Document ID: EPA-HQ-OPP-2014-0335-0001
Agency: epa
Document Type: Notice
Title: Pesticide Emergency Exemptions: Agency Decisions and State and Federal Agency Crisis Declarations
Posted Date: 2014-05-16T04:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 95 (Friday, May 16, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28510-28512]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-11222]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OPP-2014-0335; FRL-9910-28]

Pesticide Emergency Exemptions; Agency Decisions and State and 
Federal Agency Crisis Declarations

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: EPA has granted emergency exemptions under the Federal 
Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) for use of 
pesticides as listed in this notice. The exemptions were granted during 
the period October 1, 2013 to March 31, 2014 to control unforeseen pest 
outbreaks.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lois Rossi, Registration Division 
(7505P), Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental Protection Agency, 
1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone 
number: (703) 305-7090; email address: RDFRNotices@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. General Information

A. Does this action apply to me?

    You may be potentially affected by this action if you are an 
agricultural producer, food manufacturer, or pesticide manufacturer. 
The following list of North American Industrial Classification System 
(NAICS) codes is not intended to be exhaustive, but rather provides a 
guide to help readers determine whether this document applies to them. 
Potentially affected entities may include:

 Crop production (NAICS code 111).
 Animal production (NAICS code 112).
 Food manufacturing (NAICS code 311).
 Pesticide manufacturing (NAICS code 32532).

B. How can I get copies of this document and other related information?

    The docket for this action, identified by docket identification 
(ID) number EPA-HQ-OPP-2014-0335, is available at http://www.regulations.gov or at the Office of Pesticide Programs Regulatory 
Public Docket (OPP Docket) in the Environmental Protection Agency 
Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA West Bldg., Rm. 3334, 1301 Constitution 
Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001. The Public Reading Room is open 
from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal 
holidays. The telephone number for the Public Reading Room is (202) 
566-1744, and the telephone number for the OPP Docket is (703) 305-
5805. Please review the visitor instructions and additional information 
about the docket available at http://www.epa.gov/dockets.

II. Background

    EPA has granted emergency exemptions to the following State and 
Federal agencies. The emergency exemptions may take the following form: 
Crisis, public health, quarantine, or specific.
    Under FIFRA section 18, EPA can authorize the use of a pesticide 
when emergency conditions exist. Authorizations (commonly called 
emergency exemptions) are granted to State and Federal agencies and are 
of four types:
    1. A ``specific exemption'' authorizes use of a pesticide against 
specific pests on a limited acreage in a particular State. Most 
emergency exemptions are specific exemptions.
    2. ``Quarantine'' and ``public health'' exemptions are emergency 
exemptions issued for quarantine or public health purposes. These are 
rarely requested.
    3. A ``crisis exemption'' is initiated by a State or Federal agency 
(and is confirmed by EPA) when there is insufficient time to request 
and obtain EPA permission for use of a pesticide in an emergency.
    EPA may deny an emergency exemption: If the State or Federal agency 
cannot demonstrate that an emergency exists, if the use poses 
unacceptable risks to the environment, or if EPA cannot reach a 
conclusion that the proposed pesticide use is likely to result in ``a 
reasonable certainty of no harm'' to human health, including exposure 
of residues of the pesticide to infants and children.
    If the emergency use of the pesticide on a food or feed commodity 
would result in pesticide chemical residues, EPA establishes a time-
limited tolerance meeting the ``reasonable certainty of no harm 
standard'' of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA).
    In this document: EPA identifies the State or Federal agency 
granted the exemption, the type of exemption, the pesticide authorized 
and the pests, the crop or use for which authorized, and the duration 
of the exemption.

III. Emergency Exemptions

A. U.S. States and Territories

Alabama
Department of Agriculture
    Specific exemption: EPA authorized the use of potassium salt of hop 
beta acids in beehives to control varroa mite; February 27, 2014 to 
December 31, 2014.
Arkansas
State Plant Board
    Specific exemption: EPA authorized the use of anthraquinone on rice 
seed to repel blackbirds; February 28, 2014 to June 1, 2014.
California
Department of Environmental Protection
    Specific exemption: EPA authorized the use of etofenprox in 
mushroom houses to control phorid and sciarid flies; February 7, 2014 
to February 7, 2015.

[[Page 28511]]

    Specific exemption: EPA authorized the use of boscalid for post 
harvest use on Belgian endive to control the fungal pathogen 
Sclerotinia sclerotiorum; November 1, 2014 to February 15, 2014
    Specific exemption: EPA authorized the use of potassium salt of hop 
beta acids in beehives to control varroa mite; January 10, 2014 to 
December 31, 2014.
Delaware
Department of Agriculture
    Specific exemption: EPA authorized the use of potassium salt of hop 
beta acids in beehives to control varroa mite; January 10, 2014 to 
December 31, 2014.
    Specific exemption: EPA authorized the use of thiabendazole in 
mushroom houses to control trichoderma green mold; January 17, 2014 to 
January 17, 2015.
Florida
Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
    Quarantine exemption: EPA authorized the use of propiconazole on 
avocado to control laurel wilt; March 27, 2014 to March 27, 2017.
Georgia
Department of Agriculture
    Specific exemption: EPA authorized the use of potassium salt of hop 
beta acids in beehives to control varroa mite; February 27, 2014 to 
December 31, 2014.
    Specific exemption: EPA authorized the use of fluridone in cotton 
to control palmer amaranth; February 28, 2014 to August 31, 2014.
Idaho
Department of Agriculture
    Specific exemption: EPA authorized the use of potassium salt of hop 
beta acids in beehives to control varroa mite; January 31, 2014 to 
December 31, 2014.
Iowa
Department of Agriculture
    Specific exemption: EPA authorized the use of potassium salt of hop 
beta acids in beehives to control varroa mite; January 23, 2014 to 
December 31, 2014.
Illinois
Department of Agriculture
    Specific exemption: EPA authorized the use of potassium salt of hop 
beta acids in beehives to control varroa mite; January 17, 2014 to 
December 31, 2014.
Kansas
Department of Agriculture
    Specific exemption: EPA authorized the use of potassium salt of hop 
beta acids in beehives to control varroa mite; February 27, 2014 to 
December 31, 2014.
Louisiana
Department of Agriculture and Forestry
    Specific exemption: EPA authorized the use of anthraquinone on rice 
seed to repel blackbirds; February 20, 2014 to June 1, 2014.
Maryland
Department of Agriculture
    Specific exemption: EPA authorized the use of thiabendazole in 
mushroom houses to control trichoderma green mold; January 17, 2014 to 
January 17, 2015.
Michigan
Department of Agriculture and Rural Development
    Specific exemption: EPA authorized the use of kasugamycin on apples 
to control fire blight; March 28, 2014 to May 31, 2014. The applicant 
proposed the use of a new chemical which has not been registered by 
EPA; therefore, a Notice of Receipt was published in the Federal 
Register on February 24, 2014 (79 FR 10142) (FRL 9906-18). Kasugamycin 
is needed to control streptomycin-resistant strains of Erwinia 
amylovora, the causal pathogen of fire blight, due to the lack of 
available alternatives and effective control practices. Without the use 
of kasugamycin and if weather conditions are present which favor a fire 
blight epidemic, it is likely that Michigan apple growers could suffer 
yield losses of 50% or more.
    Specific exemption: EPA authorized the use of potassium salt of hop 
beta acids inbeehives to control varroa mite; February 27, 2014 to 
December 31, 2014.
Minnesota
Department of Agriculture
    Specific exemption: EPA authorized the use of potassium salt of hop 
beta acids in beehives to control varroa mite; February 27, 2014 to 
December 31, 2014.
New York
Department of Environmental Conservation
    Specific exemption: EPA authorized the use of potassium salt of hop 
beta acids inbeehives to control varroa mite; March 12, 2014 to 
December 31, 2014.
North Carolina
Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
    Specific exemption: EPA authorized the use of fluridone in cotton 
to control palmer amaranth; February 28, 2014 to August 31, 2014.
Oregon
Department of Agriculture
    Specific exemption: EPA authorized the use of fenoxaprop-p-ethyl in 
grasses grown for seed to control grassy weeds; January 17, 2014 to 
September 15, 2014.
    Specific exemption: EPA authorized the use of potassium salt of hop 
beta acids inbeehives to control varroa mite; February 27, 2014 to 
December 31, 2014.
Pennsylvania
Department of Agriculture
    Specific exemption: EPA authorized the use of thiabendazole in 
mushroom houses to control trichoderma green mold; January 17, 2014 to 
January 17, 2015.
South Carolina
Department of Pesticide Regulation
    Specific exemption: EPA authorized the use of fluridone in cotton 
to control palmer amaranth; February 28, 2014 to August 31, 2014.
    Specific exemption: EPA authorized the use of potassium salt of hop 
beta acids inbeehives to control varroa mite; March 12, 2014 to 
December 31, 2014.
Tennessee
Department of Agriculture
    Specific exemption: EPA authorized the use of fluridone in cotton 
to control palmer amaranth; February 28, 2014 to August 31, 2014.
Texas
Department of Agriculture
    Specific exemption: EPA authorized the use of flutriafol on cotton 
to control cotton root rot; effective date February 1, 2014 to June 30, 
2014.
    Specific exemption: EPA authorized the use of potassium salt of hop 
beta acids inbeehives to control varroa mite; February 27, 2014 to 
December 31, 2014.
Washington
State Department of Agriculture
    Specific exemption: EPA authorized the use of potassium salt of hop 
beta acids inbeehives to control varroa mite; January 1, 2014 to 
December 31, 2014.

[[Page 28512]]

Wisconsin
Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection
    Specific exemption: EPA authorized the use of potassium salt of hop 
beta acids inbeehives to control varroa mite; March 12, 2014 to 
December 31, 2014.
Wyoming
Department of Agriculture
    Specific exemption: EPA authorized the use of potassium salt of hop 
beta acids inbeehives to control varroa mite; February 27, 2014 to 
December 31, 2014.

B. Federal Departments and Agencies

U.S. Department of Agriculture
Animal and Plant Health Inspector Service
    Quarantine exemption: EPA authorized the use of methyl bromide on 
post-harvest unlabeled imported/domestic commodities to prevent the 
introduction/spread of any new or recently introduced foreign pest(s) 
to any U.S. geographical location; March 1, 2014 to March 1, 2017.

List of Subjects

    Environmental protection, Pesticides and pests.

    Dated: May 9, 2014.
G. Jeffrey Herndon,
Acting Director, Registration Division, Office of Pesticide Programs.
[FR Doc. 2014-11222 Filed 5-15-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P