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News Archive: March 2005

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This information is provided for reference. Over time, links to news items may become unavailable, in these cases the item will remain listed, but no link will be provided. Also, please be aware that the information in any particular article may be outdated or superseded by additional information.

March 30
EPA Seeks Comment on Petition to Revoke or Modify Carbaryl Tolerances
EPA is seeking public comment on a January 10, 2005, petition from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), available in docket number OPP-2005-0077, requesting that the Agency revoke, or in the alternative, modify all tolerances for the pesticide carbaryl. The petitioner, NRDC, requests this action to obtain what they believe would be proper application of the safety standards of FIFRA and FFDCA. NRDC is filing this petition in response to a Notice of Availability for the Carbaryl Interim Registration Eligibility Decision (IRED), published in the Federal Register on October 27, 2004. Comments must be received on or before May 31, 2005.

Ethofumesate Risk Assessments Available for Comment
EPA has released risk assessments and related documents for the benzofuranyl alkylsulfonate pesticide ethofumesate, 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 for ethofumesate through a modified, four-phase public participation process. Comments, identified by docket ID number OPP- 2004-0346, must be received on or before May 31, 2005.

Comment Period Opens on Preliminary Risk Assessments for Pentachlorophenol Contaminants
The Preliminary Risk Assessment (PRA) for pentachlorophenol (PCP) was published in the Federal Register on November 30, 2004, with a 60-day public comment period that ended on January 31, 2005. EPA has now released PRAs for hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and dioxins/furans, which are contaminants produced during the manufacture of PCP, and has opened a 60-day public comment period. Comments, identified by docket ID number OPP-2004-0402, must be received on or before May 31, 2005.

Comments Invited on Tolerance Reassessment Decision for Low-Risk Pesticide Imazamethabenz-methyl
EPA has released a Tolerance Reassessment Decision for the low-risk pesticide imazamethabenz-methyl and has opened a public comment period on this document, related risk assessments, and other support documents. EPA has reviewed imazamethabenz-methyl through a modified, streamlined version of the public participation process. Comments, identified by docket ID number OPP-2004-0373, must be received on or before April 29, 2005.

March 29
 EPA Issues "Guidelines for Carcinogen Risk Assessment" and Supplemental Guidance on Risks From Early-Life Exposure
Two documents released today provide principles and procedures to guide EPA scientists assessing cancer risk from exposures to environmental pollutants. The documents, "Guidelines for Carcinogen Risk Assessment (Cancer Guidelines)," and "Supplemental Guidance for Assessing Susceptibility from Early-Life Exposure to Carcinogens (Supplemental Guidance)" reflect EPA's evolving approach to cancer risk assessment. The guidelines are prospective only and will apply to the agency's current and future risk assessments of environmental pollutants.

March 23
AAPCO / SFIREG Working Committee on Pesticide Operations and Management Sets Public Meeting
The Association of American Pesticide Control Officials (AAPCO)/State FIFRA Issues Research and Evaluation Group (SFIREG) Working Committee on Pesticide Operations and Management will hold a 2-day meeting April 4-5, 2005, at Tybee Island, Georgia. EPA has established an official public docket for this action under docket ID number OPP-2005-0070.

Pesticide Registration Requests, Actions, and Tolerance Updates

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March 21
 Two California Facilities Pay $92,400 To Resolve Pesticide Violations
This week, two California companies agreed to pay the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency $92,400 for distributing unregistered and misbranded pesticides. EPA fined Chemical Compounding Co. of Oakland and PolyChem/Q Labs of Novato for distributing MicroTreat 50 and MicroTreat 88, two pesticides whose registrations were cancelled in 1989. The pesticides were marketed to kill microbes in industrial water cooling towers. Chemical Compounding manufactured the pesticides, and Polychem sold the products to various industries, including dairies and technology companies. EPA alleged that both cancelled products were mislabeled and contained language that was misleading, incomplete, and out of date. Both product labels also contained the words “non-regulated material,” which could have misled the user to assume the product was safe and that no regulation was required.

March 17
FIFRA Scientific Advisory Panel To Review Dog Studies
The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act Scientific Advisory Panel (FIFRA SAP) will meet in Arlington, Virginia, May 5 and 6, 2005, to compare the results from 1- or 2-year dog studies on pesticides with dog studies of shorter duration.

Pesticide Registration Requests, Actions, and Tolerance Updates

March 16
Comment Period Extended on Draft Guidance for Integrated Reports on Water Quality
EPA earlier released a draft of its guidance to states and territories for developing 2006 biennial Integrated Reports (IR) on water quality, and opened a comment period. The comment period has now been extended by 30 days, to April 22, 2005.

Corrected Docket ID for Imazalil RED
In EPA's announcement of the availability of the Imazalil RED (Federal Register, February 25, 2005) the docket ID number was listed incorrectly. The correct docket ID number for imazalil is OPP-2003-0217.

Comment Period, Signing Deadline Extended on AFO Air Quality Agreement
The comment period will be reopened on EPA's air quality compliance agreement to address emissions from certain animal feeding operations, also known as AFOs. EPA will publish a notice in the Federal Register announcing a reopening of the comment period from April 1 to May 2, 2005. The deadline for AFOs to sign the agreement was May 1, 2005, but will be extended until July 1, 2005.

EPA Invites Comments on Napropamide Risk Assessments and Related Documents
EPA has released risk assessments and related documents for the pesticide napropamide, and has opened a public comment period on these documents. EPA is developing a Reregistration Eligibility Decision (RED) for napropamide through a modified four-phase public participation process that the Agency uses to involve the public in developing pesticide reregistration and tolerance reassessment decisions. Comments, identified by docket identification (ID) number OPP-2004-0162, must be received on or before May 16, 2005.

March 11
 EPA Proposes To Codify Pesticide Data Requirements, Revise Submission Procedures and Policies
EPA published a proposed rule in the Federal Register on March 11, 2005, entitled "Pesticides; Data Requirement for Conventional Chemicals." The Agency is proposing to codify existing data requirements for product chemistry, toxicology, residue chemistry, applicator exposure, post-application exposure, nontarget terrestrial and aquatic organisms, nontarget plant protection, and environmental fate. These data requirements are listed in part 158 of Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations and are intended to provide EPA with the necessary information for the registration of a conventional pesticide. This proposed rule does not apply to the data requirements for the registration of antimicrobial pesticide products or biopesticide products; biochemical pesticides; microbial pesticides; inert ingredients for pesticide products; spray drift; and product performance (efficacy). The comment period on the proposal begins on March 11, 2005, and will close on June 9, 2005.

Pesticide Registration Requests, Actions, and Tolerance Updates

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March 9
Conference Announcement: Groundwater Under The Pacific Northwest: Integrating Research, Policy, and Education 2005
The CSREES Pacific Northwest Regional Water Quality Program is holding its biennial Regional Research and Extension Water Quality Conference on November 2-3, 2005 at the Dolce Skamania Lodge in Stevenson, Washington. This year’s regional conference will highlight groundwater to focus attention on its importance to our quality of life in the Pacific Northwest. The conference will provide an opportunity for participants to work together towards managing the region’s groundwater resources. For more information, contact the State of Washington Water Research Center by e-mail (watercenter@wsu.edu) or by phone (509-335-5531).

$2.6 Million in Small Business Grants for New Environmental Technologies
EPA announced the award of more than $2.6 million to 34 small companies under its Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program for work in six key environmental areas:

  1. nanotechnology - the development of new technologies which use atomic or molecular-scale materials and devices to remove environmental contaminants or to create clean manufacturing processes that use less hazardous chemicals
  2. hazardous wastes - improved methods for managing hazardous wastes or finding substitutes for hazardous materials
  3. air pollution - new technologies that aid in the prevention and control of air pollution
  4. water quality - advanced technologies to keep U.S. waters cleaner
  5. homeland security - projects on safe buildings and water security
  6. sustainability - development of sustainable technologies that benefit the environment, are not prohibitively expensive, and protect the ecosystems that supply a company's future materials.

The SBIR's next solicitation for developing environmental technologies will open on March 24, 2005 and close on May 25, 2005.

Better Labels for Mosquito Control Products
EPA is issuing seven new recommendations to pesticide registrants and others to improve label statements for pesticide products used to control adult mosquitoes. The recommendations pertain to pesticide products applied by ultra-low volume aerial or ground application methods. The recommendations promote consistency and clarify labeling statements that may have been unclear to users.

March 8
New Report Assesses Water Resources Along U.S.-Mexico Border
Those who decide the fate of the U.S.-Mexico border region's scarce water resources must seize every opportunity to think and act strategically. That's the conclusion reached by the Good Neighbor Environmental Board in its latest report released today: Water Resources Management on the U.S.-Mexico Border. The board, an independent advisory committee managed by EPA, advises the U.S. president and congress on environmental conditions in the border region. The report reveals that limited supplies, pockets of poverty, a combination of jurisdictional gaps and overlaps, and many other challenging issues all conspire to make water resources management in this region difficult.

March 7
 California Farming Company To Pay $1.15 Million for Wetlands Violations
EPA has reached an agreement with Adam Brothers Farming, Inc. for the payment of $1.15 million in penalties and conservation projects, and the preservation of approximately 20 acres of wetlands, creeks, and riparian habitat on their property in Santa Barbara County, California. The agreement represents a full settlement of a civil enforcement action brought by the United States alleging that the company unlawfully filled 70 acres of federally regulated waters in the late 1990s. Under the terms of the proposed settlement, the company will pay a $200,000 penalty to the federal government and $915,000 to the Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County. In turn, the Land Conservancy will spend the money buying and protecting parcels containing wetlands, creeks, and riparian habitat in southern San Luis Obispo County.

First Annual Report on Pesticide Registration Improvement Act (PRIA)
EPA announces the release of its First Annual Report on the Pesticide Registration Improvement Act (PRIA). On January 23, 2004, a new section of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) was established, initiating a system under which EPA charges fees for covered applications received for pesticide registrations on or after March 23, 2004. Under PRIA, EPA is required to make determinations on pesticide applications within specified review times. Additionally, Section 33(k) of FIFRA requires EPA to publish an annual report describing actions and decisions made.

March 3
 Notice of FY 2005 Request for Proposals for National Lakes Assessment Planning Project
On March 3, 2005, EPA issued a request for proposals for applicants to participate in designing a national lakes assessment project. The pilot projects that are selected will generate results that will be considered at a meeting of lake assessment practitioners and will shape the recommendations for future studies to assess the conditions of lakes at multiple scales and produce statistically valid results at a national scale. Proposals are due April 17, 2005.

Pesticide Registration Requests, Actions, and Tolerance Updates

March 2
Comments Invited on Risk Assessments for Three Pesticides
EPA has opened public comment periods on newly released risk assessment documents for three pesticides -- pentachloronitrobenzene (PCNB), ametryn, and dimethipin. The public is invited to comment on risk reduction options and to suggest risk management ideas or proposals to address the risks identified.

March 1
 National Water Quality Assessment Database Posted on EPA's Web Site
EPA's Office of Water has released the first-ever interactive database of state water quality assessment data, which provides the public with easy Web access to water quality information at the state and local levels. The 2002 reporting cycle was a transition period between traditional 305(b) water quality reporting, and integration of 305(b) with reporting of impaired waters under section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act, as outlined in EPA guidance to the states in November 2001. EPA is continuing to call for integrated reporting of 305(b) and 303(d) information. This initial Web release of the 2002 National Water Quality Database summarizes electronic data for 32 states. The remaining states should be added to the database by March 31, 2005. National summary water quality statistics will be available at that time.

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