. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/USA/1209 
19 January 2006 
 (06-0237) 
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):  Banana and plantain plants  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:  Any 
U.S. trade partners.  
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:  NOTICE.  Bitertanol 
Tolerance Reassessment Decision fo r Low Risk Pesticide; Notice of Availability.  Available 
in English, 3 pages.  
6. Description of content:   This notice announces the availability of EPA's Report of the 
Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) Tolerance Reassessment Progress and Risk Management Decision, known as a TRED, for the fungicide bitertanol, and opens a public comment period on this document, related ri sk assessments, and other support documents. 
 
EPA has, on 30 November 2005, reached a tole rance reassessment decision for 1 existing 
tolerance or residue limit fo r bitertanol on bananas.  Bitertanol is a broad-spectrum 
fungicide used to control black sigatoka on banana and plantain plants.  The existing 
tolerance for bitertanol allows for residues on imported bananas and plantains, as there are 
no U.S. registrations for bitertanol.  The Agency is now issuing for comment the resulting 
Report on Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) Tolerance Reassessment Progress and Risk 
Management Decision for bitertanol, known as a TRED, as well as related risk assessments 
and technical support documents.  
7. Objective and rationale: [ X ] food safety,  [   ] 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/1209 
Page 2  
 
  9. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  Federal Register: 
11 January 2006 (Volume 71, Number 7), Pages 1750-1752, http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-PEST/2006/January/Day-11/p099.htm , Available in 
English.  
10. Proposed date of adoption:   
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  N/A – 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, identified by docket ID number EPA-HQ-OPP-
2005-0491, should be received on or before 10 February 2006.  However, members are 
encouraged to send their comments on this notice to EPA as soon as possible.  
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 Division (7508C), 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. Lashonda McLeod, United States SPS Nati onal Notification Authority, USDA Foreign 
Agricultural Service, Food Safety & Technical Services Division, Stop 1027, Washington DC 20250.  Tel:  202-720-5683;  Fa x:  202-690-0677;  Email:  fstsd@fas.usda.gov