. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/USA/1327 
14 June 2006 
 (06-2866) 
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):  Broccoli, cauliflower, eggplants, muskmelons, peppers, pineapples, 
strawberries, asparagus, lettuce, onions, ginger, and roots.  
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.  
Inorganic Bromide;  Proposed Tolerance Ac tions (Available in English, 3 pages).  
6. Description of content:  This document announces that 12 specific inorganic bromide 
tolerances have been reassessed and is proposin g to revoke them because they are no longer 
needed.  These twelve tolerances are for residu es of inorganic bromide from pre-plant (non-
food) use in or on raw agricultural commodities grown in soil fumigated with combinations 
of chloropicrin, methyl bromide, and propargyl  bromide.  Although methyl bromide is used 
as an agricultural pesticide, it is considered th at its application as a soil fumigant is a non-
food use because it is quickly degraded or metabolized in the soil, and subsequently incorporated into natural plant constituents .  Methyl bromide is also emitted to the 
atmosphere. 
It is believed that the 12 tolerances in 40 CF R 180.199(a) for residues of inorganic bromides 
in or on broccoli, cauliflower, eggplants, mu skmelons, peppers, pin eapples, strawberries, 
and tomatoes;  in 40 CFR 180.199(b) on asparagus, lettuce, and onions (dry bulb);  and in 40 CFR 180.199(c) on ginger, roots are not required and can be revoked.  
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: 
[   ] Codex Alimentarius Commission,  [   ] World Organization for Animal Health 
(OIE), [   ] International Plant Protection Convention,  [ X ] None 
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate 
reference and briefly identify deviations:   G/SPS/N/USA/1327 
Page 2  
 
  9. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  Federal Register: 
31 May 2006 (Volume 71, Number 104, Pages:  30845 - 30848),  http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-PEST/2006/May/Day-31/p8398.htm , 
Available in English  
10. Proposed date of adoption:   
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  This is a notice of availability and may or may not 
result in a future regulatory action.  A notice invites the public to submit additional scientific information and comments to the Agency.
   
12. Final date for comments:  :  Comments should be received on or before 31 July 2006.  
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [   ] National notification 
authority, [ X ] National enquiry point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if 
available) of other body:  
Special Review and Re-registration Divisi on (7508P), Office of Pesticide Programs, 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001  
13. Texts available from:  [ X ] National notifi cation authority, [   ] National enquiry 
point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:   
Ms Deborah Thompson, United States SPS National Notification Authority, USDA Foreign 
Agricultural Service, Food Safety & Technical Services Division, Stop 1027, Washington D.C. 20250.  Tel:  202-720-4051;  Fax:  202-690-0677;  E-mail:  fstsd@fas.usda.gov