2019-08678. Pesticide Experimental Use Permit; Receipt of Application; Comment Request

AGENCY:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

This notice announces EPA's receipt of application 89668-EUP-3 from MosquitoMate, Inc., requesting an experimental use permit (EUP) for the bacterium Wolbachia pipientis, strain w AlbB in live male Aedes aegypti (strain WB1) mosquitoes. EPA has determined that the permit may be of regional or national significance. Therefore, because of the potential significance, EPA is seeking comments on this application.

DATES:

Comments must be received on or before May 30, 2019.

ADDRESSES:

Submit your comments, identified by Docket Identification (ID) Number EPA-HQ-OPP-2015-0374, by one of the following methods:

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://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.
• Mail: OPP Docket, Environmental Protection Agency Docket Center (EPA/DC), (28221T), 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460-0001.
• Hand Delivery: To make special arrangements for hand delivery or delivery of boxed information, please follow the instructions at http://www.epa.gov/​dockets/​contacts.html. Additional instructions on commenting or visiting the docket, along with more information about dockets generally, is available at http://www.epa.gov/​dockets.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Robert McNally, Biopesticides and Pollution Prevention Division (7511P), Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460-0001; main telephone number: [phone]; email address: [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. General Information

A. Does this action apply to me?

This action is directed to the public in general. Although this action may be of particular interest to those persons who conduct or sponsor research on pesticides, EPA has not attempted to describe all the specific entities that may be affected by this action.

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 http://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, EPA 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 pesticide discussed in this document, compared to the general population.

II. What action is the agency taking?

Under section 5 of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), 7 U.S.C. 136c, EPA can allow manufacturers to field test pesticides under development. Manufacturers are required to obtain an EUP before testing new pesticides or new uses of pesticides if they conduct experimental field tests on more than 10 acres of land or more than one surface acre of water.

Pursuant to 40 CFR 172.11(a), EPA has determined that the following EUP application may be of regional or national significance, and therefore is seeking public comment on the EUP application:

Submitter: MosquitoMate, Inc.

Pesticide chemical: Wolbachia pipientis, strain w AlbB.

Summary of request: MosquitoMate, Inc. (MosquitoMate) has proposed to continue to field test a new strain of Wolbachia pipientis (w AlbB) to determine its efficacy to affect local populations of the Aedes aegypti mosquito. Under the previously approved EUP that expired on December 31, 2018, MosquitoMate was authorized to release and monitor up to 681,600,000 male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, that carry the pesticidal active ingredient Wolbachia pipientis, strain w AlbB (0.168 ounces/year), at specific sites in California, Florida, and Texas over a 2-year period. The combined acreage for that EUP was 8,830 for 2017 and 2018, respectively.

MosquitoMate has requested to amend and extend the preceding EUP for this pesticidal active ingredient for testing in California and Texas, and to add test sites in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Specifically, the applicant is requesting a total of 65,100 acres for the 2 year testing period in the following states and territories: California 36,000 acres (for 2019, no releases in 2020), Texas (300 acres in 2019 and 800 acres in 2020), Puerto Rico (1,000 acres in 2019 and 6,000 acres in 2020), U.S. Virgin Islands (1,000 acres in 2019 and 20,000 acres in 2020). A combined total of 0.221 oz (0.061 oz in 2019 and 0.16 oz in 2020) of the pesticide active ingredient Wolbachia pipientis, strain w AlbB, contained in 447,300,000 male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, strain WB1, are proposed to be released over the course of the EUP. This end-use product is not proposed for food use and the EPA has not been petitioned to establish a tolerance under Section 408 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), 21 U.S.C. 301 et. seq.

Following the review of the application and any comments and data received in response to this solicitation, EPA will decide whether to issue or deny the EUP request, and if issued, the conditions under which it is to be conducted. Any issuance of an EUP will be announced in the Federal Register.

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 136 et seq.

Dated: April 17, 2019.

Robert McNally,

Director, Biopesticides and Pollution Prevention Division, Office of Pesticide Programs.