. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/USA/1571 
5 June 2007  
 (07-2323) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd 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):  Stone fruit, nuts, citrus fruits, timothy, alfalfa, pome fruit 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected , to the extent relevant or practicable :  Any 
US trade partners  
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:  PROPOSED RULE.  
Chloroneb, Cypermethrin, Methidathion, N itrapyrin, Oxyfluorfen, Pirimiphos-methyl, 
Sulfosate, Tebuthiuron, Thiabendazole, Thid iazuron, and Tribuphos; Proposed Tolerance 
Actions (available in English, 16 pages) 
6. Description of content:  By this rule, EPA proposes th e following regulatory changes 
regarding methidathion: 
Because residues of methidathion in or on pecan s and walnut at 0.05 ppm and peach at 0.05 
ppm are covered by the existing group tolerance on nut (0.05 ppm) and stone fruit (0.05 
ppm), respectively, EPA determined that th ese individual tolerances are no longer needed, 
and therefore should be revoked.  Conse quently, EPA is proposing to revoke the 
commodity-specific tolerances for methid athion on peach, pecan, and walnut.   
Based on relevant data, the Agency is propos ing to revise the tolerance on fruit, citrus 
(except mandarins) to fruit, citrus, group 10,  except tangerine and increase the tolerance to 
4.0 ppm.  The Agency determined that the in creased tolerance is safe; i.e., there is a 
reasonable certainty that no harm will resu lt from aggregate exposure to the pesticide 
chemical residue. 
Also, based on available data, EPA determined  that a tolerance on citrus oil should be 
established at 420.0 ppm.  Therefore, the Agency is proposing in 40 CFR 180.298(a) to 
establish a tolerance on citrus, oil at 420.0 ppm. 
EPA is proposing to recodify the toleranc es on grass and grass, hay for residues of 
methidathion, revising their commodity termi nology to timothy, forage and timothy, hay, 
respectively, decrease these to lerances from 12.0 to 5.0 ppm, and revoke them with an 
expiration/revocation da te of 31 March 2008. 
 G/SPS/N/USA/1571 
Page 2  
 
   Further, the Agency believes that the alfalf a and alfalfa hay tolerances would no longer be 
needed shortly after 31 December 2007.  Con sequently, EPA is proposing to recodify the 
tolerances for methidation on alfalfa and alfa lfa, hay, decrease them to 5.0 ppm, revoke 
them with an expiration/revocation date of  31 March 2008, and revising the commodity 
terminology for alfalfa to alfalfa, forage. 
7. Objective and rationale:  [ X ] food safety, [ X ] animal health, [ X ] plant protection, 
[ X ] protect humans from animal/plant pest  or disease, [ ] protect territory from 
other damage from pests    
8. International standard, guideline or recommendation:  
[ X ] Codex Alimentarius Commission, [ ] World Organization for Animal Health 
(OIE), [ ] International Plant Protection Convention, [ ] None  
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the 
appropriate reference and briefly identify deviations:   The proposed tolerance actions 
herein for methidathion, to implement the recommendations of the methidathion RED, 
reflect use patterns in the Unite d States which support a different tolerance than the Codex 
value on citrus fruits (except tangerines), as well as tolerances on pome fruit, stone fruit, 
tangerines (mandarins), and safflower seeds, wh ich are to be maintained at their existing 
levels. However, compatibility with Codex MRLs exists for US tolerances on globe 
artichokes, grain sorghum, pecans, sunflower seeds, and walnuts. 
9. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  Federal Register: 
2 May 2007 (Volume 72, Number 84) Proposed Rules Page 24198-24213; 
http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-PEST/2007/May/Day-02/p8373.htm 
10. Proposed date of adoption:   N/A 
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  2 July 2007 
12. Final date for comments:  Comments must be received on or  before 2 July 2007, and may 
be identified by docket number EPA-HQ-OPP-2007-0036. 
Agency or authority designated to handl e comments:  [ ] National notification 
authority, [X] National enquiry point, or  address, fax number and E-mail address (if 
available) of other body:   Registration Division, (7505P), Office of Pesticide Programs, 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200, Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001 
13. Texts available from:  [X] National notificati on authority, [ ] National enquiry point, 
or address, fax number and E-mail add ress (if available) of other body:   United States 
SPS National Notification Authority, USDA Fore ign Agricultural Service, International 
Regulations and Standards Division (IRSD), St op 1027, Washington D.C. 20250;  Tel:  +(1 
202) 720-1301;  Fax:  +(1 202) 690- 0677;  E-mail:  fstsd@fas.usda.gov