docket. Information so marked will not be disclosed except in accordance with procedures set forth in 40 CFR part 2.

2. Tips for preparing your comments. When preparing and submitting your comments, see the commenting tips at https://www.epa.gov/​dockets/​comments.html.

3. Environmental justice. EPA seeks to achieve environmental justice, the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of any group, including minority and/or low-income populations, in the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. To help address potential environmental justice issues, the Agency seeks information on any groups or segments of the population who, as a result of their location, cultural practices, or other factors, may have atypical or disproportionately high and adverse human health impacts or environmental effects from exposure to the pesticides discussed in this document, compared to the general population.

II. What action is the Agency taking?

EPA is announcing receipt of a pesticide petition filed under section 408 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), 21 U.S.C. 346a, requesting the establishment or modification of regulations in 40 CFR part 180 for residues of pesticide chemicals in or on various food commodities. The Agency is taking public comment on the request before responding to the petitioner. EPA is not proposing any particular action at this time. EPA has determined that the pesticide petition described in this document contains data or information prescribed in FFDCA section 408(d)(2), 21 U.S.C. 346a(d)(2); however, EPA has not fully evaluated the sufficiency of the submitted data at this time or whether the data supports granting of the pesticide petition. After considering the public comments, EPA intends to evaluate whether and what action may be warranted. Additional data may be needed before EPA can make a final determination on this pesticide petition.

Pursuant to 40 CFR 180.7(f), a summary of the petition that is the subject of this document, prepared by the petitioner, is included in a docket EPA has created for this rulemaking. The docket for this petition is available at https://www.regulations.gov.

As specified in FFDCA section 408(d)(3), 21 U.S.C. 346a(d)(3), EPA is publishing notice of the petition so that the public has an opportunity to comment on this request for the establishment or modification of regulations for residues of pesticides in or on food commodities. Further information on the petition may be obtained through the petition summary referenced in this unit.

A. Notice of Filing—Amended Tolerances for Non-Inerts

PP 1E8952. EPA-HQ-OPP-2021-0789. BASF Corporation, 26 Davis Drive, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, requests to amend the tolerances in 40 CFR 180.473 for residues of the herbicide glufosinate-ammonium, including its metabolites and degradates. Compliance with the tolerance levels specified below is to be determined by measuring the sum of glufosinate-ammonium (butanoic acid, 2-amino-4-(hydroxymethylphosphinyl)-monoammonium salt), and its metabolites, 2-acetamido-4-methylphosphinico-butanoic acid and 3-methylphosphinico-propionic acid, expressed as 2-amino-4-(hydroxymethylphosphinyl) butanoic acid equivalents in or on the following raw agricultural plant commodities: By amending tolerance in or on rice, grain from 1.0 parts per million (ppm) to 0.9 ppm, and by removing tolerance on rice, hull at 2.0 ppm. The analytical methods for crops matrices involve water extraction, filtration and addition of an isotopically labeled internal standard followed by solid phase extraction. Quantitation is by high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization/tandem mass spectrometry ( print page 88949) (LC/MS/MS) is used to measure and evaluate the chemical glufosinate-ammonium. Contact: RD.

B. Notice of Filing—New Tolerance Exemptions for Non-Inerts (Except PIPS)

1. PP 3F9093. EPA-HQ-OPP-2024-0429. Sinon Corporation, 1F., No. 101, Nanrong Road Dadu District, RC-43245 Taichung, Taiwan (c/o SciReg, Inc., 12733 Director's Loop, Woodbridge, VA 22192), requests to establish an exemption from the requirement of a tolerance in 40 CFR part 180 for residues of the fungicide and bactericide, Bacillus velezensis strain CL3 in or on all food commodities. The petitioner believes no analytical method is needed because an exemption from the requirement of a tolerance is being proposed. Contact: BPPD.

2. PP 4F9139. EPA-HQ-OPP-2024-0427. Aphea.Bio NV, Technologiepark 21, 9052 Gent, Belgium (c/o SciReg, Inc., 12733 Director's Loop, Woodbridge, VA 22192), requests to establish an exemption from the requirement of a tolerance in 40 CFR part 180 for residues of the fungicide Streptomyces griseofuscus strain M1A1 in or on all food commodities. The petitioner believes no analytical method is needed because an exemption from the requirement of a tolerance is being proposed. Contact: BPPD.

3. PP 0F8850. EPA-HQ-OPP-2024-0426. VPTox LLC, on behalf of Draslovka Services Pty Ltd., 21320 Sweet Clover Place, Ashburn VA 20147, requests to establish an exemption from the requirement of a tolerance in 40 CFR part 180 for residues of the insecticide, Ethyl formate in or on all food commodities. The petitioner believes no analytical method is needed because both ethyl formate and formic acid are naturally found in many commodities at very low levels and the fumigation of the commodities does not result in residue levels higher than background in those commodities. Contact: BPPD.

4. PP 4F9139. EPA-HQ-OPP-2024-0427. Aphea.Bio NV, Technologiepark 21, 9052 Gent, Belgium (c/o SciReg, Inc., 12733 Director's Loop, Woodbridge, VA 22192), requests to establish an exemption from the requirement of a tolerance in 40 CFR part 180 for residues of the fungicide Streptomyces griseofuscus strain M1A1 in or on all food commodities. The petitioner believes no analytical method is needed because an exemption from the requirement of a tolerance is being proposed. Contact: BPPD.

(Authority: 21 U.S.C. 346a.)

Dated: October 11, 2024.

Kimberly Smith,

Acting Director, Information Technology and Resources Management Division, Office of Program Programs.