[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 145 (Wednesday, July 29, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45219-45220]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-18615]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-HQ-OPP-2015-0374; FRL-9930-74]
Pesticide Experimental Use Permit; Receipt of Application;
Comment Request
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: This notice announces EPA's receipt of an application (88877-
EUP-E) from the University of Kentucky's Department of Entomology
requesting an experimental use permit (EUP) for Wolbachia pipientis,
wAlbB Strain. EPA has determined that the permit may be of regional and
national significance. Therefore, because of the potential
significance, EPA is seeking comments on this application.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before August 28, 2015.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by docket identification
(ID) number EPA-HQ-OPP-2015-0374, 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: Robert McNally, Director,
Biopesticides and Pollution Prevention Division (7511P), Office of
Pesticide Programs, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania
Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001; main telephone number: (703) 305-
7090; email address: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. General Information
A. Does this action apply to me?
This action is directed to the public in general. Although this
action may be of particular interest to those persons who conduct or
sponsor research on pesticides, EPA has not attempted to describe all
the specific entities that may be affected by this action.
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, EPA
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 pesticide
discussed in this document, compared to the general population.
II. What action is EPA taking?
Under section 5 of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and
Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), 7 U.S.C. 136c, EPA can allow manufacturers to
field test pesticides under development. Manufacturers are required to
obtain an EUP before testing new pesticides or new uses of pesticides
if they conduct experimental field tests on 10 acres or more of land or
one acre or more of water.
Pursuant to 40 CFR 172.11(a), EPA has determined that the following
EUP application may be of regional and national significance, and
therefore is
[[Page 45220]]
seeking public comment on the EUP application:
Submitter: University of Kentucky, Department of Entomology, S-225
Agricultural Science Center North, Lexington, KY 40546-0091, (88877-
EUP-E).
Pesticide Chemical: Wolbachia pipientis, wAlbB Strain.
Summary of Request: The University of Kentucky's Department of
Entomology has proposed to field test a new strain of Wolbachia
pipientis (wAlbB Strain) to determine its pesticidal value for
suppression and elimination of Aedes aegypti, a mosquito that vectors
some human diseases, e.g., dengue and chikungunya. For 6 months between
autumn 2015 and December 31, 2016, approximately 100,000 Aedes aegypti
WB1 strain male mosquitoes infected with Wolbachia pipientis, wAlbB
Strain will be released weekly at four sites in Fresno County,
California, with a total target area of 3.4 square kilometers (840
acres) for control. The released male mosquitoes are expected to mate
with indigenous female mosquitoes, causing conditional sterility and
resulting in population decline and potential elimination. Adult and
egg collection data from the treated area will be compared to data from
the control site to evaluate the effect of the pesticide on the
mosquito population.
Following the review of the application and any comments and data
received in response to this solicitation, EPA will decide whether to
issue or deny the EUP request, and if issued, the conditions under
which it is to be conducted. Any issuance of an EUP will be announced
in the Federal Register.
Authority: 7 U.S.C. 136 et seq.
Dated: July 20, 2015.
R. McNally,
Director, Biopesticides and Pollution Prevention Division, Office of
Pesticide Programs.
[FR Doc. 2015-18615 Filed 7-28-15; 8:45 am]
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