2017-10755. Registration Review; Neonicotinoid Risk Assessments; Summary Response to Comments, and Updated Neonicotinoid Work Schedule; Notice of Availability

AGENCY:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

This notice announces the availability of the aquatic ecological assessment for imidacloprid, the combined preliminary pollinator risk assessment for clothianidin and thiamethoxam, and the draft bee assessment for dinotefuran, and opens a public comment period on these three assessment documents. This notice also announces the availability of EPA's Registration Review Update for Four Neonicotinoid Insecticides. The Registration Review Update describes the next steps and information needs for the Agency's registration review of the neonicotinoids. This notice also announces the availability of a summary document that responds to certain comments received on the Preliminary Pollinator Assessment for imidacloprid, issued in January 2016. Registration review is EPA's periodic review of pesticide registrations to ensure that each pesticide continues to satisfy the statutory standard for registration, that is, the pesticide can perform its intended function without unreasonable adverse effects on human health or the environment. Through this program, EPA is ensuring that each pesticide's registration is based on current scientific knowledge.

DATES:

Comments must be received on or before July 24, 2017.

ADDRESSES:

Submit your comments, identified by the docket identification (ID) number for the specific pesticide of interested provided in Table 1 of Unit III., 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:

For pesticide specific information contact: The Chemical Review Manager for the pesticide of interest identified in Table 1 of Unit III.

For general questions on the registration review program, contact: Richard Dumas, Pesticide Re-Evaluation Division (7508P), Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001; 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, and may be of interest to a wide range of stakeholders including environmental, human health, farm worker, and agricultural advocates; the chemical industry; pesticide users; and members of the public interested in the sale, distribution, or use of pesticides. Since others also may be interested, the Agency has not attempted to describe all the specific entities that may be affected by this action. If you have any questions regarding the applicability of this action to a particular entity, consult the Chemical Review Manager identified in Table 1 of Unit III.

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, the Agency 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 pesticides discussed in this document, compared to the general population.

II. Authority

EPA is conducting its registration review of the chemicals listed in Table 1 of Unit III pursuant to section 3(g) of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and the Procedural Regulations for Registration Review at 40 CFR part 155, subpart C. Section 3(g) of FIFRA provides, among other things, that the registrations of pesticides are to be reviewed every 15 years. Under FIFRA, a pesticide product may be registered or remain registered only if it meets the statutory standard for registration given in FIFRA section 3(c)(5) (7 U.S.C. 136a(c)(5)). When used in accordance with widespread and commonly recognized practice, the pesticide product must perform its intended function without unreasonable adverse effects on the environment; that is, without any unreasonable risk to man or the environment, or a human dietary risk from residues that result from the use of a pesticide in or on food.

III. Registration Reviews

As directed by FIFRA section 3(g), EPA is reviewing the pesticide registration for the pesticides listed in Table 1 to ensure that they continue to satisfy the FIFRA standard for registration, that is, that these chemicals can still be used without unreasonable adverse effects on human health or the environment.

Table 1—Chemicals for Which Assessments are Being Made Available for Public Comment

Registration review case name and number	Docket ID number	Chemical review manager and contact information
Clothianidin 7620	EPA-HQ-OPP-2011-0865	Ricardo Jones, [e-mail], 703-347-0493.
Dinotefuran 7441	EPA-HQ-OPP-2011-0920	Steven Snyderman, [e-mail], 703-347-0249.
Imidacloprid 7605	EPA-HQ-OPP-2008-0844	Ricardo Jones, [e-mail], 703-347-0493.
Thiamethoxam 7614	EPA-HQ-OPP-2011-0581	Thomas Harty, [e-mail], 703-347-0338.

Pursuant to 40 CFR 155.53(c), EPA is providing an opportunity, through this notice of availability, for interested parties to provide comments and input concerning the Agency's ecological assessments for the chemicals listed in Table 1. Such comments and input could address, among other things, the Agency's risk assessment methodology and assumptions applied to its draft risk assessments, such as its methodology for estimating colony-level risk to bees from exposure to bee bread. The Agency will then issue updated assessments, and address public comments.

1. Other related information. Additional information on the registration review status of the chemicals listed in Table 1, as well as information on the Agency's registration review program and on its implementing regulation is available at http://www.epa.gov/​pesticide-reevaluation.

2. Information submission requirements. Anyone may submit data or information in response to this document. To be considered during a pesticide's registration review, the submitted data or information must meet the following requirements:

• To ensure that EPA will consider data or information submitted, interested persons must submit the data or information during the comment period. The Agency may, at its discretion, consider data or information submitted at a later date.
• The data or information submitted must be presented in a legible and useable form. For example, an English translation must accompany any material that is not in English and a written transcript must accompany any information submitted as an audiographic or videographic record. Written material may be submitted in paper or electronic form.
• Submitters must clearly identify the source of any submitted data or information.
• Submitters may request the Agency to reconsider data or information that the Agency rejected in a previous review. However, submitters must explain why they believe the Agency should reconsider the data or information in the pesticide's registration review.

As provided in 40 CFR 155.58, the registration review docket for each pesticide case will remain publicly accessible through the duration of the registration review process; that is, until all actions required in the final decision on the registration review case have been completed.

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

Dated: February 2, 2017.

Yu-Ting Guilaran,

Director, Pesticide Re-Evaluation Division, Office of Pesticide Programs.