. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/USA/696
20 March 2003
(03-1627)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  English
NOTIFICATION
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   UNITED STATES
If applicable, name of local government involved:
2. Agency responsible:   Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national schedules
deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, where
applicable):  Products that use the pesticide Urea as a stabilizer and inhibitor;
adjuvant/intesifer for herbicides; and as a frost protectant in or on the following raw
agricultural commodities when used before harvest in the production of:  Alfalfa, almonds,apples, apricots, artichokes, asparagus, avocados, beans, bell pepppers, blackberries,
blueberries, broccoli, brussels sprouts, boysenberries, cranberries, canola, cantaloupes,
carrots, cauliflower, casaba, celery, cherries, chili pepers, chinese cabbage (bok choy,
napa), cooking peppers, corn, cotton, crenshaw, cucumbers, figs, grapefruit, grapes,
honeydew melon, hops, kiwifruit, kohlrabi, lemons, lentils, lettuce, limes, macadamia nuts,musk melon, nectarines, olives, onions, oranges, peaches, pears, peanuts, peas, persian
melon, pistachios, plums, potatoes, pumpkin, prunes, radish, raspberries, rice, safflower,
sorghum, spinach, spinach (New Zealand), squash (winter and summer), strawberries,
sugar beets, sunflower, sweet pepper, table beets, tangerines, tomatoes, walnuts,
watermelon, and zucchini.
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:  Any
US trading partners
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:  Urea:  Revocation of
Tolerance Exemptions (available in English, 2 pages).
6. Description of content:  EPA is amending 40 CFR part 180 subpart D to revoke four
exemptions from the requirement of a tolerance for urea because these tolerance
exemptions are no longer necessary.  The Agency is acting on its own initiative.  This
direct final rule is being published today with a companion fina l rule titled "Urea:
Exemption From The Requirement of A Tolera nce".  In a companion final rule published
in the Federal Register, the Agency discussed the reasons and rationale for establishing a
tolerance exemption for urea in 40 CFR 180.950.  Given the establishment of this unlimitedtolerance exemption, the tolerance exemptions for Urea in 40 CFR 180.1001 (c), (d), and
(e) and 180.1117 are no longer needed.  Therefore, the Agency is removing these
exemptions:
1. In 40 CFR 180.1001 (c) and (e), there are two exemptions from  the requirement of a
tolerance for urea.  These exemptions are restricted to use as a stabilizer and inhibitor.
2. There is an exemption from the requirement of a tolerance for urea in 40 CFR
180.1001 (d).  This exemption is for its use as an adjuvant/intensifer for herbicides.G/SPS/N/USA/696
Page 2
3. Another exemption from the requirement of a tolerance is listed in 40 CFR 180.1117.
This tolerance exemption was established for residues of urea when used as a frost
protectant in or on the following raw agricultural commodities when used before
harvest in the production of:  Alfalfa, almonds, apples, apricots, artichokes, asparagus,avocados, beans, bell pepppers, blackberries, blueberries, broccoli, brussels sprouts,
boysenberries, cranberries, canola, cantaloupes, carrots, cauliflower, casaba, celery,
cherries, chili pepers, chinese cabbage (bok choy, napa), cooking peppers, corn,
cotton, crenshaw, cucumbers, figs, grapefruit, grapes, honeydew melon, hops,
kiwifruit, kohlrabi, lemons, lentils, lettuce, limes, macadamia nuts, musk melon,
nectarines, olives, onions, oranges, peaches, pears, peanuts, peas, persian melon,
pistachios, plums, potatoes, pumpkin, prunes, radish, raspberries, rice, safflower,sorghum, spinach, spinach (New Zealand), squash (winter and summer), strawberries,
sugar beets, sunflower, sweet pepper, table beets, tangerines, tomatoes, walnuts,
watermelon, and zucchini.
7. Objective and rationale:  [  X ] food safety, [   ] animal health, [   ] plant protection,
[ X ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [   ] protect territory from other
damage from pests
8. International standard, gu ideline or recommendation:
[   ] Codex Alimentarius Commission, [   ] Office International des Epizooties,
[   ] International Plant Prot ection Convention, [ X ] None
If an international standard , guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate
reference and briefly identify deviations:
9. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  DOCID:fr26de02-12,
Federal Register:  26 December 2002 (Volume 67, Number 248) Pages 78713-78715;
http://www.epa.gov/cgi-bin/epaprintonly.cgi;  Available in English.
10. Proposed date of adoption:  23 March 2003
11. Proposed date of entry into force:   not applicable
12. Final date for comments:  26 January 2003
Agency or authority designated to handl e comments:  [ X ] National notification
authority, [   ] National enquiry point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if
available) of other body:
Public Information and Records Integrity Branch (PIRIB), Information Resources and
Services Division (7502C), Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP), Environmental Protection
Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460.  opp-docket@epa.gov
Note:  Identify docket name "OPP-2002-0276" in subject line of your response.
13. Texts available from:  [   ] National notification authority,  [ X ] National enquiry point,
or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:
Mr. Bill Janis, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Stop 1027, Washington, DC  20250.
Tel (202) 720-9047, (202) 720-0677, fstsd@usda.gov