Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 111 /Wednesday, June 10, 1998 / Notices 31773

foliage during rainfall events. It is

unlikely that the organism, because of

its short half-life, would survive more

than 1-2 days in this environment and

would be unlikely to contaminate

drinking water. Further, the organism is

not a known human pathogen.

3. Non-dietary exposure. The only

non-dietary exposures are expected to

be to applicators and other pesticide

handlers working with the product,

including those workers involved at the

manufacturing facility. Use of the

product according to the directions for

use on the label is not expected to result

in any risk of adverse health effects.

Exposure to the active ingredient in the

manufacturing process is minimized by

engineering controls. There may also be

limited dermal exposure as a result of

the turf use of the product (homes,

schools, other public areas). Adults and

children could contact treated foliage;

however, these residues are not

pathogenic in humans and the residues

degrade rapidly over time after

application.

E. Cumulative Exposure

Beauveria bassiana is a naturally

occuring, soil-borne microorganism

which is found throughout the World.

Over 400 different strains have been

identified, with concentrations varying

from region to region depending on soil

type and climatic conditions. Factors

such as sunlight, temperature and

humidity affect the persistence of this

organism in the environment. Data from

the past experimental use program

indicate residues of this organism are

not present on treated crops 96 hours

after application.

Optimum growth for Beauveria

bassiana occurs between 28-32°C, with

no growth occurring at temperatures

above 35°C. From a biological viewpoint

the human body does not have the

specific surface factors nor proper

temperature to stimulate spore

germination and infection hindering the

organism’s ability to cause systemic

disease. This is corroborated by

additional biological data from animal

testing via oral, intraperitoneal,

intratracheal, and dermal exposure.

These studies indicate both a lack of

systemic toxicity and nonpathogenicity. In addition, clearance of

the test animals occurs within a

relatively short time (<21 days).

Beauveria bassiana is effective by

infecting target insects. In this respect,

it shares a common mode of action with

many other registered biological

pesticides, including another strain of

Beauveria bassiana. The lack of

infectivity in humans and other noninsect species, combined with low

toxicity indicates that there is likely to

be no appreciable cumulative effect

from application of several pesticides

with this mode of action. Moreover,

because both products have similar

target pests (whiteflies, aphids and

thrips) and the product labels state that

7 to 9 days at a minimum are needed to

observe control, it is unlikely that both

products would be used within the 96-

hour effective period on the foliage.

Consequently, there would be no

accumulation of residues.

F. Safety Determination

1. U.S. population. Beauveria

bassiana is a ubiquitous soil

microorganism which is susceptible to

sunlight, temperature and humidity.

Data generated during the experimental

use program (1992-1994) indicate that,

once applied to raw agricultural

commodities, Beauveria bassiana does

not persist. Exposure to the general

public from treated foods will be

negligible. Biological data previously

cited indicate the organism does not

persist in the mammalian body, is not

pathogenic and clearance from the body

occurs within 21 days.

Troy Biosciences’ Beauveria bassiana

and its formulated product, Naturalis L,

are carefully monitored under a rigorous

quality control program. The active

ingredient is screened for bacterial

contaminants, including human

pathogens, and for the presence of

beauvericin and aflatoxins, metabolites

of potential concern. Raw materials

used for the formulated product also are

subject to quality control screens and

meet all applicable EPA and FDA

quality standards. To further assure the

safety of the formulated product, each

batch is monitored and must meet

rigorous quality control standards.

2. Infants and children. Based upon

the lack of persistence, favorable

biological data and quality control

procedures no adverse effects would be

expected for infants and children.

Residues of Beauveria bassiana would

not be present on commodities used for

the production of foods or formulae for

infants and children.

G. Effects on the Immune and Endocrine

Systems

Beauveria bassiana ATCC # 74040

(TBI#1) is a naturally-occurring, living,

fungal organism that is not pathogenic

to humans. It is unlikely that exposure

to this organism would result in an

effect on the human endocrine or

immune systems. There are no reports

of any estrogenic or other adverse effects

to human population as a result of the

use of Beauveria bassiana in the field.

Based on this information, combined

with its low mammalian toxicity, it is

concluded that there is a reasonable

certainty that no adverse endocrine

effects nor immune system effects will

result from the use of Beauveria

bassiana as an insecticide.

H. Existing Tolerances

No maximum residue level has been

established for this organism by the

Codex Alimentarius Commission.

[FR Doc. 98–15325 Filed 6–9–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560–50–F

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

AGENCY

[FRL–6109–8]

Public Notice of Draft NPDES General

Permits for Wastewater Lagoon

Systems Located On Indian

Reservations in Montana, North

Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and

Wyoming

AGENCY: Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of intent to issue NPDES

general permits.

SUMMARY: Region VIII of EPA is hereby

giving notice of its tentative

determination to issue National

Pollutant Discharge Elimination System

(NPDES) general permits for wastewater

lagoon systems located on Indian

Reservations in the States of MT, ND,

SD, UT, and WY and treating primarily

domestic wastewater. The use of

wastewater lagoon systems is the most

common method of treating municipal

wastewater and domestic wastewater

from isolated housing developments,

schools, etc., on the Indian Reservations

in those states. Region VIII is proposing

to use general permits instead of

individual permits for permitting the

discharges from such facilities in order

to reduce the Region’s administrative

burden of issuing separate individual

permits. The administrative burden for

the regulated sources is expected to be

about the same under the general

permits as with individual permits, but

it will be much quicker to obtain permit

coverage with general permits than with

individual permits. The discharge

requirements would be essentially the

same with an individual permit or

under the general permit. A separate

general permit is proposed to cover the

aforementioned facilities within the

exterior boundaries of a single

reservation.

DATES: Public comments on this

proposal must be received, in writing,

on or before August 10, 1998.
31774 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 111 /Wednesday, June 10, 1998 / Notices

ADDRESSES: Public comments should be

sent to: State Assistance Program (8P2–

SA); Attention: NPDES Permits; U.S.

EPA, Region VIII; 999 18th Street, Suite

500; Denver, CO 80202–2466.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For

a copy of the draft permit and Fact

Sheet, please write William Kennedy at

the above address or telephone (303)

312–6285. Copies of the draft permit

and Fact Sheet may also be downloaded

from the EPA Region VIII web page at

http://www.epa.gov/region08/html/

npdes/lagoons.html. Questions

regarding the specific permit

requirements may be directed to Bruce

Kent, telephone (303) 312–6133.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: It is

proposed that general permits be issued

for discharges from wastewater lagoon

systems located on the following Indian

Reservations:

Permit No. Indian Reservation

Montana:

MTG581### .. Blackfeet Indian Reservation;

MTG582### .. Crow Indian Reservation;

MTG583### .. Flathead Indian Reservation;

MTG584### .. Fort Belknap Indian Reservation;

MTG585### .. Fort Peck Indian Reservation;

MTG586### .. Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation; and,

MTG587### .. Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation.

North Dakota:

NDG581### .. Fort Berthold Indian Reservation;

NDG582### .. Fort Totten Indian Reservation—Also known

as Devils Lake Indian

Reservation;

NDG583### .. Standing Rock Indian

Reservation—Includes

the entire Reservation,

which is located in both

North Dakota and

South Dakota; and,

NDG584### .. Turtle Mountain Indian

Reservation.

South Dakota:

SDG581### .. Cheyenne River Indian

Reservation;

SDG582### .. Crow Creek Indian Reservation;

SDG583### .. Flandreau Indian Reservation;

SDG584### .. Lower Brule Indian Reservation;

SDG585### .. Pine Ridge Indian Reservation—Includes the

entire Reservation,

which is located in both

South Dakota and Nebraska; and,

SDG586### .. Rosebud Indian Reservation.

Permit No. Indian Reservation

Utah:

UTG581### .. Northern Shoshoni Indian

Reservation;

UTG582### .. Paiute Indian Reservations—several very

small reservations, including Cedar City, Indian Peaks, Kanosh,

Koosharem, and

Shivwits, located in the

southwest quarter of

Utah;

UTG583### .. Skull Valley Indian Reservation; and,

UTG584### .. Uintah and Ouray Indian

Reservation.

Wyoming:

WYG581### Wind River Indian Reservation.

General permits are not being issued

for the portions of the Navajo Indian

Reservation and the Goshutes Indian

Reservation in Utah since the permitting

activities for these reservations are done

by Region IX of EPA. Also, general

permits are not being issued for the

Southern Ute Indian Reservation located

in the State of Colorado and the Ute

Mountain Indian Reservation located in

the States of Colorado, New Mexico, and

Utah because of water quality concerns

in the San Juan River Basin portion of

the Colorado River Basin.

Coverage under the general permits

will be limited to lagoon systems

treating primarily domestic wastewater

and will include the following three

categories: (1) lagoons where no

permission is required before starting to

discharge; (2) permission is required

before starting to discharge; and (3) the

lagoon system is required to have no

discharge. The effluent limitations for

lagoons coming under categories 1 and

2 are based on the Federal Secondary

Treatment Regulation (40 CFR part 133)

and best professional judgement (BPJ).

There are provisions in the general

permits for adjusting the effluent

limitations on total suspended solids

(TSS) and pH in accordance with the

provisions of the Secondary Treatment

Regulation. If more stringent and/or

additional effluent limitations are

considered necessary to comply with

applicable water quality standards, etc.,

those limitations may be imposed by

written notification to the permittee.

Lagoon systems under category 3 are

required to have no discharge except in

accordance with the bypass provisions

of the permit. Self-monitoring

requirements and routine inspection

requirements are included in the

permits.

With the exception of the Flathead

Indian Reservation and the Fort Peck

Indian Reservation, where the Tribes

have Clean Water Act section 401(a)(1)

certification authority, EPA intends to

certify that the permit complies with the

applicable provisions of the Clean Water

Act so long as the permittees comply

with all permit conditions. The permits

will be issued for a period of five years,

with the permit effective date and

expiration date determined at the time

of issuance.

Economic Impact (Executive Order

12866): EPA has determined that the

issuance of this general permit is not a

‘‘significant regulatory action’’ under

the terms of Executive Order 12866 (58

FR 51735 (October 4, 1993)) and is

therefore not subject to formal OMB

review prior to proposal.

Paperwork Reduction Act: EPA has

reviewed the requirements imposed on

regulated facilities in these proposed

general permits under the Paperwork

Reduction Act of 1980, 44 U.S.C. 3501

et seq. The information collection

requirements of these permits have

already been approved by the Office of

Management and Budget in submissions

made for the NPDES permit program

under the provisions of the Clean Water

Act.

Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA) as

amended by the Small Business

Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act

(SBREFA): After review of the facts

present in the notice printed above, I

hereby certify pursuant to the

provisions of 5 U.S.C. 605(b) that these

general permits will not have a

significant impact on a substantial

number of small entities.

Authority: Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C. 1251

et seq.

Dated: June 3, 1998.

Kerrigan G. Clough,

Assistant Regional Administrator, Office of

Pollution Prevention, State and Tribal

Assistance.

[FR Doc. 98–15446 Filed 6–9–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560–50–P

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

COMMISSION

Sunshine Act Meeting

DATE AND TIME: Thursday, June 18, 1998

at 2 p.m. (Eastern Time).

PLACE: EEOC’s Baltimore District Office,

Conference Room on the fourth floor of

the City Crescent Building, 10 South

Howard Street, Baltimore, MD 21201.

STATUS: The meeting will be open to the

public.