EPA Pesticide Program Update
from EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs 10/25/01

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IN THIS UPDATE:

1) EPA ISSUES DRAFT GUIDANCE ON THRESHOLD
    OF REGULATION REQUESTS

2) EPA ANNOUNCES VOLUNTARY CANCELLATION
    REQUEST FOR BENOMYL

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1) EPA ISSUES DRAFT GUIDANCE ON THRESHOLD
    OF REGULATION REQUESTS

The Office of Pesticide Programs has announced a public
comment period on draft guidance on submitting requests
for a threshold of regulation determination.  This guidance
addresses how registrants may submit requests if they believe
they have situations when the use of a pesticide on a food crop
may not require issuance of a tolerance (maximum amount of
residue allowed to remain in or on food) or tolerance exemption.
It also addresses how EPA will process such requests.  On
October 27, 1999, EPA issued a policy stating that there would
be no need for a tolerance or tolerance exemption under the
FFDCA if: (a) using a reliable and appropriately sensitive
analytical method to measure residues in the commodity, no
residues are detected in the commodity under expected
conditions of use when the commodity enters interstate
commerce; and (b) using reasonably protective criteria, the
estimated potential risk of any theoretically possible residues in
food is not of concern. The Agency would continue to regulate
qualifying pesticide uses under FIFRA.  EPA must receive
comments on this draft notice by December 4, 2001, identified
by docket control number OPP-00725.  The Federal Register
notice and documents are available at
http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-PEST/2001/October/Day
-05/p25044.htm.
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2)EPA ANNOUNCES VOLUNTARY CANCELLATION
  REQUEST FOR BENOMYL

On October12, 2001, EPA published a notice of receipt of
registrants' request for voluntary cancellation of the fungicide
benomyl.   The Agency received letters from the following
registrants requesting voluntary cancellation of all their products
containing benomyl: American Mushroom Institute; Amvac
Chemical Corp.;  Pursell Industries, Inc.; The Scotts Company;
Value Garden Supply LLC; and, Voluntary Purchasing Groups,
Inc.   No other registrants hold registrations for benomyl.  Prior
to acting on these requests, EPA is providing a 30-day period for
public comment.  Comments of the requested cancellation of
product and use registrations must be submitted by November 13,
2001.  The Federal Register Notice is available on EPA's web site at
http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr.

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For general questions on pesticides and pesticide
poisoning prevention, contact the National Pesticide
Telecommunications Network (NPTN), toll-free, at:
1-800-858-7378, by e-mail at nptn@ace.orst.edu,
or by visiting their Web site at:
http://ace.orst.edu/info/nptn/

For information about ongoing activities in the
Office of Pesticide Programs, visit our homepage
at:  http://www.epa.gov/pesticides

Or call or write  us directly at:

Communication Services Branch
Office of Pesticide Programs (7506C)
US Environmental Protection Agency
Ariel Rios Building
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20004-2403
703-305-5017