26592 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 92 /Wednesday, May 13, 1998 / Notices

conventional pesticides handled by the

Registration Division (RD). This

proposed policy would also change how

reduce-risk candidates will be treated in

the priority system. The proposal is

available as a draft Pesticide

Registration (PR) Notice entitled

‘‘Changes to Registration Priority

System Involving Organophosphate

(OP) Alternatives and Reduced Risk

Candidates,’’ which is available upon

request as indicated under Unit IV.

DATES: Written comments, identified by

the docket number [OPP–00535], must

be received on or before June 12, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments

identified by the docket control number

OPP–00535 by mail to: Public

Information and Records Integrity

Branch, Information Resources and

Services Division (7502C), Office of

Pesticide Programs, Environmental

Protection Agency, 401 M St. SW,

Washington, DC 20460. In person, bring

comments directly to the OPP Docket

Office, which is located in Room 119 of

Crystal Mall #2, 1921 Jefferson Davis

Highway, Arlington, VA.

Comments may also be submitted

electronically by sending electronic

mail (e-mail) to: oppdocket@epamail.epa.gov. Follow the

instructions under Unit IV of this

document. No Confidential Business

Information (CBI) should be submitted

through e-mail.

Information submitted as a comment

concerning this document may be

claimed confidential by marking any

part or all of that information as CBI.

Information so marked will not be

disclosed except in accordance with

procedures set forth in 40 CFR part 2.

A copy of the comment that does not

contain CBI must be submitted for

inclusion in the public record.

Information not marked confidential

will be included in the public docket by

EPA without prior notice.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: By

mail: Peter Caulkins, Environmental

Protection Agency (7505C), 401 M St.,

SW., Washington, DC 20460. Office

location and telephone number: Crystal

Mall #2, 1921 Jefferson Davis Highway,

Arlington, VA, 22202, (703) 305–5447,

fax: (703) 305–6920, e-mail:

caulkins.peter@epamail.epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This

Federal Register notice announces the

availability of the draft Pesticide

Registration (PR) Notice and solicits

comments on the proposed guidance.

Electronic Availability:

Internet

Electronic copies of this document

and the draft PR Notice also are

available from the EPA Home page at

the Federal Register - Environmental

Documents entry for this document

under ‘‘Laws and Regulations’’ (http://

www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/).

Fax-on-Demand

Using a faxphone call (202) 401–0527

and select item 6111 for a copy of this

document and the PR Notice.

I. Purpose

The purpose of the proposed PR

Notice is to update EPA’s policy for the

prioritization and expedited review of

applications for significant OP

alternative new active ingredients and

new uses for conventional, primarily

agricultural pesticides. This notice also

changes how reduce-risk candidates

will be treated in the priority system.

II. Background

The Office of Pesticide Programs’

(OPP) Reduced-Risk Committee has

screened five active ingredients (AIs)

that are potentially significant

alternatives for OPs. These five AIs have

all passed the reduced-risk screen and

have been placed into expedited review.

Given how important it will be to have

as many OP alternatives in the market

as possible, OPP will use the reducedrisk screening mechanism to identify

significant OP alternatives. If the

Reduced-Risk Committee determines

that a pending registration action is a

potentially significant OP alternative, it

could recommend that action for

expedited review even if it does not

qualify for reduced-risk status.

III. Policy Change

The proposed PR notice would amend

the EPA’s current priority scheme by

making OP alternatives that pass the

reduced-risk screen would be the

second highest priority (#2) behind

methyl bromide alternatives (#1). Also,

any submission that is determined to be

a significant OP alternative, which is

not granted reduced-risk status, but is

recommended by the Reduced-Risk

Committee for expedited review, would

become an Agency priority as well.

Furthermore, any submission that

passes the reduced-risk screen would

become an Agency priority. An Agency

priority does not count against a

company’s limit of five priorities.

IV. Public Record and Electronic

Submissions

A record has been established for this

action under docket number ‘‘OPP–

00535’’ (including comments and data

submitted electronically as described

above). A public version of this record,

including printed, paper versions of

electronic comments, which does not

include any information claimed as CBI,

is available for inspection from 8:30

a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday,

excluding legal holidays. The public

record is located in Rm. 119 of the

Public Information and Records

Integrity Branch, Information Resources

and Services Division, Office of

Pesticide Programs, Environmental

Protection Agency, Crystal Mall #2,

1921 Jefferson Davis Highway,

Arlington, VA.

The official record for this action, as

well as the public version, as described

above will be kept in paper form.

Accordingly, EPA will transfer all

comments received electronically into

printed, paper form as they are received

and will place the paper copies in the

official record which will also include

all comments submitted in writing. The

official record is the paper record

maintained at the address in

ADDRESSES at the beginning of this

document.

V. Schedule for Finalizing the PR

Notice

EPA plans to issue and make effective

the final PR Notice as soon as possible.

We anticipate that the guidance will be

made final and effective within the next

3 months.

List of Subjects

Environmental protection,

Agricultural pesticides.

Dated: April 22, 1998.

James Jones,

Director, Registration Division, Office of

Pesticide Programs.

[FR Doc. 98–12580 Filed 5–12–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560–50–F

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

AGENCY

[OPP–181063; FRL 5789–9]

Carbofuran; Receipt of Application for

Emergency Exemption, Solicitation of

Public Comment

AGENCY: Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: EPA has received a specific

exemption request from the Mississippi

Department of Agriculture, (hereafter

referred to as the ‘‘Applicant’’) to use

the pesticide flowable Carbofuran

(Furadan 4F Insecticide/Nematicide)

(EPA Reg. No. 279–2876) to treat up to

1 million acres of cotton in Mississippi,

to control cotton aphids. The Applicant

proposes the use of a chemical which

has been the subject of a Special Review

within EPA’s Office of Pesticide

Programs. The granular formulation of

carbofuran was the subject of a Special
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 92 /Wednesday, May 13, 1998 / Notices 26593

Review between the years of 1986–1991,

which resulted in a negotiated

settlement whereby most of the

registered uses of granular carbofuran

were phased out. While the flowable

formulation of carbofuran is not the

subject of a Special Review, EPA

believes that the proposed use of

flowable carbofuran on cotton could

pose a risk similar to the risk assessed

by EPA under the Special Review of

granular carbofuran. Additionally, in

1997 EPA denied requests made under

provisions of section 18 for this use of

flowable carbofuran. Therefore, in

accordance with 40 CFR 166.24, EPA is

soliciting public comment before

making the decision whether or not to

grant the exemption.

DATES: Comments must be received on

or before May 28, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Three copies of written

comments, bearing the identification

notation ‘‘OPP–181063,’’ should be

submitted by mail to: Public

Information and Records Integrity

Branch, Information Resources and

Services Division (7502C), Office of

Pesticide Programs, Environmental

Protection Agency, 401 M St., SW.,

Washington, DC 20460. In person, bring

comments to: Rm. 119, Crystal Mall #2,

1921 Jefferson Davis Highway,

Arlington, VA.

Comments and data may also be

submitted electronically by sending

electronic mail (e-mail) to: oppdocket@epamail.epa.gov. Follow the

instruction under ‘‘SUPPLEMENTARY

INFORMATION.’’ No Confidential

Business Information (CBI) should be

submitted through e-mail.

Information submitted in any

comment concerning this notice may be

claimed confidential by marking any

part or all of that information as CBI.

Information so marked will not be

disclosed except in accordance with

procedures set forth in 40 CFR part 2.

A copy of the comment that does not

contain CBI must be submitted for

inclusion in the public record.

Information not marked confidential

may be included in the public record by

EPA without prior notice.

The public docket is available for

public inspection in Rm. 119, CM#2,

1921 Jefferson Davis Highway,

Arlington, VA, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.,

Monday through Friday, excluding legal

holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: By

mail: David Deegan, Registration

Division (7505C), Office of Pesticide

Programs, Environmental Protection

Agency, 401 M St., SW., Washington,

DC 20460. Office location, telephone

number and e-mail: CM#2, 1921

Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, VA,

(703) 308–9358; e-mail:

deegan.dave@epamail.epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant

to section 18 of the Federal Insecticide,

Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA)

(7 U.S.C. 136p), the Administrator may,

at her discretion, exempt a state agency

from any registration provision of

FIFRA if she determines that emergency

conditions exist which require such

exemption. The Applicants have

requested the Administrator to issue a

specific exemption for the use of

carbofuran on cotton to control aphids.

Information in accordance with 40 CFR

part 166 was submitted as part of this

request.

As part of this request, the Applicant

asserts that the state of Mississippi is

likely to experience non-routine

infestations of aphids during the 1998

cotton growing season. The applicant

further claims that, without a specific

exemption of FIFRA for the use of

flowable carbofuran on cotton to control

cotton aphids, cotton growers in the

state will suffer significant economic

losses. The applicant details a use

program designed to minimize risks to

pesticide handlers and applicators, nontarget organisms (both Federally-listed

endangered species, and non-listed

species), and to reduce the possibility of

drift and runoff.

The Applicant proposes to make no

more than two applications of flowable

carbofuran on cotton at the rate of 0.25

lb. active ingredient (a.i.) [(8 fluid oz.)]

in a minimum of 2 gallons of finished

spray per acre by air, or 10 gallons of

finished spray per acre by ground

application. The total maximum

proposed use during the 1998 growing

season June 1, 1998 until September 30,

1998 would be 0.5 lb. a.i. (16 fluid oz.)

per acre. The applicant proposes that

the maximum acreage which could be

treated under the requested exemption

would be 1 million acres. If all acres

were treated at the maximum proposed

rates, then 500,000 lbs. a.i. (125,000

gallons Furadan 4F Insecticide/

Nematicide) would be used in

Mississippi.

This notice does not constitute a

decision by EPA on the application

itself. The regulations governing section

18 require publication of a notice of

receipt of an application for a specific

exemption proposing use of a chemical

(i.e., an active ingredient) which has

been the subject of a Special Review

within EPA’s Office of Pesticide

Programs, and the proposed use could

pose a risk similar to the risk assessed

by EPA under the previous Special

Review. Such notice provides for

opportunity for public comment on the

application.

The official record for this notice, as

well as the public version, has been

established for this notice under docket

number [OPP–181063](including

comments and data submitted

electronically as described below). A

public version of this record, including

printed, paper versions of electronic

comments, which does not include any

information claimed as CBI is available

for inspection from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.,

Monday through Friday, excluding legal

holidays. The official record is the paper

record maintained at the address in

‘‘ADDRESSES’’ at the beginning of this

document.

Electronic comments can be sent

directly to EPA at:

opp-docket@epamail.epa.gov

Electronic comments must be

submitted as an ASCII file avoiding the

use of special characters and any form

of encryption. Comments and data will

also be accepted on disks in

WordPerfect in 5.1/6.1 or ASCII file

format. All comments and data in

electronic form must be identified by

the docket number [OPP–181063].

Electronic comments on this notice may

be filed online at many Federal

Depository Libraries.

The Agency, accordingly, will review

and consider all comments received

during the comment period in

determining whether to issue the

emergency exemption requested by the

Mississippi Department of Agriculture.

List of Subjects

Environmental protection, Pesticides

and pests, Emergency exemptions.

Dated: May 5, 1998.

James Jones,

Director, Registration Division, Office of

Pesticide Programs.

[FR Doc. 98–12722 Filed 5–12–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560–50–F

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS

COMMISSION

Notice of Public Information

Collection(s) Submitted to OMB for

Review and Approval

May 7, 1998.

SUMMARY: The Federal Communications

Commission, as part of its continuing

effort to reduce paperwork burden

invites the general public and other

Federal agencies to take this

opportunity to comment on the

following information collection(s), as

required by the Paperwork Reduction

Act of 1995, Public Law 104–13. An

agency may not conduct or sponsor a