
[Federal Register: June 3, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 105)]
[Notices]               
[Page 26696-26697]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr03jn09-65]                         

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OPP-2006-0599; FRL-8413-4]

 
Iodine and Iodophors Reregistration Eligibility Decision

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces EPA's Reregistration Eligibility 
Decision (RED) and supporting science documents for the pesticide 
iodine and iodophor complexes. The Reregistration Eligibility Decision 
document for iodine and iodophor complexes was signed on July 27, 2006 
with additional revisions described in a March 17, 2009 amendment.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Heather Garvie, Antimicrobials 
Division (7510P), Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental 
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460-
0001; telephone number: (703) 308-0034; fax number: (703) 305-5620; e-
mail address: garvie.heather@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, 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 person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

B. How Can I Get Copies of this Document and Other Related Information?

    1. Docket. EPA has established a docket for this action under 
docket

[[Page 26697]]

identification (ID) number EPA-HQ-OPP-2006-0599. 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 
Office of Pesticide Programs (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.
    2. Electronic access. You may access this Federal Register document 
electronically through the EPA Internet under the ``Federal Register'' 
listings at http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr.

II. Background

A. What Action is the Agency Taking?

    Section 4 of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide 
Act (FIFRA) directs EPA to reevaluate existing pesticides to ensure 
that they meet current scientific and regulatory standards. In 2006, 
EPA signed a RED for iodine and iodophor complexes under section 
4(g)(2)(A) of FIFRA. An additional amendment was signed on March 17, 
2009.
    Taking into consideration all available information on iodine, 
including its relatively low acute toxicity, the reversibility of 
subclinical hypothyroidism, the low toxicity of the iodophor complexes, 
the Food and Drug Administration's designation of iodide as a 
``Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS)'' chemical, the presence of 
iodine in food products, and the sporadic and short-term nature of the 
antimicrobial uses, the Agency concludes that exposure to iodine and 
iodophor complexes from the EPA-registered uses present no risk of 
concern. No mitigation measures are necessary at this time. The March 
17, 2009 amendment to the Iodine and Iodophor Complexes RED is 
inclusive of a Labeling Changes Summary Table and a revised Appendix A. 
The label table incorporated into the Iodine and Iodophor Complexes 
March 17, 2009 RED amendment includes modifications which specify label 
language for emergency human drinking water use. Appendix A is 
inclusive of the current EPA-registered products containing iodine or 
an iodophor complex as an active ingredient.

B. What is the Agency's Authority for Taking this Action?

    Section 4(g)(2) of FIFRA, as amended, directs that, after 
submission of all data concerning a pesticide active ingredient, ``the 
Administrator shall determine whether pesticides containing such active 
ingredient are eligible for reregistration,'' before calling in product 
specific data on individual end-use products and either reregistering 
products or taking other ``appropriate regulatory action.''

List of Subjects

    Environmental protection, Pesticides and pests, Antimicrobials, 
Iodine, Iodophor complexes.

    Dated: May 8, 2009.

Betty Shackleford,
Acting Director, Antimicrobials Division, Office of Pesticide Programs.
[FR Doc. E9-12413 Filed 6-2-09; 8:45 a.m.]

BILLING CODE 6560-50-S
