2019-09484. Mefentrifluconazole; Receipt of Applications for Emergency Exemptions, Solicitation of Public Comment

AGENCY:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

EPA has received specific exemption requests from the North Dakota Department of Agriculture (NDA), the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD), and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) to use the fungicide mefentrifluconazole (CAS No. 1417782-03-6) to treat up to 376,000 acres of sugarbeets to control Cercospora leaf spot disease. The applicants propose use of a new chemical which has not been registered by EPA as a pesticide. Therefore, EPA is soliciting public comment before making the decision whether to grant the exemptions.

DATES:

Comments must be received on or before May 24, 2019.

ADDRESSES:

Submit your comments, identified by docket identification (ID) number EPA-HQ-OPP-2019-0206, by one of the following methods:

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://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 https://www.epa.gov/​dockets/​where-send-comments-epa-dockets.

Additional instructions on commenting or visiting the docket, along with more information about dockets generally, is available at https://www.epa.gov/​dockets.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Michael L. Goodis, Registration Division (7505P), 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?

You may be potentially affected by this action if you are an agricultural producer, food manufacturer, or pesticide manufacturer. The following list of North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) codes is not intended to be exhaustive, but rather provides a guide to help readers determine whether this document applies to them. Potentially affected entities may include:

• Crop production (NAICS code 111).
• Animal production (NAICS code 112).
• Food manufacturing (NAICS code 311).
• Pesticide manufacturing (NAICS code 32532).

B. What should I consider as I prepare my comments for EPA?

1. Submitting CBI. Do not submit this information to EPA through www.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 https://www.epa.gov/​dockets/​commenting-epa-dockets.

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 pesticide discussed in this document, compared to the general population.

II. What action is the Agency taking?

Under section 18 of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) (7 U.S.C. 136p), at the discretion of the EPA Administrator, a Federal or State agency may be exempted from any provision of FIFRA if the EPA Administrator determines that emergency conditions exist which require the exemption. The NDA, the MDARD, and the MDA have requested the EPA Administrator to issue specific exemptions for the use of mefentrifluconazole on sugarbeets to control Cercospora leaf spot disease. Information in accordance with 40 CFR part 166 was submitted as part of the requests.

As part of the requests, the applicants assert that the development of resistance to available fungicides in the fungal pathogen Cercospora beticola, has resulted in an urgent and non-routine pest control situation that is expected to cause significant economic losses without the requested use. The applicants propose to make no more than two applications at a rate of 0.13 lb. (maximum total of 0.26 lb.) of active ingredient mefentrifluconazole per acre, on up to 376,000 acres of sugarbeets grown in North Dakota, Michigan, and Minnesota from June 15 to September 7, 2019. A total of 97,760 lbs. of mefentrifluconazole could be used (maximum acreage at highest rate), although the applicants state that the affected acreage is more likely to receive only one treatment.

This notice does not constitute a decision by EPA on the applications themselves. The regulations governing FIFRA section 18 at 40 CFR 166.24(a)(1), require publication of a notice of receipt of an application for a specific exemption proposing use of a new chemical which has not been registered by EPA as a pesticide. The notice provides an opportunity for public comment on the application. The Agency will review and consider all comments received during the comment period in determining whether to issue the specific exemptions requested by the NDA, the MDARD, and the MDA.

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

Dated: May 1, 2019.

Michael Goodis,

Director, Registration Division, Office of Pesticide Programs.