81 FR 24605 - Pesticide Experimental Use Permit; Receipt of Application; Comment Request

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 80 (April 26, 2016)

This notice announces EPA's receipt of an application (88877- EUP-2) from the University of Kentucky's Department of Entomology requesting an amendment and extension to an already existing experimental use permit (EUP) for Wolbachia pipientis, wAlbB Strain. EPA has determined that the permit may be of regional or national significance. Therefore, because of the potential significance, EPA is seeking comments on this application.

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 80 (Tuesday, April 26, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24605-24606]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-09745]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OPP-2015-0374; FRL-9944-96]


Pesticide Experimental Use Permit; Receipt of Application; 
Comment Request

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces EPA's receipt of an application (88877-
EUP-2) from the University of Kentucky's Department of Entomology 
requesting an amendment and extension to an already existing 
experimental use permit (EUP) for Wolbachia pipientis, wAlbB Strain. 
EPA has determined that the permit may be of regional or national 
significance. Therefore, because of the potential significance, EPA is 
seeking comments on this application.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before May 26, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by docket identification 
(ID) number EPA-HQ-OPP-2015-0374, 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: Robert McNally, 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

A. Does this action apply to me?

    This action is directed to the public in general. Although this 
action may be of particular interest to those persons who conduct or 
sponsor research on pesticides, EPA has not attempted to describe all 
the specific entities that may be affected by this action.

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, EPA 
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 
discussed in this document, compared to the general population.

II. What action is EPA taking?

    Under section 5 of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and 
Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), 7 U.S.C. 136c, EPA can allow manufacturers to 
field test pesticides under development. Manufacturers are required to 
obtain an EUP before testing new pesticides or new uses of pesticides 
if they conduct experimental field tests on 10 acres or more of land or 
one acre or more of water.
    Pursuant to 40 CFR 172.11(a), EPA has determined that the following 
EUP application may be of regional or national significance, and 
therefore is seeking public comment on the EUP application:
    Submitter: University of Kentucky, Department of Entomology, S-225 
Agricultural Science Center North, Lexington, KY 40546-0091, (88877-
EUP-2).
    Pesticide Chemical: Wolbachia pipientis, wAlbB Strain.
    Summary of Request: The University of Kentucky's Department of 
Entomology has proposed to continue to field test a new strain of 
Wolbachia pipientis (wAlbB Strain) to determine its pesticidal value 
for suppression and elimination of Aedes aegypti, a mosquito that 
vectors some human diseases, e.g., chikungunya, dengue, and Zika 
viruses. Under the currently approved EUP, the University of Kentucky 
is authorized to release and monitor 2,400,000 male Aedes aegypti WB1 
Strain mosquitoes that contain the pesticidal active ingredient 
Wolbachia pipientis, wAlbB Strain (5.672 x 10-5 ounce) in 
Fresno County, California in 2015 and 2016 over 840 acres. The 
University of Kentucky has requested to amend and extend this EUP by 
adding sites in Orange County, California and Monroe County, Florida 
(Florida Keys) in 2016 and 2017 and by continuing testing in Fresno 
County, California in 2017. Up to 12,000,000 additional male Aedes 
aegypti WB1 Strain mosquitoes containing Wolbachia pipientis, wAlbB 
Strain (28.36 x 10-5 ounce) are proposed to be released and 
up to 748.3 additional acres (includes point-source release and 
surveillance/monitoring acreage) will be involved in testing in 2016 
and 2017. The released male mosquitoes are expected to mate with 
indigenous female mosquitoes, causing conditional sterility and 
resulting in population decline and potential elimination. Adult and 
egg collection data from the treated areas will be compared to data 
from control sites to evaluate the effect of the pesticide on mosquito 
populations. (Note: Male mosquitoes, which the University of

[[Page 24606]]

Kentucky is releasing or proposing to release, do not bite humans and 
feed on nectar to survive.)
    Following the review of the application and any comments and data 
received in response to this solicitation, EPA will decide whether to 
amend and extend or deny the EUP request, and if amended and extended, 
the conditions under which it is to be conducted. Any amendment and 
extension of the EUP will be announced in the Federal Register.

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

    Dated: April 18, 2016.
Mark A. Hartman, Acting
Director, Biopesticides and Pollution Prevention Division, Office of 
Pesticide Programs.
[FR Doc. 2016-09745 Filed 4-25-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6560-50-P