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News Archive: September 2011
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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 Also, please be aware that the information in any particular article may be outdated or superseded by additional information.
September 30
Protection of Stratospheric Ozone: The 2011 Critical Use Exemption From the Phaseout of Methyl Bromide
EPA is finalizing uses that qualify for the 2011 critical use exemption and the amount of methyl bromide that may be produced, imported, or supplied from existing pre-phaseout inventory for those uses in 2011. EPA is taking this action under the authority of the Clean Air Act to reflect a recent consensus decision taken by the Parties to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer at the Twenty-First Meeting of the Parties. Effective Date: September 30, 2011.
September 28
Six New England Companies Settle with EPA for Pesticide Violations
Six companies based in New England that produce pesticide products recently agreed to pay a total of more than $34,000 to settle claims by EPA that they failed to properly submit annual production reports to the agency, as required by federal law. The law that governs pesticide use in the United States, the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), requires pesticide manufacturers to submit annual production reports to EPA. According to the settlements filed by EPA’s New England office, each of the six companies has failed on at least one previous occasion to properly submit this information.
September 26
EPA Orders 13 Chino Dairies To Control Manure Runoff
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is ordering 13 Chino area dairies to comply with Clean Water Act requirements to prevent dairy manure waste and other pollutants from reaching local waterways. The EPA orders are intended to improve the dairies’ environmental performance as quickly as possible by bringing them into compliance with the basic requirements of their permits.
- National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) program
- More information on the EPA Administrative Orders
Farm, Ranch, and Rural Communities Committee Meeting
EPA announces a meeting of the Farm, Ranch, and Rural Communities Committee (FRRCC). The FRRCC is a policy-oriented committee that provides policy advice, information, and recommendations to the EPA Administrator on a range of environmental issues and policies that are of importance to agriculture and rural communities. The purpose of this meeting is to advance discussion of specific topics of unique relevance to agriculture such as effective approaches to addressing water quality issues associated with agricultural production, in such a way as to provide thoughtful advice and useful insights to the Agency as it crafts environmental policies and programs that affect and engage agriculture and rural communities. The meeting will be held October 26, 2011 from 8:30 a.m. registration at 8 a.m.) until 6 p.m. EDT, and on Thursday, October 27, 2011 from 8:30 a.m. (registration at 8 a.m.) until 2 p.m. EDT.
September 22
Pesticide Program Dialogue Committee (PPDC) and Workgroup Meetings Scheduled for October 11-13, 2011
EPA’s Office of Pesticide Programs will hold a public meeting of the PPDC on Wednesday, October 12, from 9:00 am to 5:30 pm, and Thursday, October 13, from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm. In addition, four PPDC workgroup meetings are scheduled for October 11 also to be held in EPA's location at One Potomac Yard South as follows: PPDC Work Group on Integrated Pest Management (Room S-4370); PPDC Work Group on Comparative Safety Statements (Room N-4820); PPDC Work Group on Pollinator Protection (Room S-4370); and the PPDC Work Group on 21st Century Toxicology/Integrated Testing Strategies' Workshop on Diagnostic Tools and Biomarkers in Pesticide Management, Exposure Surveillance, and Epidemiologic Research (first floor Conference Center). On October 13, following the PPDC meeting, the PPDC Public Health Workgroup will meet in Room N-4830. All meetings are free and open to the public. No advance registration is required.
Pesticide Registration Requests, Actions, and Tolerance Updates
- Amisulbrom -- establishment of tolerances for residues of amisulbrom in or on grapes and tomatoes (Sep 28)
- Chlorantraniliprole -- issuance of a final rule in the Federal Register of July 27, 2011, concerning the regulation to establish pesticide tolerances for residues of chlorantraniliprole in or on multiple commodities (Sep 28)
- Fluazifop-P-butyl -- establishment and increase of tolerances for residues of fluazifop-P-butyl in or on cotton, gin byproducts; cotton, refined oil; and cotton, undelinted seed (Sep 28)
- Isaria fumosorosea Apopka Strain 97 -- establishment of an exemption from the requirement of a tolerance for residues of Isaria fumosorosea (formerly known as Paecilomyces fumosoroseus) Apopka strain 97 in or on all food commodities when applied as an insecticide or miticide (Sep 28)
- Pesticide chemicals -- pesticide dockets opened for review and comment and other docket actions (Sep 30)
- Pesticide products -- receipt of applications to register new uses for pesticide products containing currently registered active ingredients (Sep 28)
- Pesticide products -- cancellation order for certain pesticide registrations (Sep 28)
- Pesticide products -- issuance of a notice of receipt of request for amendments by registrants to delete uses in certain pesticide registrations (Sep 28)
September 16
PPDC Workgroup Meeting on PRIA Process Improvement
On Monday, September 26, 2011, EPA’s Office of Pesticide Programs will hold a meeting of the Pesticide Registration Improvement Renewal Act (PRIA 2) Process Improvement Workgroup, a subgroup of the Agency's Federal Advisory Committee, the PPDC (Pesticide Program Dialogue Committee). The objective of this workgroup is to identify and evaluate potential reforms to the pesticide registration and registration review processes and improve their efficiency and the quality of their assessments.
September 14
Workshop on Diagnostic Tools and Biomarkers in Pesticide Medical Management, Exposure Surveillance, and Epidemiologic Research
OPP is hosting an October 11, 2011 workshop on "Diagnostic Tools and Biomarkers in Pesticide Medical Management, Exposure Surveillance, and Epidemiologic Research". Diagnostic tools and biomarkers will play an important role in the model for 21st Century Toxicology laid out by the National Academy of Sciences in its 2007 report "Toxicity Testing in the 21st Century: A Vision and Strategy". The use of biomonitoring tools is a critical aspect of the Agency's long-term vision to integrate new molecular and exposure science into its assessment of pesticides. The goals of this workshop are to discuss the value of these tools, to understand the state of the science, and to explore challenges, opportunities, and policy approaches to advance their development.
- More details on workshop
- Preliminary agenda (PDF) (1 pp, 63.4K, About PDF)
EPA Seeking Comment on Save the Frogs! Atrazine Petition
EPA is seeking public comment on a petition from the environmental advocacy group Save the Frogs, requesting that EPA ban the use and production of atrazine. This petition, available in EPA-HQ-OPP-2011-0586, was submitted on May 6, 2011 during a meeting with Save the Frogs founder Dr. Kerry Kriger. The presentation and participant list from the meeting is also available in docket EPA-HQ-OPP-2011-0586. Comments must be received on or before November 14, 2011.
September 9
National Livestock and Poultry Environmental Learning Center (LPELC) September Newsletter and Webcast 
The September edition of the LPELC newsletter is now available. Topics include: Looking Forward to the October Webcast - Proper Lagoon Closure; Poultry Litter Value; Mississippi River Nitrates; Nitrogen Footprint; Paddock Size; Antibiotic Resistance; Ammonia Capture; Tannins & Ammonia; and Feedlot Ammonia. The next webcast, Proper Lagoon Closure, will be held on October 21, 2011, and will present examples and challenges of properly closing earthen manure storage and treatment structures, and discuss regulatory requirements for pre and post closure procedures. This live presentation will be of interest to technical service providers, extension educators, regulatory agency personnel, crop consultants, producers, and manure haulers and applicators.
- LPELC September Newsletter (PDF) (3 pp, 109.2K, About PDF)
- LPELC Webcast Series
September 8
National Academy of Sciences (NAS) Convenes Expert Committee To Address Scientific Issues in Developing Biological Opinions for Pesticides under the Endangered Species Act
This spring, EPA and the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, and Interior requested the National Academy of Sciences’ National Research Council convene a committee of independent experts to review scientific and technical issues that have arisen as the federal agencies carry out their joint responsibilities under the Endangered Species Act and the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act. The NAS has now selected the committee members. The NAS committee is expected to begin meetings this fall.
Pesticide Registration Requests, Actions, and Tolerance Updates
- 2,4-D -- establishment of tolerances for residues of 2,4-D in or on teff: bran, forage, grain and straw (Sep 09)
- Atrazine, Chloroneb, Chlorpyrifos, Clofencet, Endosulfan, et al. -- revocation of certain tolerances in follow-up to canceled uses for chloroneb, chlorpyrifos, clofencet, endosulfan, ethyl parathion, methidathion, methyl parathion, and N,N-diethyl-2-(4-methylbenzyloxy) ethylamine; modification of certain tolerances for atrazine, setting a revocation date for specific endosulfan tolerances; and minor revisions to tolerance expressions for a few of the aforementioned pesticide ingredients. Also, EPA is removing expired tolerances for methidathion, and ethyl and methyl parathion (Sep 14)
- Bacillus thuringiensis eCry3.1Ab Protein -- extension of the effective date for a temporary exemption from the requirement of a tolerance for residues of Bacillus thuringiensis eCry3.1Ab protein in corn, in or on the food or feed commodities of corn (Sep 16)
- Chromobacterium subtsugae Strain PRAA4-1\T\ -- establishment of an exemption from the requirement of a tolerance for residues of Chromobacterium subtsugae strain PRAA4-1\T\ in or on all food commodities when applied as an insecticide or miticide (Sep 07)
- Dicamba -- establishment of tolerances for residues of dicamba in or on teff: forage, grain, straw and hay (Sep 09)
- Flubendiamide -- correction to revision of tolerance levels for the pesticide flubendiamide in or on the meat and meat byproducts of cattle, goats, hogs, horses, and sheep (Sep 07)
- Formetanate HCl and Acephate -- amendments to terminate uses, voluntarily requested by the registrants and accepted by EPA, of products containing formetanate HCl and acephate (Sep 14)
- Lipase, Triacylglycerol -- establishment of an exemption from the requirement of a tolerance for residues of lipase, triacylglycerol when used as a component of food contact sanitizing solutions (Sep 07)
- Mandipropamid -- establishment of time-limited tolerances for residues of mandipropamid in or on fresh or dried basil (Sep 09)
- Novaluron -- establishment of tolerances under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) for residues of novaluron in or on multiple commodities (Sep 09)
- Pesticide chemicals -- receipt of several initial filings of pesticide petitions requesting the establishment or modification of regulations for residues of pesticide chemicals in or on various commodities (Sep 07)
- Pesticide products -- EPA has issued a notice of receipt of requests by registrants to voluntarily cancel certain pesticide registrations (Sep 07)
- Pesticide products -- receipt of applications to register new uses for pesticide products containing currently registered active ingredients (Sep 15)
- Sulfur Dioxide -- establishment of a time-limited tolerance for residues of sulfur dioxide in or on fig (Sep 14)
- Tetrachlorvinphos -- establishment of an extension of time-limited interim tolerances for the combined residues of the insecticide tetrachlorvinphos [(Z)-2-chloro-1-(2,4,5-trichlorophenyl) vinyl dimethyl phosphate] (Sep 16)
September 6
New Enable the Label On-line Discussion Forum Topic: LRM Chapter 18: Unique Product Labeling
EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs has posted an update to Enable the Label, our online discussion forum that helps us improve the clarity and usefulness of the Label Review Manual. The discussion topic for September is chapter 18, which provides guidance, as well as examples, on approaches that can be taken when labeling specialty products, or in other cases where unorthodox approaches may be needed to attach the necessary labeling information. Focus areas include labeling for multi-packs/co-packs, seed treatments and North American Free Trade Agreement labeling. After the discussion thread on chapter 18 closes at the end of September, we will review comments received and incorporate useful ones into future revisions of the Label Review Manual.
September 1
EPA is Requesting Nominations of Experts for the Science Advisory Board's Animal Feeding Operation Emission Review Panel
The EPA Science Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office is requesting public nominations of technical experts to serve on an expert panel under the auspices of the SAB to conduct a peer review of EPA's development of air emission estimating methodologies for animal feeding operations (AFOs). EPA's Office of Air and Radiation has requested the SAB to review EPA's draft air emission estimating methodologies for AFOs. EPA developed the draft methodologies to address requirements of a voluntary air compliance consent agreement signed in 2005 between EPA and nearly 14,000 broiler, dairy, egg layer, and swine AFO operations. The goals of the agreement are to reduce air pollution, monitor AFO emissions, promote a national consensus on methodologies for estimating emissions from AFOs, and ensure compliance with the requirements of the CAA, CERCLA, and EPCRA. Nominations for the panel should be submitted by September 22, 2011.
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