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News Archive: June 2005

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June 30
Pollutants from Stationary Diesel Engines to be Reduced by More Than 68,000 Tons
As part of a nationwide effort to control fine particle and ground-level ozone pollution, EPA proposed emission standards for stationary diesel engines. The proposed standards, known as New Source Performance Standards, will reduce harmful emissions of nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, and hydrocarbons from new, modified, and reconstructed stationary diesel internal combustion engines. The standards will subject stationary diesel engines to the same stringent levels required by EPA's nonroad diesel engine rule. EPA will accept comments on this proposed rule for 60 days following publication of the proposed rule in the Federal Register.

Sethoxydim Risk Assessments Available for Comment
EPA has released its risk assessments and related documents for the cyclohexenone herbicide sethoxydim, and has opened a public comment period on these documents. The public also is encouraged to suggest risk management ideas or proposals to address the risks identified. EPA is developing a Reregistration Eligibility Decision (RED) for sethoxydim through a modified four-phase public participation process. Comments, identified by docket ID number OPP- 2005-0150, must be received on or before August 29, 2005.

Dichlorvos (DDVP) Revised Ecological Risk Assessment Available for Comment
EPA has released its revised ecological risk assessment for the organophosphate pesticide dichlorvos (DDVP) and has announced the start of the phase-five public comment period. A document in the DDVP docket highlights specific areas in which the Agency seeks public input, including information on current DDVP use rates, the frequency and timing of applications, the costs and efficacy of alternative methods and practices, and specific mitigation proposals. EPA is developing an Interim Reregistration Eligibility Decision (IRED) for DDVP through the full six-phase public participation process. Comments must be received on or before August 29, 2005.

Applications Invited for Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Program (PESP) Regional Grants
EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs, in coordination with EPA regional offices, is soliciting applications for projects that further the goals of the Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Program (PESP). Eligible applicants include the 50 states, District of Columbia, U.S. Virgin Islands, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, any territory or possession of the United States, any agency or instrumentality of a state, including state universities, and all federally recognized tribes. The assistance agreements will provide financial support to eligible applicants to carry out projects that reduce the risks associated with pesticide use in agricultural and non-agricultural settings. The total amount of funding available for award in FY 2005 is expected to be approximately $470,000, with a maximum funding level of $47,000 per project. Proposals must be submitted in accordance with the instructions in the grant announcement no later than August 15, 2005.

NPDES Permits Course Scheduled for August
The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permits Program Overview Course for Permitees -- Including New and Emerging Issues will be held in Providence, Rhode Island, on August 10-11. Co-sponsored by EPA's Office of Wastewater Management, the New England Water Environment Association, and the Water Environment Federation, the program is designed to provide attendees with a strong understanding of the purpose of the NPDES program as well as the mechanics for developing, issuing, and implementing an NPDES permit.

Watershed Funding Workshop (PDF) (1 pg, 78K)
EPA's Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds Sustainable Finance Team is sponsoring a half-day Watershed Funding Workshop on August 3, 2005, for watershed organizations in the Washington, D.C., area. There will be a demonstration of three watershed funding tools, including Plan2Fund, the Directory of Watershed Resources, and the Catalog of Federal Funding Sources. Plan2Fund is a watershed planning tool that aids organizations in identifying necessary funding for their watershed program plan. The Directory of Watershed Resources and the Catalog of Federal Funding for Watershed Protection are searchable online databases designed to help organizations learn about funding opportunities available for watershed projects. There will also be a panel of funding professionals speaking about corporate, private, federal, and foundation funding options.

Pesticide Registration Requests, Actions, and Tolerance Updates

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June 29
FIFRA Scientific Advisory Panel Schedules Public Meeting
The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act Scientific Advisory Panel (FIFRA SAP) will meet for four days in August to consider and review the n-methyl carbamate preliminary cumulative risk assessment, which the Agency plans to release in late July. The hazard assessment for these chemicals involves empirical dose-response modeling of the available red blood cell and brain cholinesterase inhibition and recovery data. The exposure assessment incorporates probabilistic approaches in all pathways considered: food, drinking water, and residential/non-occupational for various population subgroups and regions. The SAP meeting will be held in Arlington, Virginia, on August 23-26, 2005.

June 28
Pesticide Product Information System (PPIS)
The Pesticide Product Information System (PPIS) contains information concerning all pesticide products registered in the United States. The files located in this download area are presented in ascii to enable interested parties to access them using a variety of database and spreadsheet software.

EPA Settles Case Against Three Companies for Pesticide Violations
EPA fined two Fresno, California, companies and one German company $17,248 for the alleged sale and distribution of a misbranded pesticide in violation of federal pesticide regulations. EPA cited the two Fresno firms, Creative Marketing & Research, and Lawn and Garden Products, Inc., as well as the German owner and registrant of the pesticide product, W. Neudorff GMBH KG, for selling and distributing a pesticide product known as QUIK-RTU, a lawn herbicide, without providing the application rate on the label. As part of the settlement, the companies have agreed to add the missing information to the labels for all future sales and distribution of the pesticide.

June 24
Public Meeting on Soil Fumigants Scheduled for July 13, 2005
EPA will hold a public meeting, known as a “technical briefing,” to present to interested stakeholders the Agency’s preliminary risk assessments for four soil fumigant pesticides: dazomet, metam sodium, methyl bromide, and 1,3-D (Telone). This meeting will be held in Alexandria, Virginia, on Wednesday, July 13, 2005. The technical briefing will provide an opportunity for the public to learn more about the data, information, and methodologies that the Agency used in developing its preliminary risk assessments for these soil fumigant pesticides. Risk assessments for two other soil fumigants, chloropicrin and a new active ingredient, iodomethane, will follow about a month later due to recently submitted data that are currently under review.

Carbofuran Risk Assessment Available for Comment
EPA has released its environmental fate and effects risk assessment for the pesticide carbofuran, and has opened a public comment period on this document. Carbofuran is a broad spectrum systemic insecticide and nematicide registered for control of soil and foliar pests on various crops. EPA is developing an Interim Reregistration Eligibility Decision (IRED) for carbofuran through the full six-phase public participation process. Comments, identified by docket ID number OPP-2005-0162, must be received on or before August 23, 2005.

June 23
Signup Period Extended Again for Animal Feeding Operations Air Compliance Agreement
EPA is extending the deadline for the Animal Feeding Operations (AFO) Air Compliance Agreement signup period to July 29, 2005, to provide more time for AFO operators to make informed decisions about participation. The deadline for operators to sign the agreement had previously been extended to July 1. The Agency has not changed the agreement since it was published in the Federal Register on January 31, 2005.

NAFTA Guidance for Conducting Terrestrial Field Dissipation Studies
Under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), EPA and the Canadian Pest Management Regulatory Agency have agreed to harmonize their testing guidelines so that one set of tests can be used for the registration of pesticides in Canada and the United States. The agencies recently released a revised version of the NAFTA-harmonized guidance for terrestrial field dissipation (TFD) studies. TFD studies are conducted to demonstrate the transformation, transport, and fate of pesticides under representative actual use conditions. The revised guidance document will help ensure that TFD studies are conducted in a manner that will provide risk assessors and risk managers with more confidence in the data generated and with a better understanding of the assumptions and limitations of the data and estimated half-lives of the pesticides.

EPA Funds Project to Demonstrate Less is Better With Insecticides at Blueberry Farms in New Jersey
At a blueberry farm in Atlantic County, New Jersey, EPA Acting Regional Administrator Kathleen C. Callahan presented a $118,300 check to Rutgers University to fund a two-year project to demonstrate that production of the state's highest valued crop can be sustained while reducing farmers' dependence on insecticides. In 2003, 40 million pounds of blueberries valued at $45.6 million were grown in New Jersey.

Pesticide Registration Requests, Actions, and Tolerance Updates

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June 22
Memorandum on Wood Mulch Derived from Waste Lumber Preserved with Chromated Copper Arsenate (CCA)
The purpose of this memorandum is to clarify whether or not wood mulch produced from CCA-treated wood is exempt from regulation as hazardous waste under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), specifically under the exemption at 40 CFR 261.4(b)(9). The exemption, which was originally promulgated in 1980, lists solid wastes that are not hazardous wastes if they meet specific criteria.

Aldicarb Risk Assessments Available for Comment
EPA has released its environmental fate and effects risk assessment and related documents for the carbamate pesticide aldicarb, and has opened a public comment period on these documents. EPA is developing an Interim Reregistration Eligibility Decision (IRED) for aldicarb, through the full six-phase public participation process. Comments, identified by docket ID number OPP-2005-0163, must be received on or before August 22, 2005.

June 21
Pesticide Product Label System (PPLS)
This is a collection of images, in multi-page TIFF format, of pesticide labels that have been approved by the Office of Pesticide Programs under Section 3 of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act. The collection contains the initially approved label for pesticide products registered under FIFRA Section 3 as well as subsequent versions of labels which have changed via amendment or notification.

EPA Settles Case Against Vegetable Farmer for Failing To Protect Field Workers from Pesticides
EPA has settled a complaint against a Scottsdale, Arizona, lettuce farmer for allegedly failing to protect employees working in fields in Olathe, Colorado, from potentially harmful pesticidal exposure. EPA fined Cactus Produce, Inc. $4,730 for failing to provide required decontamination supplies and pesticide safety information to its employees working in lettuce fields in 2002. The company also failed to ensure that its workers were adequately trained in pesticide safety, and failed to provide information about recent pesticide applications to fields in which they worked.

June 16
EPA Proposes $116,150 Penalty Against Big Lots for Selling Mislabeled, Unregistered Pesticides
EPA Region 5 has filed an administrative complaint against Big Lots Inc., Columbus, Ohio, for distributing and selling unregistered pesticide products. A $116,150 penalty is proposed. An Illinois Department of Public Health inspector found two unregistered pesticide products, Insect Coil Burner and 8 Mosquito Repellant Coils, at a Big Lots store in Glendale Heights, Illinois. The inspector placed a Stop Sale/Use Order on the products. Subsequently, EPA issued a Stop Sale Order on June 22, 2004, to all Big Lots stores nationwide for the two products.

Pesticide Registration Requests, Actions, and Tolerance Updates

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June 14
EPA Settles Case Against California Company for Pesticide Violations
EPA fined a South Gate, California, chemical company $28,512 for the alleged sale and distribution of mislabeled pesticides in violation of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act. EPA cited the Los Angeles Chemical Company for sale and distribution of a pesticide known as “Acid Anionic Sanitizer and Cleaner” with a label failing to include directions for use necessary to adequately protect health and the environment, and a pesticide known as “LA Chemclor” with a label lacking the Establishment Registration Number. In addition, Los Angeles Chemical was cited for the alteration and defacement of a label accompanying the pesticide known as “Leslie’s Swimming Pool Supplies Liquid Chlorinizer.”

2005 National Forum on Contaminants in Fish
On Sept. 18-21, 2005 the latest issues will be discussed regarding chemical contaminants in fish at the 2005 7th Annual National Forum on Contaminants in Fish in the Baltimore, MD Inner Harbor. Forum attendees include health and environmental officials from state, tribal, and federal agencies and others interested in presenting and discussing issues related to assessing and managing potential health risks associated with dietary exposure to bioaccumulative chemical contaminants in fish. The agenda will focus on state, tribal, and federal activities related to managing health risks and benefits of consuming fish.

June 13
2004 Year in Review: Emergency Management -- Prevention, Preparedness, and Response
EPA's Office of Emergency Management (OEM) has issued its first annual report detailing emergency management activities in EPA headquarters and regional offices. Together with many partners in federal, state, and local governments and the private sector, the Agency is making significant progress in preventing accidents, preparing for those events that cannot yet be prevented, and responding to environmental emergencies, both accidental and those caused by terrorism.

June 9
EPA Reaches $4,550 Settlement With Washington State Facility for Misbranding Pesticide
The J. R. Simplot Company, of Boise, Idaho, has agreed to pay a $4,550 fine for violating the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (misbranded pesticide) in a settlement with EPA. During a routine inspection at the company's facility in Royal City, Washington, in 2004, the Washington State Department of Agriculture discovered a bulk tank containing Volck Clear Oil without a proper label. Volck Clear Oil is an insecticide used for a variety of agricultural crops.

June 8
EPA Extends Comment Period for Data Requirements for Conventional Chemicals
EPA issued a proposed rule in the Federal Register on March 11, 2005, titled "Pesticides; Data Requirements for Conventional Chemicals." This notice extends the closing date of the comment period announced in that notice by 90 days, from June 9, 2005, to September 7, 2005.

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June 6
Meeting of Association of American Pesticide Control Officials/State FIFRA Issues Research and Evaluation Group (SFIREG)
The Association of American Pesticide Control Officials (AAPCO)/State FIFRA Issues Research and Evaluation Group (SFIREG) will hold a 2-day meeting, June 27-28, 2005, in Arlington, Virginia.

June 2
Clean Water State Revolving Fund 2004 Annual Report Available on Web
The 2004 Annual Report on the Clean Water State Revolving Fund is available on the Office of Wastewater Management Web site. The report highlights program activities and successes throughout the past 15 years of the largest federal funding program for water infrastructure projects. Since it was created in 1988, the fund has provided low-interest loans targeting a wide range of projects in areas like wastewater treatment, non-point source pollution control, estuary management, and a host of projects focusing on water quality. The report provides an overview of the fund, describes its financial status, economic and environmental performance, and discusses new directions for the future.

June 1
 EPA Reaches $300,000 Settlement With Argent Chemical Labs for Pesticide Violations
To resolve one of the largest federal pesticide cases in the Northwest, EPA has signed a Consent Agreement and Final Order with Argent Chemical Laboratories and two individuals of Redmond, Washington. The violations included the sale of unregistered pesticides, sale of restricted-use pesticides to uncertified users, export of pesticides without appropriate foreign language labels or receipt of acknowledgement statements, production of pesticides in an unregistered establishment, and failure to file annual production reports.The settlement agreement includes a penalty of $300,000 and requires the respondents to:

    1. Cease sale of a number of specified products
    2. Cease production of pesticides
    3. Cease export of unregistered pesticides
    4. Provide copies of specified records to EPA for five years
    5. Submit annual certifications that they are complying with the agreement
    6. Consent to EPA inspections.

FDA Publishes Final Guidance on "Channels of Trade" Policy
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has published a final guidance document entitled "Channels of Trade Policy for Commodities With Residues of Pesticide Chemicals, for Which Tolerances Have Been Revoked, Suspended, or Modified by the Environmental Protection Agency Pursuant to Dietary Risk Considerations." The purpose of the guidance is to present FDA's general policy on its planned enforcement approach for foods containing residues of certain pesticide chemicals in accordance with the “channels of trade” provision of the Food Quality Protection Act of 1996 (FQPA). This provision addresses how FDA will handle findings of pesticide residues in foods when the applicable pesticide registration under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) has been canceled and the applicable pesticide residue tolerance has been revoked by EPA due to dietary risk considerations. The provision states that food containing a residue of such a pesticide shall not be deemed “adulterated” by virtue of the residue, if the residue is within the former tolerance, and the responsible party can demonstrate to FDA’s satisfaction that the residue is present as the result of an application of the pesticide to the crop at a time and in a manner that were lawful under FIFRA.

Pesticide Registration Requests, Actions, and Tolerance Updates

Nitrapyrin Reregistration Eligibility Decision Available for Comment
EPA has released its Reregistration Eligibility Decision (RED) for the pesticide nitrapyrin [2-chloro-6- (trichloromethyl) pyridine] and has opened a public comment period on this document. The Agency's risk assessments and other related documents also are available in the nitrapyrin docket. Nitrapyrin is a nitrification inhibitor, and is used on corn, sorghum, and wheat. Comments must be received on or before August 1, 2005.

Comments Invited on FIFRA Scientific Advisory Panel Nominations
As a result of a membership term that will expire this year, EPA is selecting one new member to serve on the Scientific Advisory Panel (SAP) established under section 25(d) of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). The Agency has published the names, addresses, professional affiliations, and selected biographical data of persons nominated to serve on the panel. Public comment on the nominations is invited, as these comments will be used to assist in selecting the new chartered panel member. Comments, identified by docket ID number OPP-2005-0136, must be received on or before July 1, 2005.

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