
[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 245 (Friday, December 21, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Page 65672]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-27757]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OPP-2018-0262; FRL-9987-45]


Pesticides; Petition Seeking Revised Testing Requirements of 
Pesticides Prior to Registration; Request for Comment

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: EPA is seeking public comment on a petition from the Center 
for Food Safety (CFS) requesting that the Agency revise testing 
requirements for pesticides prior to registration. The petitioner, CFS, 
requests that the Agency require testing for whole pesticide 
formulations to account for the toxicological effects of inert and 
adjuvant ingredients and the testing of tank mixes to assess the 
interaction between pesticide ingredients. CSF believes this change is 
needed to meet the applicable safety standards of the Federal 
Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA).

DATES: Comments must be received on or before March 21, 2019.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by docket identification 
(ID) number EPA-HQ-OPP-2018-0262, 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, is available at http://www.epa.gov/dockets.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Connie Hernandez, Field and External 
Affairs Division, Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental 
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460-
0001; telephone number: (703) 305-5190; email address: 
hernandez.connie@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. 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 pesticide 
registrants, environmental, human health, and agricultural advocates, 
pesticide users, and members of the public interested in the use of 
pesticides. This listing is not intended to be exhaustive but rather 
provides a guide for readers regarding entities likely to be affected 
by his action. Because others may also 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.

II. What action is the agency taking?

    EPA requests public comment on a petition received from CFS 
requesting EPA take the following actions:
    1. Revise pesticide registration regulations to take into account 
all pesticide ingredients (active, inert and adjuvant) and their 
effects on the environment.
    2. Revise pesticide registration regulations to require whole 
pesticide formulation and tank mixture testing to take into account 
synergistic effects.
    3. Revise pesticide registration regulations to require inert 
ingredients and whole pesticide formulations testing for chronic 
toxicological effects and degradation.
    4. Revise pesticide registration regulations to require Endangered 
Species Act (ESA) consultation on the effects of whole pesticide 
formulations and tank mixtures on threatened and endangered species.
    5. Comply with the above requirements in conducting statutorily 
mandated registration reviews of pesticides.

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

    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.
    When preparing and submitting your comments, see the commenting 
tips at http://www.epa.gov/dockets/comments.html.

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

    Dated: December 11, 2018,
Richard Keigwin,
Director, Office of Pesticide Programs.
[FR Doc. 2018-27757 Filed 12-20-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P


