
[Federal Register: December 19, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 245)]
[Notices]               
[Page 77690-77693]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr19de08-92]                         


[[Page 77690]]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OPP-2005-0162; FRL-8389-4]

 
Carbofuran; Notice of Receipt of Request to Voluntarily Cancel 
Carbofuran Pesticide Registrations

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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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 a request dated September 29, 2008 by the 
registrant to voluntarily cancel some registrations and amend other 
registrations to terminate uses of certain end-use products containing 
the pesticide carbofuran. The request would terminate flowable 
carbofuran use in or on alfalfa, cotton, ornamentals, popcorn, small 
grains (wheat, oats and barley) soybeans, sugarcane, sweet corn, and 
tobacco. The request would also terminate all carbofuran products 
registered under FIFRA section 24 Special Local Need Labels for use in 
or on corn (field), CRP acres, cucumbers, grapes, melons, ornamentals 
(container and field production), peppers (including Chiles and bell), 
sorghum, squash, sugar beets, sugarcane (soil applied), tobacco, and 
small grains (wheat, oats, and barley). The request would also 
terminate, subject to a two-year phase-out period, the use of flowable 
carbofuran as a post-plant application to artichokes. The request 
proposes to cancel the use of granular carbofuran on bananas, coffee, 
cucumbers, melons, and squash. The request would not terminate the last 
carbofuran products registered for use in the US.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before January 20, 2009.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by docket identification 
(ID) number EPA-HQ-OPP-2005-0162 by one of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the on-line instructions for submitting comments.
     Mail: Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) Regulatory Public 
Docket (7502P), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania 
Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001.
     Delivery: OPP Regulatory Public Docket (7502P), 
Environmental Protection Agency, Rm. S-4400, One Potomac Yard (South 
Bldg.), 2777 S. Crystal Dr., Arlington, VA. Deliveries are only 
accepted during the Docket Facility's normal hours of operation (8:30 
a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays). 
Special arrangements should be made for deliveries of boxed 
information. The Docket Facility telephone number is (703) 305-5805.
    Instructions: Direct your comments to docket ID number EPA-HQ-OPP-
2005-0162. EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included 
in the docket without change and may be made available on-line at 
http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information 
provided, unless the comment includes information claimed to be 
Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose 
disclosure is restricted by statute. Do not submit information that you 
consider to be CBI or otherwise protected through regulations.gov or e-
mail. The regulations.gov website is an ``anonymous access'' system, 
which means EPA will not know your identity or contact information 
unless you provide it in the body of your comment. If you send an e-
mail comment directly to EPA without going through regulations.gov, 
your e-mail address will be automatically captured and included as part 
of the comment that is placed in the docket and made available on the 
Internet. If you submit an electronic comment, EPA recommends that you 
include your name and other contact information in the body of your 
comment and with any disk or CD-ROM you submit. If EPA cannot read your 
comment due to technical difficulties and cannot contact you for 
clarification, EPA may not be able to consider your comment. Electronic 
files should avoid the use of special characters, any form of 
encryption, and be free of any defects or viruses.
    Docket: All documents in the docket are listed in the docket index 
available at http://www.regulations.gov. Although listed in the index, 
some information is not publicly available, e.g., CBI or other 
information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Certain other 
material, such as copyrighted material, is not placed on the Internet 
and will be publicly available only in hard copy form. Publicly 
available docket materials are available either in the electronic 
docket at http://www.regulations.gov, or, if only available in hard 
copy, at the OPP Regulatory Public Docket in Rm. S-4400, One Potomac 
Yard (South Bldg.), 2777 S. Crystal Dr., Arlington, VA. The hours of 
operation of this Docket Facility are from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday 
through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The Docket Facility telephone 
number is (703) 305-5805.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jude Andreasen, Special Review and 
Reregistration Division (7508P), Office of Pesticide Programs, 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., 
Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone number: (703) 308-9342; fax 
number: (703) 308-7070; e-mail address: andreasen.jude@epa.gov.

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, 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 person 
listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

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 e-mail. 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 submitting comments, 
remember to:
    i. Identify the document by docket ID number and other identifying 
information (subject heading, Federal Register date and page number).
    ii. Follow directions. The Agency may ask you to respond to 
specific questions or organize comments by referencing a Code of 
Federal Regulations (CFR) part or section number.
    iii. Explain why you agree or disagree; suggest alternatives and 
substitute language for your requested changes.

[[Page 77691]]

    iv. Describe any assumptions and provide any technical information 
and/or data that you used.
    v. If you estimate potential costs or burdens, explain how you 
arrived at your estimate in sufficient detail to allow for it to be 
reproduced.
    vi. Provide specific examples to illustrate your concerns and 
suggest alternatives.
    vii. Explain your views as clearly as possible, avoiding the use of 
profanity or personal threats.
    viii. Make sure to submit your comments by the comment period 
deadline identified.

II. Background on the Receipt of Requests to Cancel Registrations

    This notice announces receipt by EPA of a written request dated 
September 29, 2008 from FMC Corporation, the sole registrant of 
carbofuran, to cancel carbofuran product registrations on certain uses. 
Carbofuran is an N-methyl carbamate insecticide. The affected products 
and uses are provided in Table 1. This request will result in the 
termination of the use of flowable and granular carbofuran products on 
certain crops in the United States. The request would also terminate 
all carbofuran products registered under FIFRA section 24 Special Local 
Need Labels for use in or on corn (field), CRP acres, cucumbers, 
grapes, melons, ornamentals (container and field production), peppers 
(including Chiles and bell), sorghum, squash, sugar beets, sugarcane 
(soil applied), tobacco, and small grains (wheat, oats, and barley). 
The request would also terminate, subject to a two-year phase-out 
period, the use of flowable carbofuran as a post-plant application to 
artichokes. The request proposes to cancel the use of granular 
carbofuran on bananas, coffee, cucumbers, melons, and squash. The 
request would not terminate the last carbofuran products registered for 
use in the US. The request does not affect the use of granular 
carbofuran (products 279-3023 and 279-2712) on pumpkin. This request 
does not affect the existing volume limitations (2,500 pounds active 
ingredient per year) for granular product manufacture. EPA intends to 
grant this request for cancellation at the close of the comment period 
for this announcement unless the Agency receives a request within the 
comment period to transfer the registration to a new registrant or 
unless the registrant withdraws their request within this period. Upon 
acceptance of this request, any sale, distribution, or use of products 
listed in this notice will be permitted only if such sale, 
distribution, or use is consistent with the terms as described in the 
final order. Any carbofuran uses not affected by this voluntary 
cancellation request, and any uses for which the requested cancellation 
do not become final, will remain subject to cancellation through the 
process that the Agency initiated in a draft Notice of Intent to Cancel 
(NOIC) carbofuran, January 8, 2008, which can be accessed in the public 
docket at www.regulations.gov, docket number EPA-HQ-OPP-2005-0162. The 
basis for the draft NOIC was that pesticide products containing 
carbofuran, when used in accordance with widespread and commonly 
recognized practice, generally cause unreasonable adverse effects on 
humans and the environment. EPA further determined that none of the 
available alternatives to cancellation of all registered uses could 
reduce the potential risks to acceptable levels.

III. What Action is the Agency Taking?

    This notice announces receipt by EPA of a request from FMC 
Corporation to cancel certain uses of flowable and granular carbofuran. 
The affected products and the registrants making the request are 
identified in Table 1 and Table 2 of this unit.
    Under section 6(f)(1)(A) of FIFRA, registrants may request, at any 
time, that their pesticide registrations be canceled or amended to 
terminate one or more pesticide uses. Section 6(f)(1)(B) of FIFRA 
requires that before acting on a request for voluntary cancellation, 
EPA must provide a 30-day public comment period on the request for 
voluntary cancellation or use termination. In addition, section 
6(f)(1)(C) of FIFRA requires that EPA provide a 180-day comment period 
on a request for voluntary cancellation or termination of any minor 
agricultural use before granting the request, unless:
    1. The registrants request a waiver of the comment period, or
    2. The Administrator determines that continued use of the pesticide 
would pose an unreasonable adverse effect on the environment.
    FMC Corporation, a carbofuran registrant, has requested that EPA 
waive the 180-day comment period. EPA will provide a 30-day comment 
period on the proposed requests.
    Unless a request is withdrawn by the registrant within 30 days of 
publication of this notice, or if the Agency determines that there are 
substantive comments that warrant further review of this request, an 
order will be issued canceling the affected registrations.

  Table 1a.--Carbofuran Product Registrations with Pending Requests for
                      Cancellation of Certain Uses
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        Registration Number            Product Name         Company
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279-2876                                   Furadan 4F    FMC Corporation
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279-3310                                  Furadan LFR    FMC Corporation
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279-2712                                  Furadan 10G    FMC Corporation
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279-3023                                  Furadan 15G    FMC Corporation
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  Table 1b.--Carbofuran Product Registrations with Pending Requests for
                 Cancellation of All Uses of Carbofuran
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        Registration Number            Product Name         Company
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279-2922                                   Furadan 5G    FMC Corporation
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  Table 1c.--Carbofuran Special Local Need (SLN) Product Registrations
    with Pending Requests for Cancellation of All Uses of Carbofuran
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            Registration Number                        Company
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AL880003                                    FMC Corporation
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AL940002                                    FMC Corporation
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AR810051                                    FMC Corporation
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AR810052                                    FMC Corporation
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AZ910001                                    FMC Corporation
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CA830058                                    FMC Corporation
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CA860037                                    FMC Corporation
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CA940005                                    FMC Corporation
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CA980011                                    FMC Corporation
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CA980012                                    FMC Corporation
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CO920001                                    FMC Corporation
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CO920002                                    FMC Corporation
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DE830004                                    FMC Corporation
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DE930001                                    FMC Corporation
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IA930001                                    FMC Corporation
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ID060003                                    FMC Corporation
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ID060004                                    FMC Corporation
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ID910007                                    FMC Corporation
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ID920002                                    FMC Corporation
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IL040002                                    FMC Corporation
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IL980003                                    FMC Corporation
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IN830001                                    FMC Corporation
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IN930001                                    FMC Corporation
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KS880001                                    FMC Corporation
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KS880002                                    FMC Corporation
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LA000009                                    FMC Corporation
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LA050001                                    FMC Corporation
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LA990007                                    FMC Corporation
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MD810008                                    FMC Corporation
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MI820025                                    FMC Corporation
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MI930001                                    FMC Corporation
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MO790006                                    FMC Corporation
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MO810024                                    FMC Corporation
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MO860003                                    FMC Corporation
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MO930002                                    FMC Corporation
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MS820020                                    FMC Corporation
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MT860007                                    FMC Corporation
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NC800003                                    FMC Corporation
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NE880003                                    FMC Corporation
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NE920006                                    FMC Corporation
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NE920009                                    FMC Corporation
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NE950001                                    FMC Corporation
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NJ980004                                    FMC Corporation
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NM060001                                    FMC Corporation
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NM060002                                    FMC Corporation
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NM780015                                    FMC Corporation
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NM980002                                    FMC Corporation
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OH930001                                    FMC Corporation
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OK810012                                    FMC Corporation
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OK930009                                    FMC Corporation
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OR060016                                    FMC Corporation
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OR060017                                    FMC Corporation
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OR830016                                    FMC Corporation
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OR830036                                    FMC Corporation
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OR910006                                    FMC Corporation
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OR920014                                    FMC Corporation
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PA840005                                    FMC Corporation
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PA940001                                    FMC Corporation
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PR850001                                    FMC Corporation
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PR960003                                    FMC Corporation
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SC790026                                    FMC Corporation
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SC940005                                    FMC Corporation
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SD900013                                    FMC Corporation
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TX030002                                    FMC Corporation
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TX060012                                    FMC Corporation
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TX060013                                    FMC Corporation
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TX810006                                    FMC Corporation
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TX930008                                    FMC Corporation
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TX930011                                    FMC Corporation
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VA780006                                    FMC Corporation
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VA790014                                    FMC Corporation
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VA930001                                    FMC Corporation
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WA860012                                    FMC Corporation
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WA910006                                    FMC Corporation
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WY030002                                    FMC Corporation
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WY900003                                    FMC Corporation
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    Table 2 of this unit includes the name and address of record for 
the registrant of the products listed in Table 1 of this unit.

         Table 2.--Registrant Requesting Voluntary Cancellation
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              EPA Company No.                 Company name and address
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279                                         FMC Corporation
                                            Agricultural Products Group
                                            1735 Market Street
                                            Philadelphia, PA 19103
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IV. What is the Agency's Authority for Taking this Action?

    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 canceled or amended to terminate one or more uses. FIFRA further 
provides that, before acting on the request, EPA must publish a notice 
of receipt of any such request in the Federal Register. Thereafter, 
following the public comment period, the Administrator may approve such 
a request.

V. Procedures for Withdrawal of Request and Considerations for 
Reregistration of Carbofuran

    Registrants who choose to withdraw a request for cancellation must 
submit such withdrawal in writing to the person listed under FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, postmarked before January 20, 2009. This 
written withdrawal of the request for cancellation will apply only to 
the applicable FIFRA section 6(f)(1) request listed in this notice. If 
the products(s)

[[Page 77693]]

have been subject to a previous cancellation action, the effective date 
of cancellation and all other provisions of any earlier cancellation 
action are controlling.

VI. Provisions for Disposition of Existing Stocks

    Existing stocks are those stocks of registered pesticide products 
which are currently in the United States and which were packaged, 
labeled, and released for shipment prior to the effective date of the 
cancellation action.
    In any order issued in response to this request for cancellation of 
product registrations, EPA proposes to include the following provisions 
for the treatment of any existing stocks of the products identified or 
referenced in Table 1. The registrant will be allowed to sell and 
distribute the subject products through the effective date of this 
cancellation order. In addition, existing stocks of carbofuran products 
may be sold or used until they are depleted, or until tolerances are 
revoked.
    The Agency intends to allow use on artichokes through December 31, 
2010. The Agency is soliciting comment on whether there are sufficient 
stocks of product to allow for this use, or whether additional 
carbofuran production will be needed to address this use.
    An existing stocks provision was included in a Federal Register 
notice published December 10, 2008 regarding a number of pesticide 
products, including several carbofuran products. The existing stocks 
provision in that notice will be superseded by the existing stocks 
provision in the cancellation order for today's notice.

List of Subjects

    Environmental protection, Pesticides and pests.

    Dated: December 11, 2008.
Steven Bradbury,
Director, Special Review and Reregistration Division, Office of 
Pesticide Programs.
[FR Doc. E8-30249 Filed 12-18-08; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560-50-S
