Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 92 /Wednesday, May 13, 1998 / Notices 26591

888 First Street, N.E., Washington, D.C.

20426. A copy of any motion to

intervene must also be served upon each

representative of the Applicant

specified in the particular application.

D2. Agency Comments—Federal,

state, and local agencies are invited to

file comments on the described

application. A copy of the application

may be obtained by agencies directly

from the Applicant. If an agency does

not file comments within the time

specified for filing comments, it will be

presumed to have no comments. One

copy of an agency’s comments must also

be sent to the Applicant’s

representatives.

Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,

Acting Secretary.

[FR Doc. 98–12634 Filed 5–12–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717–01–M

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

AGENCY

[OPP–50840; FRL–5789–2]

Receipt of a Notification to Conduct

Small-Scale Field Testing of a

Genetically Engineered Microbial

Pesticide

AGENCY: Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: This notice announces receipt

from DuPont Agricultural Products of a

notification (352-NMP-A) of intent to

conduct small-scale field testing

involving baculoviruses, which have

been genetically engineered to express

synthetic genes which encode for an

insect-specific toxin. The tests will be

small-scale and will not involve more

than a cumulative total of 10 acres per

pest per year. Any food or feed crops

shall be destroyed or consumed only by

experimental animals. The Agency has

determined that the notification may be

of regional and national significance.

Therefore, in accordance with 40 CFR

172.11(a), the Agency is soliciting

public comments on this notification.

Q02

DATES: Written comments must be

received on or before June 12, 1998.

ADDRESSES: By mail, submit written

comments 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, deliver comments to: Rm. 1119,

CM #2, 1921 Jefferson Davis Highway,

Arlington, VA.

Comments and data may also be

submitted electronically to: oppdocket@epamail.epa.gov. Follow the

instructions under Unit II. 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. The public

docket is available for public inspection

in Rm. 1119 at the Virginia address

given above, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.,

Monday through Friday, excluding legal

holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

William R. Schneider, PM 90,

Biopesticides and Pollution Prevention

Division (7511W), Office of Pesticide

Programs, Environmental Protection

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

DC 20460. Office location, telephone

number, and e-mail address: 5th floor

CS1 2800 Crystal Drive, Arlington, VA,

(703) 308–8683, e-mail:

schneider.william@epamail.epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice of

receipt of this notification does not

imply a decision by the Agency on this

notification.

EPA received a notification from

DuPont Agricultural Products of

Delaware (352-NMP-A). The proposed

small-scale field trials involve the

introduction of genetically engineered

isolates of nuclear polyhedrosis

baculoviruses, which have been

genetically engineered to express a

synthetic gene which encodes for an

insect-specific toxin. The purpose of the

proposed testing will be to assess and

compare the efficacy of formulated and

unformulated genetically engineered

constructs, formulated and

unformulated wild type nuclear

polyhedrosis baculoviruses, and various

controls against agriculture pest insects.

These tests are similar to testing

previously approved by EPA in 1996

(notification 352-NMP-4) and 1997

(notification 352-NMP-5). Following

review of DuPont’s notification and any

comments received in response to this

notice, EPA may approve the tests, ask

for additional data, require additional

modifications to the test protocols, or

require an Experimental Use Permit

application to be submitted. In

accordance with 40 CFR 172.50, under

no circumstances shall the proposed

tests proceed until the submitter has

received notice from EPA of its approval

of such tests.

II. Public Record and Electronic

Submissions

The official record for this document,

as well as the public version, has been

established for this document under

docket control number ‘‘OPP–50840’’

(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 located at the Virginia 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. Comment and data will

also be accepted on disks in

Wordperfect 5.1/6.1 or ASCII file

format. All comments and data in

electronic form must be identified by

the docket control number ‘‘OPP–

508040.’’ Electronic comments on this

proposed rule may be filed online at

many Federal Depository Libraries.

Dated: April 29, 1998.

Kathleen F. Knox,

Acting Director, Biopesticides and Pollution

Prevention Division, Office of Pesticide

Programs.

[FR Doc. 98–12721 Filed 5–12–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560–50–F

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

AGENCY

[OPP–00535; FRL–5786–8]

Changes to Registration Priority

System Involving Organophosphate

(OP) Alternatives and Reduced Risk

Candidates

AGENCY: Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of availability.

SUMMARY: EPA is soliciting comments

on a draft, updated policy for the

prioritization and expedited review of

applications for significant OP

alternative new active ingredients and

new use registration applications for
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