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UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20460 

OFFICE OF CHEMICAL SAFETY AND POLLUTION 

PREVENTION

MEMORANDUM

DATE: March 6, 2015, updated April 23, 2015

SUBJECT: ChemSAC Review of Public Comments on Tolerance Crop Grouping Program 

IV. (http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=EPA-HQ-OPP-2006-0766-0054). 

FROM: Bernard A. Schneider, Ph.D., Senior Plant Physiologist

Chemistry and Exposure Branch 

Health Effects Division (7509P) 

TO: Julie VanAlstine, Chairperson HED Chemistry Science Advisory Council 

(ChemSAC) and Members

Jennifer Selwyn, and Monica Le, and Susan Wong, Health Canada, PMRA

Barbara Madden, Minor Use Officer, RD (7505P)

cc: IR-4 Project, Bill Barney, Jerry Baron, Dan Kunkel, Debbie Carpenter, Van Starner 

ACTION REQUESTED:

The Public comments for the proposed Crop Grouping Program Phase IV have been 

received and were discussed at a meeting between HED, RD, FEAD, and PMRA on March 4, 

2015. There were three comments that the group wanted ChemSAC to review for the docket. 

Phase IV includes the following five crop groups: Leafy vegetable crop group 4-16; Brassica 

head and stem crop group 5-16; Stalk, stem, and leaf petiole crop group 22; Tropical and 

subtropical fruit, edible peel crop group 23; and Tropical and subtropical fruit, inedible peel crop 

group 24. Once these comments have been reviewed by ChemSAC the Crop grouping 

workgroup will prepare the final rule. 

Review of the Public Comments for the Crop Group Rule Phase IV that will be addressed during 

the final rule (All of the comments can be found in the docket

http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=EPA-HQ-OPP-2006-0766-0054
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And (http://www.regulations.gov/#!searchResults;rpp=25;po=0;s=EPA-HQ-OPP-2006-

0766;dct=FR%252BPR%252BN%252BO%252BPS) 

Public Comment:

1) The Crop Grouping Petition- Tropical and Subtropical Fruit, Edible Peel, Group 23, 

Volume 1 of 2, page 14 (EPA-HQ-OPP-2006-0766-0062) proposed one crop definitions

for guava that included many closely related species and varieties. However in the 

ChemSAC Review of the Analysis of the USDA IR-4 Crop Grouping Proposal to 

Establish a New Crop Group 23 Tropical and Subtropical Fruit- Edible Peel (EPA-HQOPP-2006-0766-0062), this definition was recommended as not necessary since guava is 

one of the proposed representative commodities for crop subgroup 23B. However, IR-4 

believes that this definition is necessary because both fig and guava are required as 

representative commodities for Crop Subgroup 23B and all of the related guava varieties 

and subspecies would not be covered except with a subgroup tolerance.

HED Response:

EPA proposes to include this definition in 40CFR §180.1(g). The original IR-4 petition 

requested a guava definition since there are several types of guava that can be grown. 

Originally ChemSAC did not think a definition was needed since guava would be one of 

the representative crops. Also the guava varieties and species are listed in the crop group. 

However, based on public comments, we are aware that a guava definition is necessary

because both fig and guava are required as representative commodities for Crop 

Subgroup 23B and all of the related guava varieties and subspecies would not be covered 

except with a subgroup tolerance. We recommend ChemSAC approve the following: 

Commodity definition for Guava

This is the guava commodity definition {40CFR180.1(g)] for the regulation that includes 

many of the closely related genus (Psidium spp.), species and varieties. 

A B

Guava Guava (Psidium guajava L.); Guava, Para (Psidium 

acutangulum DC.); Guava, Brazilian (Psidium guineense

Sw.); Guava, cattley (Psidium cattleianum Sabine); Guava, 

Costa Rican (Psidium friedrichsthalianum (O. Berg) Nied.); 

Guava, purple strawberry (Psidium cattleianum Sabine var. 

cattleianum); Guava, strawberry (Psidium cattleianum Sabine 

var. littorale (Raddi) Fosberg); Guava, yellow strawberry; 

(Psidium cattleianum Sabine var. cattleianum forma lucidum 

O. Deg.); Guayabillo (Psidium sartorianum (O. Berg) Nied.)
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Public Comment (2):

2) The National Pesticide Coordinator, Plant Protection and Quarantine, Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service, United States Department of Agriculture notified IR-4 after submission of 

The Crop Grouping Petition - Tropical and Subtropical Fruit, Edible Peel, Group 23 of a tropical 

fruit, Achachairu (Garcinia gardneriana (Planch. & Triana) Zappi), that is now being grown in 

Puerto Rico and shipped to the U.S. This commodity is similar to mangosteen (Garcinia 

mangostana L.) but it has an edible peel. 1t would be appropriate to include Achachairu 

(Garcinia gardneriana (Planch. & Triana) Zappi) in the Tropical and Subtropical Fruit, Medium 

to large fruit, edible peel subgroup 23B.

HED Response:

We agree that Achachairu should be a member of the Tropical and Subtropical Fruit, 

Edible Peel, Group 23 and in the Tropical and Subtropical fruit, Medium to large fruit, smooth, 

edible peel subgroup 23B. As USDA APHIS indicates it is already being legally imported into 

the U.S. and being a member of the crop group will help avoid tolerance and import issues with 

this crop. IR-4 also recommends including it as a member of the edible peel tropical and 

subtropical fruit crop group since it has an edible peel and is grown in Puerto Rico. 

Public Comment (3):

3) Longan (Dimocarpus longan Lour.) EPA proposed including longan in Crop Subgroup 

24C (Medium to large fruit, rough or hairy, inedible peel subgroup). Instead, longan should be 

included in Crop Subgroup 24A (Small fruit, inedible peel subgroup). Longan is similar to 

lychee, the proposed representative commodity for Subgroup 24A. The fruit is similar in size to 

lychee (usually slightly smaller), and the peel is sandpapery but slightly smoother than lychee. 

Longan is definitely not as large as fruit from the Annonaceae family, e.g., atemoya, cherimoya, 

soursop, and sugar apple; nor pineapple, breadfruit, durian and jackfruit

HED Response:

After reviewing the data from USDA IR-4, Hawaii, and Florida Extension Service, we agree to 

move longan from the Crop Subgroup 24C (Medium to large fruit, rough or hairy, inedible peel 

subgroup) to the Crop Subgroup 24A (Small fruit, inedible peel subgroup). Lychee is the 

representative commodity for this subgroup.

Other public comments involved subgroup terminology changes for the tropical’s as well as 

some very favorable comments for this regulation. These can be found at 

http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=EPA-HQ-OPP-2006-0766-0054

and (http://www.regulations.gov/#!searchResults;rpp=25;po=0;s=EPA-HQ-OPP-2006-

0766;dct=FR%252BPR%252BN%252BO%252BPS