15142 Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 55 / Wednesday, March 22, 1995 / Notices

Information submitted in any

comment concerning this notice may be

claimed confidential by marking any

part or all of that information as

‘‘Confidential Business Information.’’

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 Confidential Business

Information must be provided by the

submitter for inclusion in the public

record. Information not marked

confidential may be disclosed publicly

by EPA without prior notice. All written

comments filed pursuant to this notice

will be available for public inspection in

Rm. 1128, Crystal Mall #2, 1921

Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, VA,

from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through

Friday, except legal holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: By

mail: Margarita Collantes, Registration

Division (7505W), Office of Pesticide

Programs, Environmental Protection

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

DC 20460. Office location and telephone

number: 6th Floor, Crystal Station I,

2800 Jefferson Davis Highway,

Arlington, VA 22202, (703) 308–8347; email:

collantes.margarita@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 Applicant has requested the

Administrator to issue a specific

exemption for the use of the mancozeb,

available as Dithane DF (EPA Reg. No.

707–180) from Rohm and Haas Co., to

control leaf, stem blight, caused by the

fungus Alternaria panax and

Phytophthora cactorum, on a maximum

of 4,167 acres in Wisconsin. Information

in accordance with 40 CFR part 166 was

submitted as part of this request.

According to the Applicant,

Alternaria blight rarely kills the ginseng

root, which is the marketed portion;

however, loss of the foliage results in

significant root yield loss in a harvested

crop, and retards root growth and

overwintering ability in younger crops.

Infestations of Alternaria blight in one

season greatly increase the potential for

epidemics in subsequent seasons, since

the fungus remains in the infected plant

debris. Alternaria panax has become

resistant to Rovral 50W, the only

fungicide carrying a section 3 label for

use against Alternaria blight on ginseng.

Rovral by itself is no longer be effective

to control Alternaris. Other fungicides

are also substantially less effective than

Dithane. If not controlled, the disease

can be expected to infest all of

Wisconsin’s 5,000 acres of ginseng.

Under the proposed exemption 2.0 lbs

of product [1.5 lbs of active ingredient

(a.i.)] per acre will be used on 4,167

acres. A maximum of 12 applications at

a minimum of 7–day intervals will be

made by ground equipment using a

minimum of 80 gallons of water per

acre. A 28–day pre-harvest interval will

be observed. Applications will be made

by certified private or commercial

applicators or persons under their direct

supervision. In addition, applicators,

mixer/loaders, and persons entering

treated ginseng gardens to work must

wear chemical-resistant gloves, longlegged pants and long-sleeved shirts.

This notice does not constitute a

decision by EPA on the application

itself. The regulations governing section

18 require that the Agency publish

notice of receipt in the Federal Register

and solicit public comment on an

application for a specific exemption if

an emergency exemption has been

subject to a Special Review, and is

intended for a use that could pose a risk

similar to the risk posed by any use of

the pesticide which is or has been

subject of the Special Review. [40 CFR

166.24 (a)(5)].

The Agency initiated a Special

Review of the ethylene

bisdithiocarbamate (EBDC) fungicides

on July 17, 1987, which includes

mancozeb. A notice of final

determination was issued March 2,

1992. The Agency took this action based

on an assessment of the risks from

exposure to ethylenethiourea (ETU)

present in, or formed as a result of

metabolic conversion from, pesticide

products containing the active

ingredient mancozeb. ETU, a potential

human carcinogen, teratogen, and

thyroid toxicant, is present as a

contaminant, degradation product, and

metabolite of all the EBDC pesticides.

The Agency concluded that the

estimated cumulative risk of 10-5 from

all current 55 food uses was

unacceptable and, therefore, canceled

the following 11 food uses: apricots,

carrots, celery, collards, mustard greens,

nectarines, peaches, rhubarb, spinach,

succulent beans and turnips. These

cancellations reduce estimated lifetime

dietary risk to 1.6 × 10-6 which the

Agency has determined does not

outweigh the benefits of the 44 retained

uses.

The regulations governing section 18

also require the Agency to publish a

notice of receipt in the Federal Register

and solicit public comment on an

application for a specific exemption if

an emergency exemption has been

requested or granted for that use in any

3 previous years, and a complete

application for registration of that use

has not been submitted to the Agency

[40 CFR 166.24 (a) (6)]. Exemptions for

the use of mancozeb on ginseng have

been requested for the past 8 years (1987

thru 1994). Mancozeb was granted for

use on ginseng in 1991, 1993, 1994.

Wisconsin issued a crisis in 1992. An

application for registration of this use

has not been submitted to the Agency.

Accordingly, interested persons may

submit written views on this subject to

the Field Operations Division at the

address above. The Agency will review

and consider all comments received

during the comment period in

determining whether to issue the

emergency exemption requested by the

Wisconsin Department of Agriculture,

Trade and Consumer Protection.

List of Subjects

Environmental protection, Pesticides

and pests, Crisis exemptions.

Dated: March 14, 1995.

Stephen L. Johnson,

Director, Registration Division, Office of

Pesticide Programs.

[FR Doc. 95–7061 Filed 3–21–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560–50–F

[OPP–180964; FRL 4942–5]

Propazine; 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 Kansas

Department of Agriculture (hereafter

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

the pesticide propazine (CAS 139–40–2)

to treat up to 300,000 acres of sorghum

to control various weeds. The Applicant

proposes the use of a new (unregistered)

chemical; 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 April 6, 1995.

ADDRESSES: Three copies of written

comments, bearing the identification

notation ‘‘OPP–180964,’’ should be

submitted by mail to: Public Response

and Program Resource Branch, Field

Operations Division (7506C), Office of

Pesticide Programs, Environmental

Protection Agency, 401 M St., SW.,
Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 55 / Wednesday, March 22, 1995 / Notices 15143

Washington, DC 20460. In person, bring

comments to: Rm. 1132, Crystal Mall #2,

1921 Jefferson Davis Highway,

Arlington, VA.

Information submitted in any

comment concerning this notice may be

claimed confidential by marking any

part or all of that information as

‘‘Confidential Business Information.’’

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 Confidential Business

Information must be provided by the

submitter for inclusion in the public

record. Information not marked

confidential may be disclosed publicly

by EPA without prior notice. All written

comments filed pursuant to this notice

will be available for public inspection in

Rm. 1132, Crystal Mall #2, 1921

Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, VA,

from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through

Friday, except legal holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: By

mail: Andrea Beard, Registration

Division (7505W), Office of Pesticide

Programs, Environmental Protection

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

20460. Office location and telephone

number: Floor 6, Crystal Station #1,

2800 Jefferson Davis Highway,

Arlington, VA, (703) 308–8417; e-mail:

beard.andrea@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 Applicant has requested

the Administrator to issue a specific

exemption for the use of propazine on

sorghum to control pigweed.

Information in accordance with 40 CFR

part 166 was submitted as part of this

request.

Sorghum is grown as a rotational crop

with cotton and wheat, in order to

comply with the soil conservation

requirements. Propazine, which was

formerly registered for use on sorghum,

was voluntarily canceled by the former

Registrant, who did not wish to support

its re-registration. The Applicant claims

that this has left many sorghum growers

with no pre-emergent herbicides that

will adequately control certain broadleaf

weeds, especially pigweed. The

Applicant states that other available

herbicides have serious limitations on

their use, making them unsuitable for

control of pigweed in sorghum. The

Applicant claims that significant

economic losses will occur without the

availability of propazine.

Although the original Registrant of

propazine has decided not to support

this chemical through re-registration,

another company has committed to

support the data requirements for this

use. Propazine was once registered for

this use, but has now been voluntarily

canceled and is therefore considered to

be a new chemical.

The Applicant proposes to apply

propazine at a maximum rate of 1.2 lbs.

active ingredient (a.i.), (2.4 pt. of

product) per acre, by ground or air, to

a maximum of 300,000 acres of

sorghum, with one application allowed

per crop growing season. Therefore, use

under this exemption could potentially

amount to a maximum total of 360,000

lbs. of active ingredient (90,000 gal. of

product).

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 new

chemical (i.e., an active ingredient not

contained in any currently registered

pesticide). Such notice provides for

opportunity for public comment on the

application. Accordingly, interested

persons may submit written views on

this subject to the Field Operations

Division at the address above.

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

Kansas Department of Agriculture.

List of Subjects

Environmental protection, Pesticides

and pests, Crisis exemptions.

Dated: March 14, 1995.

Stephen L. Johnson,

Director, Registration Division, Office of

Pesticide Programs.

[FR Doc. 95–7062 Filed 3–21–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560–50–F

[OPPTS–42182; FRL–4943–6]

Certain Paint Stripping Chemicals;

Solicitation of Testing Proposals for

Negotiation of TSCA Section 4

Enforceable Consent Agreements

AGENCY: Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: This notice invites

manufacturers and processors of certain

chemical substances used in

commercial paint strippers and other

interested parties to develop and submit

to EPA specific toxicity testing

proposals for these chemicals. Testing is

needed for three dibasic esters (DBEs),

specifically, dimethyl adipate, dimethyl

glutarate and dimethyl succinate. The

EPA, the Consumer Product Safety

Commission and the National

Toxicology Program have consulted on

the need for and nature of toxicity

testing of DBEs, and the means for

implementing such testing.

DATES: Written testing proposals must

be received by May 22, 1995. EPA may

extend the deadline for receipt of testing

proposals upon a showing of good faith

efforts to develop testing proposals by

the initial deadline.

ADDRESSES: Submit three copies of

written testing proposals to TSCA

Docket Receipts (7407), Office of

Pollution Prevention and Toxics,

Environmental Protection Agency, Rm.

G–99, East Tower, 401 M St., SW.,

Washington, DC 20460. Submissions

should bear the document control

number (OPPTS–42182; FRL–4943–6).

The public docket supporting this

action, including comments, is available

for public inspection in the

Nonconfidential Information Center, Rm

NE-B607, at the above address from 12

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

except legal holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

James Willis, Acting Director,

Environmental Assistance Division

(7408), Rm. E543B, 401 M St., SW.,

Washington, DC 20460, (202) 554–1404,

TDD (202) 554–0551. For specific

information regarding this action or

related activities, contact George

Semeniuk, Project Manager, Chemical

Testing and Information Branch (7405),

Rm E221B, 401 M St., SW., Washington,

DC 20460, (202) 260–2134.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

A. Rationale for Action

Known as dibasic esters (DBEs),

dimethyl adipate (DMA, CAS No. 627–

93–0), dimethyl glutarate (DMG, CAS

No. 1119–40–0) and dimethyl succinate

(DMS, CAS No. 106–65–0) are

component chemicals of solvent

mixtures used in paint stripping

formulations that are sold to the general

public. Consumers can be significantly

exposed to DBEs during use of these

formulations. This potential for

significant exposure, a reported adverse

human effect—blurred vision—resulting

from the use of DBE-based paint

strippers, and the results of limited

toxicity testing (rats), form the