. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/USA/327
13 September 2000
(00-3537)
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 may be provided in addition, whereapplicable).  Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or
practicable:  Pesticides
4. Title and number of pages of the notified document:  Notice of Filing a Pesticide Petition
to Establish an Exemption From Tolerance for a Certain Pesticide Chemical in or on Food -
the inert ingredient sodium thiosulfate (5 pages)
5. Description of content: This notice announces the initial filing of a pesticide petition
proposing the establishment of regulations for residues of a certain pesticide chemical in or
on various food commodities.
EPA has received a pesticide petition  proposing, pursuant to section 408(d) of the
(FFDCA), 21 U.S.C. 346a(d), to amend 40 CFR part 180 to establish an exemption from the
requirement of a tolerance for the inert ingr edient sodium thiosulfate when used as a
dechlorinator in pesticide formulations for pr otein based products when applied to growing
crops or to raw agricultural commodities after harvest. EPA has determined that the petition
contains data or information regarding the elements set forth in section 408(d)(2) of the
FFDCA; however, EPA has not fully evaluated the sufficiency of the submitted data at this
time or whether the data support granting of the petition. Additional data may be neededbefore EPA rules on the petition.
6. Objective and rationale: [  X ] food safety,  [     ] animal health,  [    ] plant protection,
[    ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [    ] protect territory from
other damage from pests           
7. An international standard, guideline or recommendation does not exist [  X ].
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate
reference and briefly identify deviations:  There are no known international tolerances for
sodium thiosulfate.
8. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available: 65 FR 54015,
6 September 2000 (Available in English).
9. Proposed date of adoption: To be determined.
10. Proposed date of entry into force: To be determined.G/SPS/N/USA/327
Page 2
11. Final date for comments:  6 October 2000
Agency or authority designated to handle comments: Environmental Protection Agency
[    ] National notification authority, [     ] National enquiry point, or address, fax
number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:  Detailed instruction on where
and how to send comments is in the body of the full text - which will be sent upon requestto the address in paragraph 12.
12. Texts available from: [  X ] National notification authority, [  X ] National enquiry point
or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:
United States SPS Enquiry Point/Notification Authority
USDA/FAS/FSTSD
ATTN: Carolyn F. Wilson
Room 5545 South Agriculture Building
Stop 1027
1400 Independence Avenue, S.W.Washington, D.C. 20250
Phone (202) 720-2239
Fax (202) 690-0677
E-mail Address: ofsts@fas.usda.gov