[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 46 (Wednesday, March 10, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11869-11870]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-5822]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[OPP-34180; FRL-6068-2]
Chlorine gas; Availability of Reregistration Eligibility Decision
Document for Comment
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice of availability.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: This notice announces availability of and starts a 60-day
public comment period for the Reregistration Eligibility Decision
document (RED) for the active ingredient Chlorine gas. The RED for this
chemical is the Agency's formal regulatory assessment of the health and
environmental database of the subject chemical and presents the
Agency's determination regarding which pesticidal uses are eligible for
reregistration.
DATES: Written comments on these decisions must be submitted by May 10,
1999.
ADDRESSES: Three copies of comments, identified with the docket control
number [OPP-34180] and the case number (listed in this document),
should be submitted to: by mail: 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, deliver comments to: Rm.
119, Crystal Mall #2, 1921 Jefferson Davis Hwy., Arlington, Virginia.
Comments may also be submitted electronically by following the
instructions under Unit III. 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 confidential business information (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 in room 119 at the address given above,
from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal
holidays.
To request a copy of the RED, or RED Fact Sheet, contact the
Public Information and Records Integrity Branch, Rm. 119 at the address
given above, or call (703) 305-5805.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For technical questions on the RED
listed, contact Patrick Dobak at (703) 308-8180 or, e-mail:
dobak.pat@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Electronic Availability
Electronic copies of this document and various support documents
are availble 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 EPA's World wide web site at http://www.epa.gov/oppsrrd1/REDs/.
II. Reregistration Eligibility Decisions
The Agency has issued a Reregistration Eligibility Decision (RED)
document for Chlorine gas. Under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide,
and Rodenticide Act, as amended in 1988, EPA is conducting a
reregistration program to reevaluate existing pesticides to ensure they
meet current scientific and regulatory standards. The data base to
support the reregistration of this chemical is substantially complete.
Please note that the Chlorine Gas RED was finalized and signed
prior to August 3, 1996. On that date, the Food Quality Protection Act
of 1996 (FQPA) became effective, amending portions of both the
pesticide law (FIFRA) and the food and drug law (FFDCA). Therefore,
this RED does not address any issues raised by FQPA. Since chlorine gas
is exempt from tolerances, the tolerance assessment procedures required
under FQPA are not applicable.
The Agency is not formally performing an FQPA review as part of
this RED. However, registrants whose products are registered for use
for drinking water treatment are required to perform two 2-generation
reproduction studies and three developmental studies on three
particular halogenated water disinfection byproducts. These studies
will better characterize the reproductive and developmental risks that
may be associated with exposure to these particular compounds. These
compounds are bromodichloromethane, dichloroacetic acid, and
dibromoacetic acid.
Chlorine products registered for use in non-residential swimming
pools, pulp and paper mill processes, and industrial food processing
plants and cooling towers are being reclassified as Restricted Use
Pesticides due to chlorine's extreme acute toxicity plus many
associated human poisoning incidents. These products must bear
Restricted Use Pesticide labeling no sooner than October 1, 2000, and
no later than April 1, 2001.
Chlorine products registered for drinking water, sewage and
wastewater treatment uses and residential pool use will be considered
unclassified. The Agency does not support classifying commercial
applications of residential pools as a Restricted Use because few
related accidents or incidents have been reported. Additionally for
water treatment, applicators already are trained and certified by the
states to perform these uses.
The Chlorine Gas RED also is requiring extensive label revisions
for all products. This is intended to address the potential for
exposure to chlorine gas and to facilitate enforcement actions in cases
of misuse and improper distribution. The specific labeling requirements
included in the RED are also available as an attachment to the RED Fact
Sheet.
All registrants of products containing the active ingredient
listed in this document, have been sent this RED and must respond to
labeling requirements and product specific data requirements (if
applicable) 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-
[[Page 11870]]
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 REDs. All comments will be carefully
considered by the Agency. If any comment significantly affects a RED,
EPA will amend the RED by publishing the amendment in the Federal
Register.
III. 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-34180] (including comments submitted electronically as
described in this unit). 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@epa.gov
Electronic comments must be submitted as an ASCII file avoiding
the use of special characters and any form of encryption. Comments will
also be accepted on disks in WordPerfect 5.1/6.1 file format or ASCII
file format. All comments in electronic form must be identified by the
docket control number [OPP-34180]. Electronic comments on this notice
may be filed online at many Federal Depository Libraries.
List of Subjects
Environmental protection.
Dated: March 1, 1999.
Jack E. Housenger,
Acting Director, Special Review and Reregistration Division, Office of
Pesticide Programs.
[FR Doc. 99-5822 Filed 3-9-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-F
