[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 135 (Friday, July 12, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36726-36727]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-17901]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[OPP-181016; FRL 5383-4]
Pyriproxyfen and Buprofezin; Receipt of Application for Emergency
Exemptions, Solicitation of Public Comment
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: EPA has received specific exemption requests from the
California Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Pesticide
Regulation (hereafter referred to as the ``Applicant'') to use the
insect growth regulators pyriproxyfen (CAS 95737-68-1) and buprofezin
(CAS 69327-76-0) to treat up to 24,000 acres of cotton in Imperial,
Riverside, and San Bernardino counties, to control the sweet potato, or
silverleaf whitefly (Bemesia species).
In the case of pyriproxyfen, the Applicant proposes the first food
use of an active ingredient. Buprofezin is an unregistered material,
and its proposed use is thus use of a ``new'' chemical.
Therefore, in accordance with 40 CFR 166.24, EPA is soliciting
public comment before making the decision whether or not to grant the
exemptions.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before July 29, 1996.
ADDRESSES: Three copies of written comments, bearing the identification
notation ``OPP-181016,'' should be submitted by mail to: Public
Response and Program Resource Branch, Field Operations Division
(7506C), Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental Protection Agency,
401 M St., SW., Washington, DC 20460. In person, bring comments to: Rm.
1132, Crystal Mall #2, 1921 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, VA.
Comments and data may also be submitted electronically by sending
electronic mail (e-mail) to: [email protected]. Electronic
comments must be submitted as an ASCII file avoiding the use of special
characters and any form of encryption. Comments and data will also be
accepted on disks in WordPerfect in 5.1
[[Page 36727]]
file format or ASCII file format. All comments and data in electronic
form must be identified by the docket number [OPP-181016]. No
Confidential Business Information (CBI) should be submitted through e-
mail. Electronic comments on this notice may be filed online at many
Federal Depository Libraries. Additional information on electronic
submissions can be found below in this document.
Information submitted in any comment concerning this notice may be
claimed confidential 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. A copy of the comment that
does not contain CBI must be provided by the submitter for inclusion in
the public record. Information not marked confidential may be disclosed
publicly by EPA without prior notice. All written comments filed
pursuant to this notice will be available for public inspection in Rm.
1132, Crystal Mall No. 2, 1921 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, VA,
from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except legal holidays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: By mail: Andrea Beard, Registration
Division (7505W), Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental
Protection Agency, 401 M St., SW., Washington, DC 20460. Office
location and telephone number: Floor 6, Crystal Station #1, 2800
Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, VA, (703) 308-8791; e-mail:
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to section 18 of the Federal
Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) (7 U.S.C. 136p),
the Administrator may, at her discretion, exempt a state agency from
any registration provision of FIFRA if she determines that emergency
conditions exist which require such exemption. The Applicant has
requested the Administrator to issue specific exemptions for the use of
pyriproxyfen and buprofezin on cotton to control the sweet potato, or
silverleaf whitefly (SLW). Information in accordance with 40 CFR part
166 was submitted as part of this request.
The Applicant states that a new strain or possibly a new species,
of whitefly, often referred to as the strain B of sweet potato
whitefly, or silverleaf whitefly (SLW), has been a major pest of cotton
in Imperial, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties of California since
1991. Since that time, it has steadily spread to new host plants and
grown in population size each summer and fall. The SLW causes damage by
feeding, and also through the production of honeydew, which encourages
growth of sooty mold and other fungi. When SLWs become numerous, their
direct feeding lowers the yield. The SLW has also been implicated as a
vector of virus. The Applicant claims that adequate control of the SLW
is not being achieved with currently registered products and
alternative cultural practices. The Applicant points out that the
ability to adequately control this pest is further complicated because
of the close proximity of these California cotton-growing areas to that
of Arizona where large populations of whitefly have demonstrated
resistance to available insecticidal control. It is expected that
resistant whitefly will migrate into California and cause identical
resistance problems to those being experienced in Arizona. The
Applicant indicates that one application of either one or the other of
the requested chemicals would not provide adequate control throughout
the season, and since application of either would be limited to one, is
requesting the use of both materials. The Applicant indicates that
without adequate control of the SLW in cotton, significant economic
losses will be suffered.
The Applicant proposes to apply pyriproxyfen at a rate of 0.054 lb.
active ingredient (a.i.) per acre with a maximum of one application per
crop season on a total of 24,000 acres of cotton. The Applicant
proposes to apply buprofezin at a rate of 0.35 lb. a.i., per acre with
a maximum of one application per crop season on a total of up to 24,000
acres of cotton. Therefore, use under these exemptions could
potentially amount to a maximum total of 1,296 lbs. of pyriproxyfen and
8,400 lbs. of buprofezin.
This notice does not constitute a decision by EPA on the
application itself. The regulations governing section 18 require
publication of a notice of receipt in the Federal Register for an
application for a specific exemption proposing the first food use of an
active ingredient, or for use of a new (unregistered) chemical. Such
notice provides for opportunity for public comment on the application.
A record has been established for this notice under docket number
[OPP-181016] (including comments and data submitted electronically as
described below). A public version of this record, including printed,
paper versions of electronic comments, which does not include any
information claimed as CBI is available for inspection from 8 a.m. to
4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The public
record is located in Room 1132 of the Public Response and Program
Resource Branch, Field Operations Division (7506C), Office of Pesticide
Programs, Environmental Protection Agency, Crystal Mall #2, 1921
Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, VA.
Electronic comments can be sent directly to EPA at:
[email protected]
Electronic comments must be submitted as an ASCII file avoiding the
use of special characters and any form of encryption.
The official record for this notice, as well as the public version,
as described above will be kept in paper form. Accordingly, EPA will
transfer all comments received electronically into printed, paper form
as they are received and will place the paper copies in the official
record which will also include all comments submitted directly in
writing. The official record is the paper record maintained at the
address in ``ADDRESSES'' at the beginning of this document.
Accordingly, interested persons may submit written views on this
subject to the Field Operations Division at the address above.
The Agency, accordingly, will review and consider all comments
received during the comment period in determining whether to issue the
emergency exemption requested by the California Department of Pesticide
Regulation.
List of Subjects
Environmental protection, Pesticides and pests, Emergency
exemptions.
Dated: July 2, 1996.
Peter Caulkins,
Acting Director, Registration Division, Office of Pesticide Programs.
[FR Doc. 96-17901 Filed 7-11-96; 8:45 am]
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