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List of Pests of Significant Public Health Importance; Notice of Availability
Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.
[Federal Register: March 29, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 61)]
[Notices]
[Page 16615-16616]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr29mr00-70]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[OPP-00648; FRL-6498-2]
List of Pests of Significant Public Health Importance; Notice of
Availability
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of a draft Pesticide
Registration (PR) Notice that identifies pests of significant public
health importance for the purpose of regulation under the Federal
Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). EPA, in
coordination with the Department of Health and Human Services and the
Department of Agriculture has identified pests of significant public
health importance. The development of the list is required by FIFRA,
but has no effect on the regulatory status of pesticide products used
against the listed pests.
DATES: Written comments, identified by the docket control number OPP-
00648, must be received on or before May 30, 2000.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted by regular mail, electronically,
or in person. Please follow the detailed instructions for each method
as provided in Unit I. under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kevin Sweeney, Registration Division
(7505C), Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental Protection Agency,
Ariel Rios Building, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC
20460; telephone: (703) 305-5063, fax: (703) 305-6596, e-mail:
sweeney.kevin@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Important Information
A. Does this Apply to Me?
This action is directed to the public in general, but may be of
particular interest to manufacturers of pesticides intended for use
against public health pests, and those responsible for public health
programs involved in the control or regulation of public health pests.
Since other entities may also be interested, the Agency has not
attempted to describe all the specific entities that may be affected by
the notice being made available today. If you have any questions
regarding the applicability of the notice to a particular entity,
consult the person listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
section.
B. How Can I Get Additional Information or Copies of Support Documents?
1. Electronically. You may obtain electronic copies of this
document, and certain other related documents that might be available
electronically, from the EPA Internet Home Page at http://www.epa.gov/.
To access this document, on the Home Page select ``Laws and
Regulations'' and then look up the entry for this document under the
``Federal Register--Environmental Documents.'' You can also go directly
to the Federal Register listings at http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/.
2. Fax on Demand. You may request to receive a faxed copy of the
draft PR Notice titled ``List of Pests of Significant Public Health
Importance'' by using a faxphone to call (202) 401-0527 and selecting
item 6125. You may also follow the automated menu.
3. In person. The official record for this notice, as well as the
public version, has been established under docket control number OPP-
00648, (including comments and data submitted electronically as
described below). A public version of this record, including printed,
paper versions of any electronic comments, which does not include any
information claimed as CBI, is available for inspection in Rm. 119,
Crystal Mall #2, 1921 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, VA, from 8:30
a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays.
C. How and to Whom Do I Submit Comments?
You may submit comments through the mail, in person, or
electronically:
1. By mail. Submit written comments to: ``Public Information and
Records Integrity Branch, Information Resources and Services Division
(7502C), Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental Protection Agency,
Ariel Rios Building, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460.
2. In person. Deliver written comments to: Public Information and
Records Integrity Branch, Rm. 119, CM #2, 1921 Jefferson Davis Highway,
Arlington, VA.
3. Electronically. Submit your comments and/or data electronically
to opp-docket@epa.gov. Please note that you should not submit any
information electronically that you consider to be Confidential
Business Information (CBI). Electronic comments must be submitted as an
ASCII file avoiding the use of special characters and any form of
encryption. Comment and data will also be accepted on disks in
WordPerfect 6.1/8.0 or ASCII file format. All comments and data in
electronic form must be identified by the docket control number OPP-
00648. Electronic comments on this notice may also be filed online at
many Federal Depository Libraries.
D. How Should I Handle Information that I Believe is Confidential?
You may claim information that you submit in response to this
document as confidential by marking any part or all of that information
as CBI. Information
[[Page 16616]]
so marked will not be disclosed except in accordance with procedures
set forth in 40 CFR part 2. A copy of the comment that does not contain
CBI must be submitted for inclusion in the public record. Information
not marked confidential will be included in the public docket by EPA
without prior notice.
II. Background
FIFRA section 28(d) charges EPA with identifying ``pests of
significant public health importance.'' This process is aided
considerably by FIFRA definitions of two key terms. First, FIFRA
section 2 expressly defines the term ``pest'' as meaning:
(1) any insect, rodent, nematode, fungus, weed, or (2) any other
form of terrestrial or aquatic plant or animal life or virus, bacteria,
or other micro-organism (except viruses, bacteria, or other micro-
organism on or in living man or other living animals) which the
Administrator declares to be a pest under section 25(c)(1).
EPA in its regulations in 40 CFR 152.5 has broadly defined the term
pest to cover each of the organisms mentioned except with respect to
the organisms specifically excluded by the definition.
Second, although FIFRA does not define a ``public health pest,'' it
does define a ``public health pesticide'' and this definition supplies
important information for interpreting the term ``public health pest.''
Among other things, a ``public health pesticide'' must be used for
``vector control or for other recognized health protection uses,
including the mitigation of viruses, bacteria, or other microorganisms
(other than viruses, bacteria, or other microorganisms on or in living
man or other living animal) that pose a threat to public health.''
FIFRA section 2(oo) defines the term ``vector'' used in the above
definition as ``any organism capable of transmitting the causative
agent of human disease or capable of producing human discomfort or
injury, including mosquitoes, flies, fleas, cockroaches, or other
insects and ticks, mites, or rats.''
Moreover EPA's task of identifying pests of ``significant'' public
health importance requires EPA to identify those FIFRA pests that are
significant vectors or other significant pests affecting public health.
The statute does not define what aspects of a vector render it of
significant public health importance. Nonetheless, the definition of a
``public health pesticide'' identifies an important criterion for
establishing the significance of a vector. Not only must a public
health pesticide be a pesticide used for vector control, it must be a
pesticide ``used predominantly in public health programs.'' EPA
believes that significant vectors can be identified by determining
which vectors have been deemed sufficiently important that federal,
state, or local public entities have devoted substantial resources to
their eradication. Using this criterion, EPA has identified the pests
in Appendix A of the draft PR Notice.
III. Use of the List of Pests of Significant Public Health
Importance by the Agency
The Agency will use the list of pests of significant public health
importance to:
1. Identify pesticide products with public health uses that are
used predominantly in recognized public health programs. These may
include pesticides to control, attract or repel these pests.
2. Identify critical public health minor uses.
3. Together with the Public Health Service, develop and implement
programs to improve and facilitate the safe and necessary use of
chemical, biological and other methods to control pests of significant
public health importance.
IV. Specific Topics for Comment
Please comment on all aspects of the draft PR Notice. The Agency is
particularly looking for comments to the following questions:
1. Should EPA also publish a list of public health pests which may
become significant? This would be equivalent to identifying the
universe of public health pests.
2. Is cockroach control in publicly funded housing a public health
program per se, or is it merely a component of a building maintenance
program?
3. Should the use of public funds for the purpose of controlling
public health pests by pesticide application be the criterion for
identifying a public health program?
4. For a pesticide product to qualify as predominantly used in a
public health program, should more than half of the use of the
pesticide product, taking into account all registered uses for the
pesticide product, be used in a public health program?
V. Contents of Docket
The document referenced in this notice will be placed in the public
docket under the docket control number ``OPP-00648.''
List of Subjects
Environmental protection, Public health pests, Public health
pesticides.
Dated: March 22, 2000.
Marcia E. Mulkey,
Director, Office of Pesticide Programs.
[FR Doc. 00-7631 Filed 3-28-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-F