. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/USA/819
8 October 2003
(03-5305)
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 Carbofuran
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:   Carbofuran;  Receipt of
Application for Emergency Exemption, Solicitation of Public Comment (available in
English, 3 pages).
6. Description of content:  EPA has received a specific exemption request for flowable
carbofuran (Furadan 4F Insecticide/Nematicid e) (EPA Reg. No. 279-2876) to treat up to
300,000 acres of cotton in California to control cotton aphid.  The applicant proposes the
use of a chemical that has been the subject of a Special Review within EPA's Office of
Pesticide Programs, and is intended for a use that could pose a risk similar to the risk posedby uses evaluated under the Special Review.  The granular formulation of carbofuran was
the subject of a Special Review between the years of 1986-1991, which resulted in a
negotiated settlement whereby most of the registered uses of granular carbofuran were
phased out.  While the flowable formulation of carbofuran is not the subject of a Special
Review, EPA believes that the proposed use of flowable carbofuran on cotton could pose arisk similar to the risk assessed by EPA under the Special Review of granular carbofuran.
EPA is soliciting public comment before making the decision whether or not to grant the
exemption.  On 4 September 2003, the California Department of Pesticide Regulation
declared a crisis exemption for this use to treat up to 200,000 acres of cotton in California.
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:   not applicable
9. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  DDOCID:fr19se03-
61, Federal Register:  19 September 2003 (Volume 68, Number 182) Pages 54901-54903;
http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-PEST/2003/September/Day-19/p24117.htm ; Available
in EnglishG/SPS/N/USA/819
Page 2
10. Proposed date of adoption:  Not applicable
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  Not applicable
12. Final date for comments:  6 October 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 ProtectionAgency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460.  opp-docket@epa.gov
Note:  Identify docket name "OPP-2003-0314" 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:
Ms. Roseanne Freese, United States SPS Enquiry Point Officer, USDA Foreign
Agricultural Service, Food Safety and Technical Services Division, Stop 1027,Washington, DC  20250.  Tel:  (202) 690-1642, Fax:  (202) 720 7772,
E-mail:  fstsd@fas.usda.gov