Document ID: EPA-HQ-OPP-2019-0701-0022
Agency: epa
Document Type: Proposed Rule
Title: Proposal to Add Chitosan to the List of Active Ingredients Permitted in Exempted Minimum Risk Pesticide Products: Pesticides; Data Availability on Chitosan and Chitosan Salts
Posted Date: 2022-05-06T04:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 88 (Friday, May 6, 2022)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 27059-27060]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-09731]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Part 152

[EPA-HQ-OPP-2019-0701; FRL-7542-03-OCSPP]
RIN 2070-AK56

Pesticides; Proposal To Add Chitosan to the List of Active 
Ingredients Permitted in Exempted Minimum Risk Pesticide Products; 
Notice of Data Availability on Chitosan and Chitosan Salts

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notification of data availability.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing the 
availability of and soliciting comment on data related to the aquatic 
toxicity of chitosan salts. The EPA seeks public comment on these data.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before June 6, 2022.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by docket identification 
(ID) number EPA-HQ-OPP-2006-0766, through the Federal eRulemaking 
Portal at https://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. Additional 
instructions on commenting or visiting the docket, along with more 
information about dockets generally, is available at https://www.epa.gov/dockets.
    Due to the public health concerns related to COVID-19. The EPA 
Docket Center (EPA/DC) and Reading Room is open to visitors by 
appointment only. The staff continues to provide remote customer 
service via email, phone, and webform. For the latest status 
information on EPA/DC services and docket access, visit https://www.epa.gov/dockets.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Charles Smith, Director, Biopesticides 
and Pollution Prevention Division (7511P), Office of Pesticide 
Programs, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, 
Washington, DC 20460-0001; main telephone number: (703) 305-7090; email 
address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. General Information

    The EPA is making two aquatic toxicity reports, submitted by Tidal 
Vision Products, LLC, available for public comment. The EPA seeks input 
from stakeholders on how these reports may be used to inform the 
Agency's assessment of the aquatic toxicity of chitosan and its salts.
    On November 2, 2020, the EPA published ``Pesticides; Proposal to 
Add Chitosan to the List of Active Ingredients Permitted in Exempted 
Minimum Risk Pesticide Product,'' 85 FR 69307 (FRL-10009-24). The 
proposed rule addressed the subject matter of a 2018 petition by Tidal 
Vision Products LLC that requested that the substance commonly known as 
chitosan (also known by its chemical name poly-D-glucosamine) (CAS Reg. 
No. 9012-76-4) be added to the list of active ingredients allowed in 
exempted minimum risk pesticide products under 40 CFR 152.25(f)(1).
    Public comments on the proposed rule discussed these salts. The EPA 
notes that chitosan may form as a salt (e.g., acetate, lactate, 
hydrochloride, and salicylate) when it is solubilized in acids for end 
use product formulation and subsequently applied in the environment. 
The new information submitted by Tidal Vision pertains to these salts.
    As authorized by the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and 
Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) section 25(b), the EPA has exempted from the 
requirement of registration certain pesticide products if they are 
composed of specified

[[Page 27060]]

ingredients (recognized active and inert substances which are listed in 
the regulations) and labeled according to the EPA's regulations in 40 
CFR 152.25(f). The EPA created the exemption for minimum risk 
pesticides to eliminate the need for the Agency to expend significant 
resources to regulate products that were deemed to be of minimum risk 
to human health and the environment. Prior to submission of these 
aquatic toxicity reports, the EPA received a petition from Tidal Vision 
Products, LLC, requesting that the substance commonly known as chitosan 
(also known by its chemical name poly-D-glucosamine) (CAS Reg. No. 
9012-76-4) be added to the list of active ingredients allowed in 
exempted minimum risk pesticide products under 40 CFR 152.25(f)(1). 
This matter was the subject of a proposed regulation (85 FR 69307) 
(FRL-10009-24).
    The EPA is considering the information submitted by Tidal Vision in 
its decision regarding whether to finalize the proposal to add chitosan 
to the list of permitted active ingredients, and if so, whether and how 
to address chitosan salts in the exemption.

II. References

    The following is a listing of the documents that are specifically 
referenced in this document. For assistance in locating these other 
documents, please consult the person listed under FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT.

    1. Tidal Vision USA. (2019). Aquatic Toxicology Report by 
Eurofins Environmental Testing Test America. Lab I.D. No. B4345. 
Report Date: June 17, 2019. EPA Master Record Identification (MRID) 
51861901.
    2. Tidal Vision USA. (2019). Aquatic Toxicology Report by 
Eurofins Environmental Testing Test America. Lab I.D. No. B4421. 
Report Date: August 28, 2019. EPA Master Record Identification 
(MRID) 51861902.

List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 152

    Environmental protection, Administrative practice and procedure, 
Agricultural commodities, Pesticides and pests, Reporting, and 
recordkeeping requirements.

    Dated: April 29, 2022.
Michal Freedhoff,
Assistant Administrator, Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution 
Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2022-09731 Filed 5-5-22; 8:45 am]
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