[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 239 (Friday, December 12, 1997)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 65365-65367]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-32550]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
40 CFR Part 180
[OPP-300594; FRL-5760-9]
RIN 2070-AB78
Imidacloprid; Tolerance Extension for Emergency Exemptions
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Final rule.
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SUMMARY: This rule extends a time-limited tolerance for residues of the
insecticide imidacloprid and its metabolites in or on beet and turnip
roots at 0.3 part per million (ppm) beet and turnip tops at 3.5 ppm for
an additional 1-year period, to November 29, 1998. This action is in
response to EPA's granting of an emergency exemption under section 18
of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act authorizing
use of the pesticide on table beets and turnip greens. Section
408(l)(6) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act requires EPA to
establish a time-limited tolerance or exemption from the requirement
for a tolerance for pesticide chemical residues in food that will
result from the use of a pesticide under an emergency exemption granted
by EPA under section 18 of FIFRA.
EFFECTIVE DATE: This regulation becomes effective December 12, 1997.
Objections and requests for hearings must be received by EPA, on or
before February 10, 1998.
ADDRESSES: Written objections and hearing requests, identified by the
docket control number, [OPP-300447], must be submitted to: Hearing
Clerk (1900), Environmental Protection Agency, Rm. M3708, 401 M St.,
SW., Washington, DC 20460. Fees accompanying objections and hearing
requests shall be labeled ``Tolerance Petition Fees'' and forwarded to:
EPA Headquarters Accounting Operations Branch, OPP (Tolerance Fees),
P.O. Box 360277M, Pittsburgh, PA 15251. A copy of any objections and
hearing requests filed with the Hearing Clerk identified by the docket
control number, [OPP-300594], must also be submitted to: Public
Information and Records Integrity Branch, Information Resources and
Services Division (7502C), Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental
Protection Agency, 401 M St., SW., Washington, DC 20460. In person,
bring a copy of objections and hearing requests to Rm. 1132, Crystal
Mall #2, 1921 Jefferson Davis Hwy., Arlington, VA.
A copy of objections and hearing requests filed with the Hearing
Clerk may also be submitted electronically by sending electronic mail
(e-mail) to: opp-docket@epamail.epa.gov. Follow the instructions in
Unit II. of this preamble. No Confidential Business Information (CBI)
should be submitted through e-mail.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: By mail: Andrew Ertman, Registration
Division (7505C), Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental
Protection Agency, 401 M St., SW., Washington, DC 20460. Office
location, telephone number, and e-mail address: Crystal Mall #2, 1921
Jefferson Davis Hwy., Arlington, VA 22202, (703)-308-9367; e-mail:
ertman.andrew@epamail.epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA issued a final rule, published in the
Federal Register of November 29, 1996 (61 FR 60622) (FRL-5575-1), which
announced that on its own initiative and under section 408(e) of the
Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), 21 U.S.C. 346a(e) and
(l)(6), it established a time-limited tolerance for the residues of
imidacloprid and its metabolites in or on beet and turnip roots at 0.3
ppm and beet and turnip tops at 3.5 ppm, with an expiration date of
November 29, 1997. EPA established the tolerance because section
408(l)(6) of the FFDCA requires EPA to establish a time-limited
tolerance or exemption from the requirement for a tolerance for
pesticide chemical residues in food that will result from the use of a
pesticide under an emergency exemption granted by EPA under section 18
of FIFRA. Such tolerances can be established without providing notice
or period for public comment.
EPA received a request to extend the use of imidacloprid on table
beets and turnip greens for this year growing season due to the lack of
acceptable control with currently registered products and the loss of
the insecticide Phosdrin. Under moderate to severe infestation
conditions, the aphids are expected to cause serious reductions
[[Page 65366]]
due to contamination problems at harvest, primarily due to the large
number of aphids remaining on the crop. The overall threshold that the
market will allow is two aphids or less per plant. After having
reviewed the submission, EPA concurs that emergency conditions exist
for this state. EPA has authorized under section 18 of FIFRA the use of
imidacloprid on table beets and turnip greens for control of aphids in
California.
EPA assessed the potential risks presented by residues of
imidacloprid in or on beet and turnip roots and beet and turnip tops.
In doing so, EPA considered the new safety standard in section
408(b)(2) of the FFDCA, and decided that the necessary tolerance under
FFDCA section 408(l)(6) of the FFDCA would be consistent with the new
safety standard and with section 18 of FIFRA. The data and other
relevant material have been evaluated and discussed in the final rule
published in the Federal Register of November 29, 1997. Based on that
data and information considered, the Agency reaffirms that extension of
the time-limited tolerance will continue to meet the requirements of
section 408(l)(6) of the FFDCA. Therefore, the time-limited tolerance
is extended for an additional 1-year period. Although this tolerance
will expire and is revoked on November 29, 1998, under section
408(l)(5) of the FFDCA, residues of the pesticide not in excess of the
amounts specified in the tolerance remaining in or on beet and turnip
roots and beet and turnip tops after that date will not be unlawful,
provided the pesticide is applied in a manner that was lawful under
FIFRA and the application occurred prior to the revocation of the
tolerance. EPA will take action to revoke this tolerance earlier if any
experience with, scientific data on, or other relevant information on
this pesticide indicate that the residues are not safe.
I. Objections and Hearing Requests
The new section 408(g) of the FFDCA provides essentially the same
process for persons to ``object'' to a tolerance regulation issued by
EPA under new section 408(e) and (l)(6) of the FFDCA as was provided in
the old section 408 and in section 409 of the FFDCA. However, the
period for filing objections is 60 days, rather than 30 days. EPA
currently has procedural regulations which govern the submission of
objections and hearing requests. These regulations will require some
modification to reflect the new law. However, until those modifications
can be made, EPA will continue to use those procedural regulations with
appropriate adjustments to reflect the new law.
Any person may, by February 10, 1998, file written objections to
any aspect of this regulation and may also request a hearing on those
objections. Objections and hearing requests must be filed with the
Hearing Clerk, at the address given above (40 CFR 178.20). A copy of
the objections and/or hearing requests filed with the Hearing Clerk
should be submitted to the OPP docket for this rulemaking. The
objections submitted must specify the provisions of the regulation
deemed objectionable and the grounds for the objections (40 CFR
178.25). Each objection must be accompanied by the fee prescribed by 40
CFR 180.33(i). If a hearing is requested, the objections must include a
statement of the factual issues on which a hearing is requested, the
requestor's contentions on such issues, and a summary of any evidence
relied upon by the requestor (40 CFR 178.27). A request for a hearing
will be granted if the Administrator determines that the material
submitted shows the following: There is genuine and substantial issue
of fact; there is a reasonable possibility that available evidence
identified by the requestor would, if established, resolve one or more
of such issues in favor of the requestor, taking into account
uncontested claims or facts to the contrary; and resolution of the
factual issues in the manner sought by the requestor would be adequate
to justify the action requested (40 CFR 178.32). Information submitted
in connection with an objection or hearing request may be claimed
confidential by marking any part or all of that information as CBI.
Information so marked will not be disclosed except in accordance with
procedures set forth in 40 CFR part 2. A copy of the information that
does not contain CBI must be submitted for inclusion in the public
record. Information not marked confidential may be disclosed publicly
by EPA without prior notice.
II. Public Record and Electronic Submissions
The official record for this rulemaking, as well as the public
version, as described above will be kept in paper form. Accordingly,
EPA will transfer any copies of objections and hearing requests
received electronically into printed, paper form as they are received
and will place the paper copies in the official rulemaking record which
will also include all comments submitted directly in writing. The
official rulemaking record is the paper record maintained at the
Virginia address in ``ADDRESSES'' at the beginning of this document.
Electronic comments may be sent directly to EPA at:
opp-docket@epamail.epa.gov.
Electronic objections and hearing requests must be submitted as an
ASCII file avoiding the use of special characters and any form of
encryption. Objections and hearing requests will also be accepted on
disks in WordPerfect 5.1/6.1 or ASCII file format. All copies of
objections and hearing requests in electronic form must be identified
by the docket control number [OPP-300594]. No CBI should be submitted
through e-mail. Electronic copies of objections and hearing requests on
this rule may be filed online at many Federal Depository Libraries.
III. Regulatory Assessment Requirements
This final rule extends a time-limited tolerance under section
408(l)(6) of the FFDCA. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has
exempted these types of actions from review under Executive Order
12866, entitled Regulatory Planning and Review (58 FR 51735, October 4,
1993). This final rule does not contain any information collections
subject to OMB approval under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), 44
U.S.C. 3501 et seq., or impose any enforceable duty or contain any
unfunded mandate as described under Title II of the Unfunded Mandates
Reform Act of 1995 (UMRA) (Pub. L. 104-4). Nor does it require any
prior consultation as specified by Executive Order 12875, entitled
Enhancing the Intergovernmental Partnership (58 FR 58093, October 28,
1993), or special considerations as required by Executive Order 12898,
entitled Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority
Populations and Low-Income Populations (59 FR 7629, February 16, 1994),
or require OMB review in accordance with Executive Order 13045,
entitled Protection of Children from Environmental Health Risks and
Safety Risks (62 FR 19885, April 23, 1997).
In addition, since these tolerances and exemptions that are
established under section 408(l)(6) of the FFDCA, such as the tolerance
in this final rule, do not require the issuance of a proposed rule, the
requirements of the Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA) (5 U.S.C. 601 et
seq.) do not apply. Nevertheless, the Agency has previously assessed
whether establishing tolerances, exemptions from tolerances, raising
tolerance levels or expanding exemptions might adversely impact small
entities and concluded, as a generic matter, that
[[Page 65367]]
there is no adverse economic impact. The factual basis for the Agency's
generic certification for tolerance actions published on May 4, 1981
(46 FR 24950), and was provided to the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of
the Small Business Administration.
IV. Submission to Congress and the General Accounting Office
Under 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A), as added by the Small Business
Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996, the Agency has submitted a
report containing this rule and other required information to the U.S.
Senate, the U.S. House of Representatives, and the Comptroller General
of the General Accounting Office prior to publication of this rule in
today's Federal Register. This is not a ``major rule'' as defined by 5
U.S.C. 804(2).
List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 180
Environmental protection, Administrative practice and procedure,
Agricultural commodities, Pesticides and pests, Reporting and
recordkeeping requirements.
Dated: November 26, 1997.
Peter Caulkins,
Acting Director, Registration Division, Office of Pesticide Programs.
Therefore, 40 CFR chapter I is amended as follows:
PART 180--[AMENDED]
1. The authority citation for part 180 continues to read as
follows:
Authority: 21 U.S.C. 346a and 371.
Sec. 180.472 [Amended]
2. In Sec. 180.472, by amending paragraph (a) in the table, for the
commodities ``beet roots,'' ``beet tops,'' ``turnip roots,'' and
``turnip tops'' by removing ``November 29, 1997'' and adding in its
place ``November 29, 1998''.
[FR Doc. 97-32550 Filed 12-11-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-F