[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 200 (Wednesday, October 16, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55314-55316]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-22495]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OPP-2017-0720; FRL-10001-17]


Registration Review; Paraquat Dichloride Draft Human Health and 
Ecological Risk Assessments; Notice of Availability

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of EPA's draft human 
health and ecological risk assessments for the registration review of 
paraquat dichloride.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before December 16, 2019.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, to the docket identification (ID) 
number for the specific pesticide of interest provided in the Table in 
Unit IV, 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, are available at http://www.epa.gov/dockets.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For pesticide specific information 
contact: The Chemical Review Manager for paraquat dichloride identified 
in the Table in Unit IV.
    For general questions on the registration review program, contact: 
Melanie Biscoe, Pesticide Re-Evaluation Division (7508P), Office of 
Pesticide Programs, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania 
Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone number: (703) 305-7106; 
email address: biscoe.melanie@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

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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 
the Table in Unit IV.

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. Background

    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. As part of the registration review process, 
the Agency has completed comprehensive draft human health and 
ecological risk assessments for paraquat dichloride. After reviewing 
comments received during the public comment period, EPA may issue a 
revised risk assessment, explain any changes to the draft risk 
assessment, and respond to comments and may request public input on 
risk mitigation before completing a proposed registration review 
decision for paraquat dichloride. Through this program, EPA is ensuring 
that each pesticide's registration is based on current scientific and 
other knowledge, including its effects on human health and the 
environment.

III. Authority

    EPA is conducting its registration review of the chemicals listed 
in the Table in Unit IV 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.

IV. What action is the Agency taking?

    Pursuant to 40 CFR 155.58, this notice announces the availability 
of EPA's human health and ecological risk assessments for paraquat 
dichloride and opens a 60-day public comment period on the risk 
assessments.

                      Table--Draft Risk Assessments Being Made Available for Public Comment
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                                                                                         Chemical review manager
Registration review case  name and No.                   Docket ID No.                   and contact information
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Paraquat Dichloride Case 0262.........  EPA-HQ-OPP-2011-0855..........................  Marianne Mannix
                                                                                         mannix.marianne@epa.gov
                                                                                         (703) 347-0275.
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    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 draft human health and 
ecological risk assessments for paraquat dichloride. The Agency will 
consider all comments received during the public comment period and 
make changes, as appropriate, to the draft human health and/or 
ecological risk assessment. EPA may then issue a revised risk 
assessment, explain any changes to the draft risk assessment, and 
respond to comments.
    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

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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: October 10, 2019.
Mary Reaves,
Acting Director, Pesticide Re-Evaluation Division, Office of Pesticide 
Programs.
[FR Doc. 2019-22495 Filed 10-15-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P


