. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/USA/1179 
13 December 2005 
 (05-5917) 
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):  Almonds; apples and crab apples; bl ueberries, lowbush and highbush; 
Brussels sprouts; sweet and tart cherries; nur sery stock; parsley; pears; pistachios; and 
walnuts  
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. Azinphos-
methyl Ecological Risk Assessment, Grower Impact Assessments; Notice of Availability 
(Available in English, 3 pages)  
6. Description of content:  EPA is making available the environmental fate and ecological 
effects risk assessment, and the grower imp act assessments for azinphos-methyl. Azinphos-
methyl is an organophosphate insecticide first re gistered in 1959, and is used in agriculture 
on orchard fruits, berries, nuts, and other crops. The Interim Reregistration Eligibility Decision for azinphos-methyl was issued in Oc tober 2001. During the development of the 
IRED, EPA evaluated the risks and benef its associated with azinphos-methyl use, 
considered all relevant risk including reductions  in the rate and frequency of applications 
and precautionary labeling to reduce risks. Despite these mitigation measures, calculated 
risks to workers and the environment from azinphos-methyl use still indicated potential 
concerns. The technical registrants of azi nphos-methyl entered into a Memorandum of 
Agreement (MOA) with EPA that was signed on 23 May 2002, which provided for the deletion or phase out of most azinphos-methyl uses. The remaining ten uses have time-limited registrations pending the submissi on and evaluation of biomonitoring, product 
efficacy and other data. These uses include: Almonds; apples and crab apples; blueberries, 
lowbush and highbush; Brussels sprouts; sweet and tart cherries; nursery stock; parsley; 
pears; pistachios; and walnuts. EPA intends to complete its evaluation of these uses and propose a decision in 2006. 
EPA is providing an opportunity, through this notice, for interested parties to provide 
comments and input on the Agency's ecological risk and grower impact assessments for 
azinphos-methyl. Such comments and input could address, for example, the availability of 
additional data to further refine the risk or grower impact assessments, information about a 
specific pest problem not addressed or evaluated in the assessment, or could address the Agency's risk assessment methodologies a nd assumptions as applied to this specific 
pesticide. G/SPS/N/USA/1179 
Page 2  
 
  
Comments should be limited to issues rai sed within the assessments and associated 
documents. Failure to comment on any such issu es as part of this opportunity will not limit 
a commenter's opportunity to participate in any later notice and comment processes on this 
matter. 
All comments should be submitted using the methods in Unit I. of the SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION, and must be received by EPA  on or before the closing date. Comments 
will become part of the Agency Docket fo r azinphos-methyl. Comments received after the 
close of the comment period will be marked ``l ate.'' EPA is not required to consider these 
late comments.  
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,  [   ] 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: 
7 December 2005 (Volume 70, Number 234), Pages 72827-72829, http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-PEST/2005/December/Day-07/p23719.htm  (Available in 
English)  
10. Proposed date of adoption:   
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  Not Applicable – 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 identification (ID) number 
EPA-HQ-OPP-2005-0061, must be receive d on or before 6 February 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 (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 Nationa l 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@usda.gov