[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 241 (Wednesday, December 16, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69282-69284]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-33334]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[OPP-34156; FRL-6050-2]
Availability of the Dicofol Reregistration Eligibility Decision
Document for Comment
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of and starts a 60-day
public comment period of the Reregistration Eligibility Decision (RED)
document for the active ingredient dicofol. The RED for this chemical
is the Agency's formal regulatory assessment of the health and
environmental database of the subject
[[Page 69283]]
chemical and presents the Agency's determination regarding which
pesticidal uses are eligible for reregistration.
DATES: Written comments on the RED decisions must be submitted by
February 16, 1999.
ADDRESSES: Three copies of comments identified with the docket control
number OPP-34156 and the case number (noted below), should be submitted
to: By mail: Public Information and Records Integrity Branch,
Information Resources and Services Division (7506C), Office of
Pesticide Programs, Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M St., SW.,
Washington, DC 20460. In person, deliver comments to the docket on the
first floor (Room 119), CM #2, 1921 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington,
VA.
Comments and data may also be submitted electronically by
following the instructions under ``SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION'' of this
document. No Confidential Business Information (CBI) should be
submitted through e-mail.
Information submitted as a comment in response to this notice 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
comment that does not contain CBI must be submitted for inclusion in
the public docket. Information not marked confidential will be included
in the public docket without prior notice (including comments and data
submitted electronically). The public docket and docket index,
including printed paper versions of electronic comments, which does not
include any information claimed as CBI will be available for public
inspection on the first floor (Room 119) at the address given above,
from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal
holidays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Technical questions on the RED
document should be directed to the appropriate point-of-contact:
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Point of
Chemical Name Case No. Contact Telephone No. e-mail Address
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Dicofol................................ 0021 Phil Budig 703-308--8029 budig.phil@epa.gov
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To request a copy of the above listed RED document, or a specific
RED Fact Sheet, contact the OPP Pesticide Docket, Public Information
and Records Integrity Branch, first floor (Room 119), at the address
given above or call (703) 305-5805.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Electronic Availability
Electronic copies of this document and various support documents
are available from the EPA home page at the Federal Register-
Environmental Documents entry for this document under ``Laws and
Regulations'' (http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/).
Electronic copies of the REDs and RED fact sheets can be downloaded
from the Pesticide Special Review and Reregistration Information System
at (703) 308-7224, and also can be reached on the Internet via EPA's
website at: http://www.epa.gov/REDs.
II. Reregistration Eligibility Decision
The Agency has issued a Reregistration Eligibility Decision (RED)
document for the pesticidal active ingredient dicofol. Under the
Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, as amended in
1988, EPA is conducting a reregistration program to reevaluate existing
pesticides to make sure they meet current scientific and regulatory
standards. The data base to support the reregistration of dicofol is
substantially complete.
All registrants of products containing the above listed active
ingredient have been sent the Dicofol RED document and must respond to
labeling requirements and product specific data requirements within 8
months of receipt. Products containing other active ingredients will
not be reregistered until those other active ingredients are determined
to be eligible for reregistration.
The reregistration program is being conducted under congressionally
mandated time frames, and EPA recognizes both the need to make timely
reregistration decisions and to involve the public. Therefore, EPA is
issuing this RED as a final document with a 60-day comment period.
Although the 60-day public comment period does not affect the
registrant's response due date, it is intended to provide an
opportunity for public input and a mechanism for initiating any
necessary amendments to the RED. All comments will be carefully
considered by the Agency.
III. Background Information
EPA has determined that products containing dicofol may be
eligible for reregistration, as specified in the dicofol RED,
contingent upon results of a dermal toxicity study due to the Agency in
December 1998. EPA has identified a possible unacceptable occupational
risk in the dicofol RED. However, the Agency believes that the
assumptions used to arrive at this conclusion may have led to an
overestimation of that risk (e.g., 100% dermal absorption). Therefore,
EPA has found that it is not appropriate to declare dicofol ineligible
at this time. One key consideration is the fact that the registrants
will be submitting the dermal toxicity study mentioned above, which may
be a more appropriate study for regulatory purposes than data currently
used. Although the Agency would not normally delay a decision for a
study voluntarily conducted by a registrant outside the RED timeframe,
three factors make this appropriate here. First, the data will be
delivered to the Agency very shortly. Second, the registrants have
committed to significant risk mitigation measures to be implemented
immediately (listed below), which address risk concern while the new
data are being developed and evaluated. Third, the registrants have
submitted a voluntary cancellation request, which will immediately go
into effect for any dicofol use which is found to have unacceptable
risk after consideration of the dermal toxicity study. EPA believes
this process will address dicofol risk in a timeframe that is
comparable or more rapid than what EPA could achieve through its own
regulatory process.
In sum, dicofol risk will be addressed in the interim in the
following manner:
To address risks to homeowners, residents, and children:
\ All residential uses have been eliminated from labels and will be
voluntarily canceled.
To address risks to handlers:
\ Mixers/loaders/applicators must wear additional personal
protective equipment (PPE), and use enclosed cabs and cockpits.
\ All wettable powder formulations produced after December 31, 1998
must be placed in water soluble packaging.
\ Application with handheld equipment is eliminated for liquid
formulations.
\ Liquid formulations produced after December 31, 1998 must bear
labeling
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requiring closed mixing systems for dry beans.
To address risks to workers (persons entering treated areas
following applications of dicofol):
\ A revised Restricted Entry Interval (REI) will be set, based on
Dislodgeable Foliar Residue (DFR) data submitted in October, 1998, and
on the dermal toxicity study being submitted in December, 1998.
To protect the environment and wildlife:
\ Dicofol applications are limited to no more than one per year.
Previously, for some uses, the number of applications allowed per year
was either unrestricted or limited to 2 or 3 applications per year.
\ Dicofol applications on citrus will not exceed 3 pounds a.i./acre
per year. This has been reduced from 8 pounds a.i./acre per year.
\ Dicofol applications on strawberries will not exceed 2 pounds
a.i./acre per year. This has been reduced from 2.4 pounds a.i./acre per
year.
\ A spray drift and Runoff Caution Statement is being added to the
label. Also, a statement prohibiting application directly to water is
being added to the label.
IV. Public Record and Electronic Submissions
The official record for this notice, as well as the public version,
has been established for this notice under docket control number OPP-
34156 (including comments and data submitted electronically as
described below). A public version of this record, including printed,
paper versions of electronic comments, which does not include any
information claimed as CBI, is available for inspection from 8:30 a.m.
to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The
official record is located at the address in ``ADDRESSES'' at the
beginning of this document.
Electronic comments can be sent directly to EPA at:
opp-docket@epamail.epa.gov
Electronic comments must be submitted as an ASCII file avoiding the
use of special characters and any form of encryption. Comment and data
will also be accepted on disks in Wordperfect 6.1 file format or ASCII
file format. All comments and data in electronic form must be
identified by the docket control number (OPP-34156). Electronic
comments on this notice may be filed online at many Federal Depository
Libraries.
List of Subjects
Environmental protection.
Dated: December 4, 1998.
Jack E. Housenger,
Acting Director, Special Review and Reregistration Division, Office of
Pesticide Programs.
[FR Doc. 98-33334 Filed 12-15-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-F
