[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 48 (Friday, March 11, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-5728]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: March 11, 1994]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[OPP-50776; FRL-4764-6]
Receipt of an Application for an Experimental Use Permit
Amendment/Extension for a Transgenic Plant Pesticide
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: On December 7, 1993, EPA received an application from Ciba
Geigy, Seed Division to extend their Experimental Use Permit (EUP) for
a transgenic plant pesticide. The Agency has determined that this
application may be of regional and national significance. Therefore in
accordance with 40 CFR 172.11 (a), the Agency is soliciting public
comments on this application.
DATES: Written comments must be received by April 11, 1994.
ADDRESSES: Comments, in triplicate, should bear the docket control
number OPP-50776 and be submitted to: Public Response and Program
Resources Branch, Field Operations Division (7506C), Office of
Pesticide Programs, Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M St., SW.,
Washington, DC 20460. In person bring comments to: Rm. 1128, Crystal
Mall #2, 1921 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, VA 22202.
Information submitted in any comment concerning 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 record. Information not marked
confidential may be disclosed publicly by EPA without prior notice to
the submitter. Written comments will be available for public inspection
in Rm. 1128 at the address given above, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.,
Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: By mail: Phillip O. Hutton, Product
Manager (PM) 18, Registration Division (7505C), Office of Pesticide
Programs, Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M St., SW., Washington,
DC 20460. Office location and telephone number: Rm. 213, Crystal Mall
#2, 1921 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, VA 22202 (703)305-7690.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On December 7, 1993, EPA received an
application to extend an EUP from Ciba-Geigy Corporation, Seed Division
(Ciba Seeds), P.O. Box 12257, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
27709-2257. The EUP application is assigned EPA File Symbol 66736-EUP-
1. Notices of receipt, extension of comment period, and issuance were
published in the Federal Registers of March 31, 1993 (58 FR 16827), May
7, 1993 (58 FR 27284), and December 27, 1993 (58 FR 68409). The EUP
currently in effect allows for plantings of up to 33 acres of
transgenic Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) corn through March 31, 1994, and
for the completion of activities associated with these plantings (e.g.,
data collection, harvesting, and processing of grain). The Bt corn
plants produce an insect control protein encoded by a synthetic
cryIA(b) gene derived from Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki. Ciba
Seeds has applied to amend and extend the EUP to allow for plantings of
up to 195 acres of transgenic Bt corn between April 1, 1994 and March
31, 1995, and for the completion through October 1, 1995 of activities
associated with these plantings. Plantings are proposed to occur in
California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana,
Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi,
Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania,
South Dakota, and Wisconsin and Puerto Rico.
The current EUP authorizes plantings of transgenic corn derived
from transformation Event 176 and Event 171. Over 99 percent of the
proposed acreage under the EUP extension will involve plants derived
from Event 176. Limited plantings of up to 1.5 acres of material
derived from Event 171 may occur as part of the breeding trials. All
other activities proposed in the EUP extension will involve only plants
derived from Event 176.
Activities planned for plantings through March 1995 include:
Breeding, gene efficacy evaluations, hybrid growout trials, insect
population dynamics studies, insect predation parasitism studies,
insect susceptibility studies, performance evaluations--hybrid
comparison strip tests, performance evaluations--replicated yield
trials, resistance management experiments, and seed increases/hybrid
production.
All field trials will be conducted in a crop destruct manner. Some
plant material and seed will be retained for research purposes or
future plantings, and some will be fed to experimental animals. Some
seed may also be retained until such time that approval for commercial
distribution has been obtained. All other material will be destroyed.
If a temporary tolerance or tolerance exemption is granted during the
EUP program, some grain and/or silage may be used as conventional
animal feed (e.g., for poultry, hogs, and cattle) or in other
commercial operations. Upon review of the Ciba Seeds application, any
comments received in response to this notice and any other relevant
information, EPA will set conditions under which the experiments will
be conducted. Any issuance of an EUP will be announced in the Federal
Register.
Dated: March 4, 1994.
Stephanie Irene,
Acting Director, Registration Division, Office of Pesticide Programs.
[FR Doc. 94-5728 Filed 3-10-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-F
