. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/USA/1393 
28 August 2006 
 (06-4021) 
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):  Spices and other seasoning materials.  
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:  Notice.   Ethylene Oxide; 
Tolerance Reassessment Decision for Low Ri sk Pesticide;  Notice of Availability 
(Available in English, 2 pages).  
6. Description of content:  This notice announces the ava ilability of EPA’s Tolerance 
Reassessment Decision (TRED) for the pesticid e ethylene oxide, and opens public comment 
period on this document, related risk assessme nts, and other support documents.  EPA has 
also reassessed the uses of ethylene oxide (ETO), and reassessed the four existing tolerances 
or legal residue limits established for residu es of this fumigant/sterilant.  Additional 
tolerances are to be proposed for ethylene chlorhydrin (ECH), a reaction product of ETO. 
As a fumigant/sterilant, ETO is used to sterilize medical or laboratory equipment, pharmaceuticals, and aseptic packaging, or to reduce microbial load on cosmetics, whole 
and ground spices or other seasoning materials and artifacts, archival material or library 
objects.  Sterilization/fumigation with ETO must be performed only in vacuum or gas tight 
chambers designed for use with ETO.  It is a pplied by commercial applicators only;  there 
are no residential uses of ETO.  
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   G/SPS/N/USA/1393 
Page 2  
 
  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:   
9. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  Federal Register: 
9 August 2006 (Volume 71, Number 153, Pages:  45548 - 45550),  
http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA- PEST/2006/August/Day-09/p12906.htm  
Available in English.  
10. Proposed date of adoption:  Not stated 
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 should be received on or before 10 October 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 Reregistration Division (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 Nati onal Notification Authority, USDA Foreign 
Agricultural Service, Food Safety & Technical Services Division, Stop 1027, Washington D.C. 20250.  Tel:  202-720-1301;  Fax:  202-690-0677;  E-mail:  fstsd@fas.usda.gov