Difenzoquat and Diquat Dibromide Tolerance Reassessment Decisions; Notice of Availability

AGENCY:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

This notice of tolerance reassessment for difenzoquat and diquat dibromide starts the 30-day public comment period during which the public is invited to submit comments on the Agency's “Report of the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) Tolerance Reassessment Progress and Risk Management Decision (TRED) for Difenzoquat” and “Report of the FQPA, TRED for Diquat Dibromide.” The Agency is providing an opportunity, through this notice, for interested parties to comment on the Agency's tolerance reassessment decisions in accordance with procedures described in Unit I. of this document. All comments will be carefully considered by the Agency. If any comment causes the Agency to revise its decision on tolerance reassessment for difenzoquat and/or diquat dibromide, the Agency will publish notice of its amendment in the Federal Register.

DATES:

The tolerance reassessment decision document for difenzoquat is available under docket ID number OPP-2002-0097; the decision document for diquat dibromide is available under docket ID number OPP-2002-0098. Comments must be received on or before July 12, 2002.

ADDRESSES:

Comments may be submitted by mail, electronically, or in person. Please follow the detailed instructions for each method as provided in Unit I. under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. To ensure proper receipt by EPA, it is imperative that you identify docket ID number OPP-2002-0097 for difenzoquat and OPP-2002-0098 for diquat dibromide, in the subject line on the first page of your response.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

For difenzoquat: Tawanda Spears, Special Review and Reregistration Division (7508C), Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (703) 308-8050; e-mail address: spears.tawanda@epa.gov.

For diquat dibromide: Tyler Lane, Special Review and Reregistration Division (7508C), Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (703) 305-2737; e-mail address: lane.tyler@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. General Information

A. Does this Action Apply to Me?

This action is directed to the public in general. This action may, however, be of interest to persons who are or may be required to conduct testing of chemical substances under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) or the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA); environmental, human health, and agricultural advocates; pesticide users; and the public interested in the use of pesticides. Since other entities 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.

B. How Can I Get Additional Information, Including Copies of this Document and Other Related Documents?

1. Electronically. You may obtain electronic copies of this document, and certain other related documents that might be available electronically, from the EPA Internet Home Page at http://www.epa.gov/ . To access this document, on the Home Page select “Laws and Regulations,” “Regulations and Proposed Rules,” and then look up the entry for this document under the “Federal Register—Environmental Documents.” You can also go directly to the Federal Register listings at http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/ .

To access TRED documents electronically, go directly to the TREDs table on the EPA Office of Pesticide Programs' Home Page, at http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/reregistration/status.htm .

2. In person. The Agency has established an official record for this action under docket ID number OPP-2002-0097 for difenzoquat and OPP-2002-0098 for diquat dibromide. The official record consists of the documents specifically referenced in this action, and other information related to this action, including any information claimed as Confidential Business Information (CBI). This official record includes the documents that are physically located in the docket, as well as the documents that are referenced in those documents. The public version of the official record does not include any information claimed as CBI. The public version of the official record, includes printed and paper versions of any electronic comments submitted during an applicable comment period is available for inspection in the Public Information and Records Integrity Branch (PIRIB), Rm. 119, Crystal Mall #2, 1921 Jefferson Davis Hwy., Arlington, VA, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The PIRIB telephone number is (703) 305-5805.

C. How and to Whom Do I Submit Comments?

You may submit comments through the mail, in person, or electronically. To ensure proper receipt by the EPA, it is imperative that you identify docket ID number OPP-2002-0097 for difenzoquat and OPP-2002-0098 for diquat dibromide in the subject line on the first page of your response.

1. By mail. Submit your comments to: Public Information and Records Integrity Branch (PIRIB), Information Resources and Services Division (7502C), Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460.

2. In person or by courier. Deliver your comments to: Public Information and Records Integrity Branch (PIRIB), Information Resources and Services Division (7502C), Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP), Environmental Protection Agency, Rm. 119, Crystal Mall #2, 1921 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, VA. The PIRIB is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4 a.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The PIRIB telephone number is (703) 305-5805.

3. Electronically. You may submit your comments electronically by e-mail to: opp-docket@epa.gov, or you can submit a computer disk as described above. Do not submit any information electronically that you consider to be CBI. Avoid the characters and any form of encryption. Electronic submissions will be accepted in WordPerfect 6.1/8.0/9.0 or ASCII file format. All comments in electronic form must be identified by docket ID number OPP-2002-0097 for difenzoquat and OPP-2002-0098 for diquat dibromide. Electronic comments may also be filed online at many Federal Depository Libraries.

D. How Should I Handle CBI That I Want to Submit to the Agency?

Do not submit any information electronically that you consider to be CBI. You may claim information that you submit to EPA in response to this document as CBI 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. In addition to one complete version of the comment that includes any 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 version of the official record. Information not marked confidential will be included in the public version of the official record without prior notice. If you have any questions about CBI or the procedures for claiming CBI, please consult the appropriate person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

E. What Should I Consider as I Prepare My Comments for EPA?

You may find the following suggestions helpful for preparing your comments:

1. Explain your views as clearly as possible.

2. Describe any assumptions that you used.

3. Provide copies of any technical information and/or data you used that support your views.

4. If you estimate potential burdens or costs, explain how you arrived at the estimate that you provide.

5. Provide specific examples to illustrate your concerns.

6. Offer alternative ways to improve the notice or collection activity.

7. Make sure to submit your comments by the deadline in this document.

8. To ensure proper receipt by EPA, be sure to identify the docket ID number assigned to this action in the subject line on the first page of your response. You may also provide the name, date, and Federal Register citation.

II. Background

A. What Action is the Agency Taking?

This notice constitutes and announces the availability of the difenzoquat and diquat dibromide TREDs. These decisions have been developed as part of the public participation process that EPA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) are using to involve the public in the reassessment of pesticide tolerances under FFDCA. EPA must review tolerances and tolerance exemptions that were in effect when FQPA was enacted in August 1996, to ensure that these existing pesticide residue limits for food and feed commodities meet the safety standard of the new law.

In reviewing these tolerances, the Agency must consider, among other things, aggregate risks from non-occupational sources of pesticide exposure, whether there is increased susceptibility to infants and children, and the cumulative effects of pesticides with a common mechanism of toxicity. The tolerances are considered reassessed once the safety finding has been made that aggregate risks are not of concern. A reregistration eligibility decision (RED) was completed for difenzoquat in September 1994, and diquat dibromide in July 1995, prior to FQPA enactment, and therefore needed an updated assessment to consider the provisions of the Act.

FFDCA requires that the Agency, when considering whether to establish, modify, or revoke a tolerance, consider “available information” concerning the cumulative effects of a particular pesticide's residues and “other substances that have a common mechanism of toxicity.” At this time, difenzoquat and diquat dibromide have not been identified as sharing a common mechanism of toxicity and are not scheduled for a cumulative risk assessment. Additionally, the tolerances for difenzoquat (22) and diquat dibromide (44) are now considered reassessed as safe under section 408(q) of FFDCA.

All registrants of pesticide products containing one or more of the active ingredients listed in this document have been sent the appropriate TRED documents, and must respond to labeling requirements within 8 months of receipt. In addition, the Agency requests a response to the generic Data-Call-In (DCI) letter from technical registrants within 90 days of receipt.

The reregistration program is being conducted under Congressionally-mandated time frames, and EPA recognizes both the need to make timely reregistration decisions and to involve the public. Therefore, the Agency is issuing these TREDs as final documents because no risk mitigation or changes to existing labeling are necessary. All comments received within 30 days of publication of this Federal Register notice will be carefully considered by the Agency. If any comment significantly impacts a TRED, the Agency will amend its decision by publishing a Federal Register notice.

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

The legal authority for these TREDs falls under FIFRA, as amended in 1988 and 1996. Section 4(g)(2)(a) of FIFRA 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,” and either reregistering products or taking “other appropriate regulatory action.”

List of Subjects

• Environmental protection
• Pesticides