[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 127 (Wednesday, July 2, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35812-35815]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-16890]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[OPP-64033; FRL 5724-7]
Notice of Receipt of Requests for Amendments to Terminate the Use
of Methamidophos on All Crops Except Cotton and Potatoes, and to Cancel
All Methamidophos 24(c) Food-Use Registrations Not Labeled for Use on
Tomatoes Only
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In accordance with section 6(f)(1) of the Federal Insecticide,
Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), as amended, EPA is issuing a
notice of receipt of requests for amendment by Bayer Corporation and
Valent USA, the sole U.S. registrants of the insecticide methamidophos,
to terminate the use of methamidophos on all agricultural crops except
cotton and potatoes by deleting uses from all methamidophos FIFRA
section 3 registrations, and to cancel all section 24(c) food-use
registrations not labeled for use on tomatoes only.
DATES: Public comment on this notice, in order to be considered, must
be received by August 1, 1997. Unless EPA publishes a notice in the
Federal Register modifying this notice, EPA will approve these use
terminations and product cancellations and make them effective on
December 29, 1997, subject to the existing stocks provision specified
herein.
ADDRESSES: By mail, submit comments to the Public Information and
Records Integrity Branch, Information Resources and Services Division
(7506C), Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental Protection Agency,
401 M St., SW.,
[[Page 35813]]
Washington, DC 20460. In person, deliver comments to Rm. 1132, Crystal
Mall #2, 1921 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, VA.
Comments and data may also be submitted electronically by following
the instructions under Unit IV of this document. No Confidential
Business Information (CBI) should be submitted through e-mail.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: By mail: Jeff Morris, Special Review
Branch, Special Review and Reregistration Division (7508W),
Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M St., SW., Washington, DC 20460.
Office location, telephone number and e-mail: Special Review Branch,
3rd floor, 2800 Crystal Drive, Arlington, VA, (703) 308-8029; e-mail:
morris.jeff@epamail.epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Introduction
Section 6(f)(1) of FIFRA provides that a registrant of a pesticide
product may at any time request that any of its pesticide registrations
be cancelled or amended to terminate one or more uses. The Act further
provides that, before acting on the request, EPA must publish a notice
of receipt of any such request in the Federal Register and provide for
a 30-day public comment period. Thereafter, the Administrator of EPA
may approve such a request, unless the Administrator determines, in the
case of a pesticide that is registered for a minor agricultural use,
that the cancellation or termination of uses would adversely affect the
availability of the pesticide for use. If such a determination is made,
unless certain exceptions apply, the Administrator may not approve or
reject a request until 180 days have passed from the date of
publication in the Federal Register of the notice of receipt.
Methamidophos is registered for minor agricultural uses that are
affected by the request to terminate uses and cancel registrations.
II. Background
EPA conducted an occupational risk assessment that estimated risks
associated with short and intermediate-term exposures of agricultural
workers to methamidophos. The assessment indicated that the risks to
workers of acute exposure exceeded EPA's level of concern. In addition
to the risk assessment, EPA had California and nationwide human
incident data indicating acute worker exposure incidents associated
with methamidophos use. EPA met with Bayer and Valent, the sole U.S.
methamidophos registrants, on August 1, 1996, to present EPA's concerns
and discuss voluntary measures to reduce risk. At the meeting, the
registrants proposed the use terminations and product cancellations
announced in this notice, as well as other measures including
additional spray drift language, a phase-in of closed mixing and
loading systems, and participation in industry-wide education efforts.
III. Intent to Terminate Uses and Cancel Registrations
This notice announces receipt of the methamidophos registrants'
requests to terminate uses and cancel registrations under sections 3
and 24(c) of FIFRA, and provides notice of EPA's intent to accept those
requests. In letters dated November 12, 1996, and February 21, 1997,
Bayer and Valent requested that their FIFRA section 3 registrations be
amended to terminate (by use deletion) the use of methamidophos on
broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, and sugar
beets, and that their section 24(c) registrations labeled for melons,
cucumbers, lettuce, alfalfa, bermuda grass, peppers, clover, and
eggplant be cancelled, leaving tomatoes as the only remaining food use
with methamidophos 24(c) registrations. The registrations for which the
registrants have requested use terminations and product cancellations
are listed in the following table:
Table 1. -- Methamidophos Registrations with Requests for Amendments to Terminate Uses or Cancel Certain
Pesticide Registrations
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Terminate from Label/Cancel
Registration No. Poduct Name Action Requested Registration
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3125-280............... Monitor 4 Insecticide Terminate Uses broccoli, brussels sprouts,
cabbage, cauliflower,
celery, sugar beets
569639-56.............. Monitor 4 Spray Terminate Uses broccoli, brussels sprouts,
cabbage, cauliflower,
celery, sugar beets
AZ89002000............. Monitor 4 Spray Cancel Registration alfalfa, seed crop; bermuda
grass, seed crop
AZ82001300............. Monitor 4 L.I. do. alfalfa, seed crop; bermuda
grass, seed crop
CA83006400............. Monitor 4 L.I. do. alfalfa, seed crop; clover,
seed crop
AZ93000500............. Monitor 4 Spray do. head lettuce, crisp head
types only
FL89000600............. Monitor 4 Spray do. head lettuce, crisp head
types only
AZ90001100............. Monitor 4 L.I. do. head lettuce, crisp head
types only
CA80018600............. Monitor 4 L.I. do. head lettuce, crisp head
types only
FL81001200............. Monitor 4 L.I. do. head lettuce, crisp head
types only
AZ93000600............. Monitor 4 Spray do. melons
FL89001100............. Monitor 4 Spray do. melons
LA91001100............. Monitor 4 Spray do. melons
TX89000800............. Monitor 4 Spray do. melons
CA88002100............. Monitor 4 L.I. do. melons
FL81003400............. Monitor 4 L.I. do. melons
GA90000400............. Monitor 4 L.I. do. melons, cucumbers
LA91000900............. Monitor 4 L.I. do. melons, cucumbers
TX84002000............. Monitor 4 L.I. do. melons
FL89001200............. Monitor 4 Spray do. cucumbers
GA90000500............. Monitor 4 Spray do. cucumbers, melons
[[Page 35814]]
LA91001000............. Monitor 4 Spray do. cucumbers
FL81000900............. Monitor 4 L.I. do. cucumbers
FL89001000............. Monitor 4 Spray do. eggplant
GA90000100............. Monitor 4 L.I. Delete Eggplant Use Only eggplant
GA86000400............. Monitor 4 Spray Delete Eggplant Use Only eggplant
FL81003300............. Monitor 4 Spray Cancel Registration eggplant
FL89001300............. Monitor 4 Spray do. cabbage
CA84021800............. Monitor 4 L.I. do. celery
CA87001400............. Monitor 4 L.I. do. roses
FL89001400............. Monitor 4 Spray do. lettuce; Boston, bibb,
romaine, and leaf
FL92001200............. Monitor 4 L.I. do. lettuce; Boston, bibb,
romaine, and leaf
FL96001300............. Monitor 4 L.I. do. peppers
FL96000300............. Monitor 4 Spray do. peppers
GA93000600............. Monitor 4 L.I. do. peppers
GA93000700............. Monitor 4 Spray do. peppers
LA91001200............. Monitor 4 Spray do. peppers
TX89000700............. Monitor 4 Spray do. peppers
CA88002000............. Monitor 4 L.I. do. peppers
LA91000700............. Monitor 4 L.I. do. peppers
NM82000800............. Monitor 4 L.I. do. peppers
TX82001900............. Monitor 4 L.I. do. peppers
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
IV. Public Comment Procedures
EPA invites interested persons to submit written comments in
response to this notice of receipt of requests to terminate uses and
cancel registrations. Comments, to be considered, must be received by
August 1, 1997. Comments must bear a notation indicating the document
control number. Three copies of the comments should be submitted to
either location listed under ``ADDRESSES'' at the beginning of this
notice.
Information submitted as a comment concerning this notice may be
claimed confidential by marking any part or all of that information as
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. All written comments will be available for
public inspection in Rm. 1132, at the address given above, from 8:30
a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays.
V. Public Record
The official record for this notice, as well as the public version,
has been established for this notice under docket number [OPP-64033]
(including comments and data submitted electronically as described
below). 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 notice
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@epamail.epa.gov
Electronic comments must be submitted as an ASCII file avoiding the
use of special characters and any form of encryption. Comment and data
will also be accepted on disks in Wordperfect 5.1 file format or ASCII
file format. All comments and data in electronic form must be
identified by the docket number [OPP-64033]. Electronic comments on
this notice may be filed online at many Federal Depository Libraries.
VI. Existing Stocks
For the purposes of this notice, existing stocks will be defined as
those stocks of methamidophos products with EPA registration numbers
3125-280 and 59639-56 not labeled for potatoes and cotton only, and
Special Local Need (24c) food-use registrations not labeled for use on
tomatoes only, that were packaged, labeled, and/or released for
shipment prior to December 31, 1997. After December 31, 1997,
methamidophos registrants may not sell or distribute existing stocks of
cancelled methamidophos products or methamidophos products containing
the terminated uses, and dealers and distributors may not sell any
quantity of cancelled methamidophos products, or methamidophos products
containing the terminated uses, to end users. End users may use
existing stocks until such stocks are exhausted.
VII. Proposed Use Termination and Registration Cancellation Order
The registrants' request for use terminations and product
cancellations will be accepted and will take effect on
[[Page 35815]]
December 29, 1997, subject to the above-noted existing stocks
provision, unless EPA publishes a notice in the Federal Register
modifying this proposed order.
List of Subjects
Environmental protection, Agricultural commodities, Pesticides and
pests.
Dated: June 16, 1997.
Jack E. Housenger,
Acting Director, Special Review and Reregistration Division, Office of
Pesticide Programs.
[FR Doc. 97-16890 Filed 7-1-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-F
