82236 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 197 / Thursday, October 10, 2024 / Notices 

6The number of respondents for MOD–025–2/ 

MOD–026–1/MOD–027–1/MOD–31–3/MOD–032–/ 

MOD–033–2 are from the NERC compliance registry 

April 16, 2024. 

7The estimated hourly cost (salary plus benefits) 

based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), as of 

2023, for an Electrical Engineer (17–2071) $77.29/ 

hr. 

8The estimated hourly cost (salary plus benefits) 

based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), as of 

2023 Information and Record Clerk (43–4199) 

$39.58/hr. 

9 It is estimated that the applicable numbers of 

generator owner respondents used to calculate the 

public reporting burden for these standards MOD– 

026–1, MOD–027–1, MOD–031–3, MOD–032–1, 

and MOD–033–1 is half of total numbers of GO 

(605=1210/2) due to the higher applicability 

threshold for those Reliability Standards. 

10The estimated hourly cost (salary plus benefits) 

based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), as of 

2023, for an Electrical Engineer (17–2071) $77.29/ 

hr. 

The total annual estimated burden 

and cost for the FERC–725L information 

collection is 48,659 hours and 

$2,255,507.94 respectively. 

Comments: Comments are invited on: 

(1) whether the collection of 

information is necessary for the proper 

performance of the functions of the 

Commission, including whether the 

information will have practical utility; 

(2) the accuracy of the agency’s estimate 

of the burden and cost of the collection 

of information, including the validity of 

the methodology and assumptions used; 

(3) ways to enhance the quality, utility 

and clarity of the information collection; 

and (4) ways to minimize the burden of 

the collection of information on those 

who are to respond, including the use 

of automated collection techniques or 

other forms of information technology. 

Dated: October 2, 2024. 

Debbie-Anne A. Reese, 

Acting Secretary. 

[FR Doc. 2024–23297 Filed 10–9–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6717–01–P 

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION 

AGENCY 

[EPA–HQ–OPP–2023–0445; FRL–11370–05– 

OCSPP] 

Pesticides; Framework for Interagency 

Collaboration To Review Potential 

Antibacterial and Antifungal 

Resistance Risks Associated With 

Pesticide Use; Notice of Availability 

AGENCY: Environmental Protection 

Agency (EPA). 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection 

Agency (EPA or Agency) is announcing 

the availability of the final framework 

for expanding interagency collaboration 

to improve the communication and 

knowledge base within the federal 

family to fully consider potential 

adverse impact of pesticides on efficacy 

of human and animal drugs. In 

particular, the use of antifungal and 

antibacterial pesticides that can 

potentially lead to resistance in human 

and animal pathogens and may 

compromise the effectiveness of 

medically important antibacterial and 

antifungal drugs. 

DATES: The Framework is effective 

October 10, 2024. 

ADDRESSES: The docket for this action, 

identified by docket identification (ID) 

number EPA–HQ–OPP–2023–0445, is 

available online at https://

www.regulations.gov. Additional 

instructions for visiting the docket, 

along with more information about 

dockets generally, is available at https:// 

www.epa.gov/dockets. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Susan Jennings, Immediate Office 

(7501M), Office of Pesticide Programs, 

Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 

Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 

20460–0001; telephone number: (706) 

355–8574; email address: 

jennings.susan@epa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Executive Summary 

A. Does this action apply to me? 

This action is directed to the public 

in general, although this action may be 

of particular interest to those persons 

who may be interested in assessments of 

potential risks to human and animal 

health where the use of certain 

pesticides could potentially result in 

antimicrobial resistance that 

compromises the effectiveness of 

medically important antibacterial and 

antifungal drugs. Since other entities 

may also be interested, the Agency has 

not attempted to describe all the specific 

entities that may be interested in this 

action. If you have any questions 

regarding the applicability of this action 

to a particular entity, consult the person 

listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

CONTACT. 

B. What is the Agency’s authority for 

taking this action? 

This action is being taken under the 

authority of the Federal Insecticide, 

Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) 

(7 U.S.C. 136 et seq.). 

C. What action is the Agency taking? 

EPA is announcing the availability of 

a final Framework that outlines a 

process for EPA’s collaboration with 

other federal agencies that recognizes 

the benefits of these pesticides to 

agriculture while minimizing their 

impact on public health and considers 

the goals of the One Health approach. 

While developing this Framework, EPA 

has coordinated with HHS and USDA, 

under the oversight of the White House 

Executive Office of the President. Each 

of these agencies is charged with 

protecting health in areas that are 

directly impacted by resistance resulting 

from pesticides or drug products used to 

protect humans, animals, or plants. This 

Framework clarifies that EPA intends to 

establish a process with those other 

federal agencies to consider their input 

when EPA evaluates antibacterial and 

antifungal pesticide products that may 

adversely impact the efficacy of human 

or animal drugs. 

EPA is issuing this Framework to 

provide information and clarification to 

pesticide applicants, growers, the public 

health community, and the public about 

EPA’s process for considering resistance 

issues related to regulatory decisions on 

antibacterial and antifungal pesticides 

with other federal agencies. While the 

requirements in FIFRA and the EPA 

regulations are binding on EPA and 

applicants, this Framework is not 

binding on EPA personnel, pesticide 

registrants and applicants, or the public. 

EPA may depart from the Framework 

where circumstances warrant and 

without prior notice. Likewise, pesticide 

applicants may assert that the 

Framework is not applicable to a 

specific pesticide or decision. 

Registrants and applicants may also 

propose alternative processes to the 

final Framework in any application to 

EPA. 

D. Why is the Agency taking this action? 

Antimicrobial resistance in bacteria 

and fungi is a top threat to the public’s 

health and a priority across the globe. 

The Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention report that there are nearly 3 

million antimicrobial-resistant 

infections and more than 35,000 

associated deaths in the U.S. each year. 

According to USDA, plant diseases are 

also persistent threats to agricultural 

crops and global food security, having a 

significant impact on yields and quality. 

These diseases result in billions of 

dollars in economic losses and 

management inputs each year to crops, 

landscapes, and forests in the U.S. Plant 

diseases reduce yields, lower product 

quality or shelf-life, decrease aesthetic 

or nutritional value, and may 

contaminate food and feed with toxic 

compounds. 

Determining a compound’s potential 

to result in the development of 

antimicrobial resistance is complex. 

This Framework is intended to expand 

interagency collaboration to improve the 


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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 197 / Thursday, October 10, 2024 / Notices 82237 

communication and knowledge base 

within the federal family to fully 

consider potential adverse impact of 

pesticides on efficacy of human and 

animal antibacterial and antifungal 

drugs. 

II. Background 

On September 26, 2023, EPA and the 

other federal agencies issued a 

document entitled ‘‘Concept Note: 

Soliciting Feedback from Stakeholders 

on the Structure of a Proposed 

Framework to Assess the Risk to the 

Effectiveness of Human and Animal 

Drugs Posed by Certain Antibacterial or 

Antifungal Pesticides’’ (88 FR 65998) 

(FRL–11370–01–OCSPP). The concept 

note was intended to be the first step in 

creating a process to improve 

assessments of potential risks to human 

and animal health where the use of 

certain pesticides could potentially 

result in antimicrobial resistance that 

compromises the effectiveness of 

medically important antibacterial and 

antifungal drugs. The concept note 

solicited stakeholder input on the 

proposed structure for the process and 

potential solutions, research, and 

mitigation approaches to reduce the 

spread of resistance. The concept note 

posed several questions about how 

resistance occurs and is spread. The 

Agency received many comments; 

however, very few directly responded to 

the specific charge questions asked by 

the concept paper. The agencies did not 

receive sufficient information to resolve 

the many scientific questions about 

assessing the potential risk of antifungal 

or antibacterial pesticides to adversely 

impact the efficacy of human or animal 

drugs. 

On July 2, 2024, EPA announced the 

availability of and requested comment 

on the draft framework entitled 

‘‘Pesticides; Final White Paper: 

Framework for Interagency 

Collaboration to Review Potential 

Antibacterial and Antifungal Resistance 

Risks Associated with Pesticide Use’’ 

(89 FR 54819) (FRL–11370–03–OCSPP). 

Fourteen comments were received. 

Commenters included grower groups 

(three), industry groups (four), 

consulting groups (one), public interest 

groups (one), human health groups 

(three), animal health group (one), and 

one private citizen. 

These groups raised a number of 

issues. The industry and grower groups 

stressed the benefits of pesticides, the 

need for a transparent process, concerns 

about the research uncertainties, and 

several advocated for EPA to wait to 

take action until the scientific issues are 

more resolved. The health groups were 

concerned about the implications of 

resistance to humans and animals who 

need effective drugs to combat disease. 

All public comments and EPA’s 

responses to comments received, 

including those that do not raise 

significant issues or substantially 

change the proposed requirements, are 

included in Response to Comments 

document that is available in the docket 

for this action. After considering the 

public comments, EPA is issuing the 

Framework. 

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 136 et seq. 

Dated: September 26, 2024. 

Michal Freedhoff, 

Assistant Administrator, Office of Chemical 

Safety and Pollution Prevention. 

[FR Doc. 2024–22947 Filed 10–9–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6560–50–P 

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION 

AGENCY 

[EPA–HQ–OPP–2023–0288; FRL–11108–02– 

OCSPP] 

Pesticides; Interim Guidance for the 

Evaluation of Products for Claims 

Against Viruses; Notice of Availability 

AGENCY: Environmental Protection 

Agency (EPA). 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection 

Agency (EPA or Agency) is announcing 

the availability of interim guidance to 

expand the availability of virucidal 

claims for antimicrobial pesticides and 

provide a framework for registrants who 

seek to make such claims. This interim 

guidance reiterates recommended test 

methods and guidance for the addition 

of virucidal claims to products that meet 

the criteria for hard surface disinfection 

claims and the addition of virucidal 

claims to products that meet the criteria 

for food/non-food contact sanitizer 

claims consistent with current test 

guidelines. This guidance specifically 

covers the addition of a virucidal claim 

to a product that has met the criteria for 

a bactericidal disinfectant and/or 

sanitizer. Pursuant to this guidance, the 

Agency intends to grant the addition of 

virucidal claims associated with 

sanitizer claims for a time-limited 

period of a maximum of ten years. Prior 

to the end of the ten-year period, the 

Agency will review the record and may 

terminate the policy, make suggestions 

for changes to the policy, as necessary, 

or decide to make the policy permanent. 

The methods and performance 

standards applicable to this expanded 

availability of virucidal claims are the 

same test methods and performance 

standards that are currently used to 

support existing virucidal claims and 

thus there are no expectations of a 

reduction of product performance 

against viruses. 

DATES: This interim guidance is 

effective October 10, 2024. 

ADDRESSES: The docket for this action, 

identified by docket identification (ID) 

number EPA–HQ–OPP–2023–0288, is 

available online at https://

www.regulations.gov. Additional 

information about dockets generally, 

along with instructions for visiting the 

docket in-person, is available at https:// 

www.epa.gov/dockets. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Tahirah Morris, Antimicrobial Division 

(7510M), Office of Pesticide Programs, 

Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution 

Prevention, Environmental Protection 

Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, 

Washington, DC 20460–0001; telephone 

number: (202) 566–0798; email address: 

morris.tahirah@epa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Executive Summary 

A. Does this action apply to me? 

This action is directed to the general 

public and may be of specific interest to 

persons or entities that register 

antimicrobial pesticides. Since a 

potentially broad range of entities may 

be interested in this action, the Agency 

has not attempted to describe all the 

specific entities that may be interested. 

If you have any questions regarding the 

applicability of this interim guidance to 

a particular entity or registration action, 

contact the person listed under FOR

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. 

B. What is the Agency’s authority for 

taking this action? 

EPA is issuing this guidance pursuant 

to its authority under the Federal 

Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide 

Act (FIFRA), 7 U.S.C. 136 et seq. 

C. What action is the Agency taking? 

EPA is announcing the availability of 

interim guidance to expand the 

availability of virucidal claims for 

antimicrobial pesticides and provide a 

framework for registrants who seek to 

make such claims. The guidance 

document was revised based on the 

public comments received in 2023 (88 

FR 45418, July 17, 2023 (FRL–11108– 

01–OCSPP). EPA received 5 comments, 

which are summarized and responded 

to in a response to comment document 

that is available in the docket. 

This interim guidance reiterates 

recommended test methods and 

guidance for the addition of virucidal 

claims to products that meet the criteria 

for hard surface disinfection claims and 


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