Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Notice.
This notice announces the availability of EPA's risk assessments, and related documents for the pesticide rotenone, and opens a public comment period on these documents. 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 roteneone through a modified, 4-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.
Comments must be received on or before April 11, 2006.
Submit your comments, identified by docket identification (ID) number OPP–EPA–HQ–2005–0494, by one of the following methods:
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Katie Hall, Special Review and Reregistration Division (7508C), Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460–0001; telephone number: (703) 308–0166; fax number: (703) 308–8041; e-mail address:
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 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
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i. Identify the document by docket number and other identifying information (subject heading,
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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.
EPA is releasing for public comment its human health and environmental fate and effects risk assessments and related documents for rotenone. Rotenone is a botanical insecticide, acaracide, and piscicide obtained from extracts of roots, seeds, and leaves of various plants that are members of the pea or bean family (
Rotenone is used as a insecticide, acaracide, and piscicide in many different use sites. It is used as an insecticide/acaracide for home and garden use, as an insecticide/acaracide for agricultural crops, and as a an insecticide on domesticated animals by veterinarians and private citizens. Rotenone also has an important use as a piscicide in fisheries and in lakes and streams to eradicate unwanted species.
EPA is providing an opportunity, through this notice, for interested parties to provide comments and input on the Agency's risk assessments for rotenone. Such comments and input could address, for example, the availability of additional data to further refine the risk assessments, such as worker exposure information, or could address the Agency's risk assessment methodologies and assumptions as applied to this specific pesticide.
Through this notice, EPA also is providing an opportunity for interested parties to provide risk management proposals or otherwise comment on risk management for rotenone. Risks of concern associated with the use of rotenone are: Risk to private citizens when rotenone is used in and around the home, garden, and on pets; post-application risk to adults, youth and children when rotenone is used around the home, garden, and on pets; risk to swimmers when rotenone is used in lakes, ponds, and streams; risk to occupational handlers when rotenone is used in agriculture, around residential homes, and when used as a piscicide in lakes, ponds and streams. In targeting these risks of concern, the Agency solicits information on effective and practical risk reduction measures.
EPA seeks to achieve environmental justice, the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people, regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, in the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. To help address potential environmental justice issues, the Agency 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, unusually high exposure to
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
All comments should be submitted using the methods in
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.”
Section 408(q) of the FFDCA, 21 U.S.C. 346a(q), requires EPA to review tolerances and exemptions for pesticide residues in effect as of August 2, 1996, to determine whether the tolerance or exemption meets the requirements of section 408(b)(2) or (c)(2) of FFDCA. This review is to be completed by August 3, 2006.
Environmental protection, Pesticides and pests.