Acrolein; Revised Risk Assessments; Availability and Solicitation of Risk Reduction Options

Federal Register: April 2, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 64)

Notices

Page 17970-17971

From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

DOCID:fr02ap08-52

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

EPA-HQ-OPP-2007-0588; FRL-8357-9

Acrolein Revised Risk Assessments; Notice of Availability and

Solicitation of Risk Reduction Options

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of EPA's revised risk assessments for the pesticide acrolein. In addition, this notice solicits public comment on risk reduction and alternative options for acrolein (Phase 5 of 6-Phase Process). The public is encouraged to suggest risk management ideas or proposals to address the risks identified. EPA is developing a Reregistration Eligibility Decision

(RED) for acrolein through the full, 6-Phase public participation process that the Agency uses to involve the public in developing pesticide reregistration and tolerance reassessment decisions. Through these programs, EPA is ensuring that all pesticides meet current health and safety standards.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before June 2, 2008.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by docket identification

(ID) number EPA-HQ-OPP-2007-0588, by one of the following methods:

Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.

Follow the on-line instructions for submitting comments.

Mail: Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) Regulatory Public

Docket (7502P), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania

Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001.

Delivery: OPP Regulatory Public Docket (7502P),

Environmental Protection Agency, Rm. S-4400, One Potomac Yard (South

Bldg.), 2777 S. Crystal Dr., Arlington, VA. Deliveries are only accepted during the Docket's normal hours of operation 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. Special arrangements should be made for deliveries of boxed information. The

Docket Facility telephone number is (703) 305-5805.

Instructions: Direct your comments to docket ID number EPA-HQ-OPP- 2007-0588. EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included in the docket without change and may be made available on-line at http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided, unless the comment includes information claimed to be

Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Do not submit information that you consider to be CBI or otherwise protected through regulations.gov or e- mail. The regulations.gov website is an ``anonymous access'' system, which means EPA will not know your identity or contact information unless you provide it in the body of your comment. If you send an e- mail comment directly to EPA without going through regulations.gov, your e-mail address will be automatically captured and included as part of the comment that is placed in the docket and made available on the

Internet. If you submit an electronic comment, EPA recommends that you include your name and other contact information in the body of your comment and with any disk or CD-ROM you submit. If EPA cannot read your comment due to technical difficulties and cannot contact you for clarification, EPA may not be able to consider your comment. Electronic files should avoid the use of special characters, any form of encryption, and be free of any defects or viruses.

Docket: All documents in the docket are listed in the docket index available in regulations.gov. To access the electronic docket, go to http://www.regulations.gov, select ``Advanced Search,'' then ``Docket

Search.'' Insert the docket ID number where indicated and select the

``Submit'' button. Follow the instructions on the regulations.gov website to view the docket index or access available documents.

Although, listed in the index, some information is not publicly available, e.g., CBI or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Certain other material, such as copyrighted material, is not placed on the Internet and will be publicly available only in hard copy form. Publicly available docket materials are available either in the electronic docket at http:// www.regulations.gov, or, if only available in hard copy, at the OPP

Regulatory Public Docket in Rm. S-4400, One Potomac Yard (South Bldg.), 2777 S. Crystal Dr., Arlington, VA. The hours of operation of this

Docket Facility are from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The Docket Facility telephone number is (703) 305-5805.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John W. Pates, Jr., Special Review and

Reregistration Division (7508P), Office of Pesticide Programs,

Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW.,

Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone number: (703) 308-8195; fax number: (703) 308-7070; e-mail address: pates.john@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

1. General Information

   1. 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, and agricultural advocates; the 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 person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

   2. 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 e-mail. 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.

      Page 17971

      2. Tips for preparing your comments. When submitting comments, remember to: i. Identify the document by docket ID number and other identifying information (subject heading, Federal Register date and page number). ii. Follow directions. The Agency may ask you to respond to specific questions or organize comments by referencing a Code of

      Federal Regulations (CFR) part or section number. iii. Explain why you agree or disagree; suggest alternatives and substitute language for your requested changes. iv. Describe any assumptions and provide any technical information and/or data that you used. v. If you estimate potential costs or burdens, explain how you arrived at your estimate in sufficient detail to allow for it to be reproduced. vi. Provide specific examples to illustrate your concerns and suggest alternatives. vii. Explain your views as clearly as possible, avoiding the use of profanity or personal threats. viii. Make sure to submit your comments by the comment period deadline identified.

2. Background

   1. What Action is the Agency Taking?

      EPA is making available the Agency's revised risk assessments for both ecological and human health risk, initially issued for comment through two Federal Register notices published on July 25, 2007 (72 FR 40857 (FRL-8140-8) and November 2, 2007 (72 FR 62230 -) (FRL-8154-4), respectively; a response to comments, and related documents for acrolein. EPA also is soliciting public comment on risk reduction and alternative options for acrolein. In addition, in order to allow a more completed benefits assessment for identified risks of concern, the

      Agency is soliciting information to several questions referenced in their alternative assessment summary and uncertainties document to help better understand the importance of acrolein to irrigation. EPA developed the risk assessments for acrolein as part of its public process for making pesticide reregistration eligibility and tolerance reassessment decisions. Through these programs, EPA is ensuring that pesticides meet current standards under the Federal Insecticide,

      Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and the Federal Food, Drug, and

      Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), as amended by the Food Quality Protection Act of 1996 (FQPA).

      Acrolein is registered as a non-food use aquatic herbicide

      Magnacide H: (EPA Registration: 10707-9) used in irrigation canals and holding ponds. It is a non-specific biocide that controls aquatic weeds by breaking down their cell walls. Acrolein is formulated as a liquid, and is metered directly into irrigation canals and reservoirs. Acrolein is also used as a bactericide Magnacide B: (EPA

      Registration : 10707-10) during the production of petroleum.

      This product is used to control bacteria that produce corrosive hydrogen sulfide in oil water ststems. For the bactericide use, acrolein is injected deep into oil field wells.

      EPA is providing an opportunity, through this notice, for interested parties to provide risk management proposals or otherwise comment on risk management for acrolein. Risks of concern that exceed the Agency's level of concern associated with the use of acrolein are exposure to bystanders during application to irrigation canals. In addition, the Agency has identified several ecological risks that exceed its level of concern following acute exposures to freshwater fish, invertebrates, non-target aquatic plants, and estuarine/marine invertebrates. In targeting these risks of concern, the Agency solicits information on effective and practical risk reduction measures.

      EPA is applying the principles of public participation to all pesticides undergoing reregistration and tolerance reassessment. The

      Agency's Pesticide Tolerance Reassessment and Reregistration; Public

      Participation Process, published in the Federal Register on May 14, 2004, (69 FR 26819) (FRL-7357-9) explains that in conducting these programs, EPA is tailoring its public participation process to be commensurate with the level of risk, extent of use, complexity of issues, and degree of public concern associated with each pesticide.

      Due to its acute risks, multiple ecological incidents, and worker incidents acrolein is being reviewed through the full 6-Phase public participation process.

      All comments should be submitted using the methods in ADDRESSES, and must be received by EPA on or before the closing date. Comments and proposals will become part of the Agency Docket for acrolein. Comments received after the close of the comment period will be marked ``late''.

      EPA is not required to consider these late comments.

      After considering comments received, EPA will develop and issue for comment the acrolein RED.

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

      Section 4(g)(2) of FIFRA, as amended, 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,'' before calling in product specific data on individual end-use products and either reregistering products or taking other ``appropriate regulatory action.''

      List of Subjects

      Environmental protection, Pesticides and pests.

      Dated: March 25, 2008.

      Steven Bradbury,

      Director, Special Review and Reregistration Division, Office of

      Pesticide Programs.

      FR Doc. E8-6817 Filed 4-1-08; 8:45 a.m.

      BILLING CODE 6560-50-S