Document ID: EPA-HQ-OPP-2008-0844-0142
Agency: epa
Document Type: Notice
Title: Pollinator Ecological Risk Assessments: Imidacloprid Registration Review
Posted Date: 2016-01-15T05:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 10 (Friday, January 15, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2212-2213]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-00740]

[[Page 2212]]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OPP-2008-0844; FRL-9940-82]

Imidacloprid Registration Review; Draft Pollinator Ecological 
Risk Assessment; Notice of Availability

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of EPA's draft 
pollinator-only ecological risk assessment for the registration review 
of imidacloprid and opens a public comment period on this document. 
Registration review is EPA's periodic review of pesticide registrations 
to ensure that each pesticide continues to satisfy the statutory 
standard for registration, that is, the pesticide can perform its 
intended function without unreasonable adverse effects on human health 
or the environment. As part of the registration review process, the 
Agency has completed a comprehensive draft pollinator-only ecological 
risk assessment for all registered agricultural uses of imidacloprid, 
with focus on agricultural crops that are attractive to pollinators. 
After reviewing comments received during the public comment period, EPA 
will issue a revised pollinator risk assessment, explain any changes to 
the draft risk assessment, and respond to comments and may request 
public input on risk mitigation before completing a proposed 
registration review decision for imidacloprid. The revised risk 
assessment will also address the ecological risks for all other taxa, 
as well as a comprehensive draft human health risk assessment. Through 
the registration review program, EPA is ensuring that each pesticide's 
registration is based on current scientific and other knowledge, 
including its effects on human health and the environment.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before March 15, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by docket identification 
(ID) number EPA-HQ-OPP-2008-0844, by one of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the online instructions for submitting comments. Do not submit 
electronically any information you consider to be Confidential Business 
Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted 
by statute.
     Mail: OPP Docket, Environmental Protection Agency Docket 
Center (EPA/DC), (28221T), 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 
20460-0001.
     Hand Delivery: To make special arrangements for hand 
delivery or delivery of boxed information, please follow the 
instructions at http://www.epa.gov/dockets/contacts.html.
    Additional instructions on commenting or visiting the docket, along 
with more information about dockets generally, is available at http://www.epa.gov/dockets.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
    For pesticide specific information contact: Kelly Ballard, Chemical 
Review Manager, Pesticide Re-Evaluation Division (7508P), Office of 
Pesticide Programs, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania 
Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone number: (703) 305-8126; 
email address: ballard.kelly@epa.gov.
    For general questions on the registration review program, contact: 
Rich Dumas, Pesticide Re-Evaluation Division (7508P), Office of 
Pesticide Programs, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania 
Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone number: (703) 308-8015; 
email address: dumas.richard@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. General Information

A. Does this action apply to me?

    This action is directed to the public in general, and may be of 
interest to a wide range of stakeholders including environmental, human 
health, farm worker, and agricultural advocates; the chemical industry; 
pesticide users; and members of the public interested in the sale, 
distribution, or use of pesticides. Since others also may be 
interested, the Agency has not attempted to describe all the specific 
entities that may be affected by this action. If you have any questions 
regarding the applicability of this action to a particular entity, 
consult the Chemical Review Manager listed under FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT.

 B. What should I consider as I prepare my comments for EPA?

    1. Submitting CBI. Do not submit this information to EPA through 
regulations.gov or email. Clearly mark the part or all of the 
information that you claim to be CBI. For CBI information in a disk or 
CD-ROM that you mail to EPA, mark the outside of the disk or CD-ROM as 
CBI and then identify electronically within the disk or CD-ROM the 
specific information that is claimed as CBI. In addition to one 
complete version of the comment that includes information claimed as 
CBI, a copy of the comment that does not contain the information 
claimed as CBI must be submitted for inclusion in the public docket. 
Information so marked will not be disclosed except in accordance with 
procedures set forth in 40 CFR part 2.
    2. Tips for preparing your comments. When preparing and submitting 
your comments, see the commenting tips at http://www.epa.gov/dockets/comments.html.
    3. Environmental justice. EPA seeks to achieve environmental 
justice, the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of any group, 
including minority and/or low income populations, in the development, 
implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and 
policies. To help address potential environmental justice issues, the 
Agency seeks information on any groups or segments of the population 
who, as a result of their location, cultural practices, or other 
factors, may have atypical or disproportionately high and adverse human 
health impacts or environmental effects from exposure to the 
pesticide(s) discussed in this document, compared to the general 
population.

II. Authority

    EPA is conducting its registration review of imidacloprid pursuant 
to section 3(g) of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide 
Act (FIFRA) and the Procedural Regulations for Registration Review at 
40 CFR part 155, subpart C. Section 3(g) of FIFRA provides, among other 
things, that the registrations of pesticides are to be reviewed every 
15 years. Under FIFRA, a pesticide product may be registered or remain 
registered only if it meets the statutory standard for registration 
given in FIFRA section 3(c)(5) (7 U.S.C. 136a(c)(5)). When used in 
accordance with widespread and commonly recognized practice, the 
pesticide product must perform its intended function without 
unreasonable adverse effects on the environment; that is, without any 
unreasonable risk to man or the environment, or a human dietary risk 
from residues that result from the use of a pesticide in or on food.

III. Registration Reviews

    As directed by FIFRA section 3(g), EPA is reviewing the pesticide 
registration for imidacloprid to ensure that it continues to satisfy 
the FIFRA standard for registration--that is, that imidacloprid can 
still be used without unreasonable adverse effects on human health or 
the environment. Imidacloprid is a neonicotinoid insecticide used for 
the control of sucking insects on a large variety of agricultural and 
non-agricultural sites, including vegetable crops, tree nuts, tree 
fruits, stone fruits,

[[Page 2213]]

cotton, tobacco, grapes, citrus, turf, and ornamentals. EPA has 
completed a comprehensive draft pollinator-only ecological risk 
assessment for all registered agricultural uses of imidacloprid, with 
focus on agricultural crops that are attractive to pollinators.
    Pursuant to 40 CFR 155.53(c), EPA is providing an opportunity, 
through this notice of availability, for interested parties to provide 
comments and input concerning the Agency's draft pollinator-only 
ecological risk assessment for imidacloprid. Such comments and input 
could address, among other things, the Agency's risk assessment 
methodologies and assumptions, as applied to this draft pollinator-only 
risk assessment. The Agency will consider all comments received during 
the public comment period and make changes, as appropriate, to the 
draft pollinator-only risk assessment. EPA will then issue a revised 
pollinator risk assessment, explain any changes to the draft risk 
assessment, and respond to comments. In the Federal Register notice 
announcing the availability of the revised risk assessment, if the 
revised risk assessment indicates risks of concern, the Agency may 
provide a comment period for the public to submit suggestions for 
mitigating the risk identified in the revised risk assessment before 
developing a proposed registration review decision on imidacloprid. 
Additionally, the revised risk assessment will also address ecological 
risks for all other taxa, as well as a comprehensive draft human health 
risk assessment.
    1. Other related information. Additional information on 
imidacloprid is available on the Pesticide Registration Review Status 
Web page. Information on the Agency's registration review program and 
its implementing regulation is available at http://www.epa.gov/oppsrrd1/registration_review.
    2. Information submission requirements. Anyone may submit data or 
information in response to this document. To be considered during a 
pesticide's registration review, the submitted data or information must 
meet the following requirements:
     To ensure that EPA will consider data or information 
submitted, interested persons must submit the data or information 
during the comment period. The Agency may, at its discretion, consider 
data or information submitted at a later date.
     The data or information submitted must be presented in a 
legible and useable form. For example, an English translation must 
accompany any material that is not in English and a written transcript 
must accompany any information submitted as an audiographic or 
videographic record. Written material may be submitted in paper or 
electronic form.
     Submitters must clearly identify the source of any 
submitted data or information.
     Submitters may request the Agency to reconsider data or 
information that the Agency rejected in a previous review. However, 
submitters must explain why they believe the Agency should reconsider 
the data or information in the pesticide's registration review.
    As provided in 40 CFR 155.58, the registration review docket for 
each pesticide case will remain publicly accessible through the 
duration of the registration review process; that is, until all actions 
required in the final decision on the registration review case have 
been completed.

    Authority:  7 U.S.C. 136 et seq.

    Dated: January 8, 2016.
Michael Goodis,
Acting Director, Pesticide Re-Evaluation Division, Office of Pesticide 
Programs.
[FR Doc. 2016-00740 Filed 1-14-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P