[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 140 (Friday, July 20, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37962-37963]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-18199]



[[Page 37962]]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OPP-00646A; FRL-6769-1]


Pesticides; Final Guidance for Pesticide Registrants on 
PesticideResistance Management Labeling

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Agency is announcing the availability of a final Pesticide 
Registration Notice PR-Notice titled ``Guidance for Pesticide 
Registrants on Pesticide Resistance Management Labeling.'' This PR-
Notice was issued by the Agency on June 19, 2001, and is identified as 
PR-Notice 2001-OPP-00646A. PR-Notices are issued by the Office of 
Pesticide Programs (OPP) to inform pesticide registrants and other 
interested persons about important policies, procedures and 
registration related decisions, and serve to provide guidance to 
pesticide registrants and OPP personnel. This particular PR-Notice 
provides guidance to registrants concerning voluntary pesticide 
resistance management labeling based on mode/target site of action for 
pesticide products that are intended for general agricultural use. If 
adopted on a voluntary basis by registrants, this effort will help 
reduce the development of pesticide resistance based on mode/target 
site of action and lead to better environmental protection. This 
approach is the result of a joint effort of the U.S. and Canada under 
the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The guidance provides 
an opportunity for consistency in resistance management labeling being 
considered for approval in any or all of the countries involved in 
NAFTA. This PR-Notice includes guidance to registrants concerning 
schemes of classification of pesticides according to their mode/target 
site of action (Appendices I-III), a recommended standard presentation 
and format for showing group identification symbols on end-use product 
labels, and examples of resistance management labeling statements.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sharlene R. Matten (7511C), 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., 
Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (703) 605-0514; fax number: 
(703) 308-7026; e-mail 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 are required 
to register pesticides. Since other entities may also 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 
information in this notice,consult the person listed under FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATIONCONTACT.

B. How Can I Get Additional Information, Including Copies of this 
Document and Other Related Documents?

    1. Electronically. You may obtain electronic copies of this 
document and the PR Notice from the Office of Pesticide Programs Home 
Page at http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/. You can also go directly to the 
listings from the EPA Internet Home Page at http://www.epa.gov/. To 
access this document, on the Home Page select ``Laws and Regulations,'' 
``Regulations and Proposed Rules,'' and then look up the entry for this 
document under the ``Federal Register --Environmental Documents.'' You 
can also go directly to the Federal Register listings at http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/ or go directly to the Home Page for the Office of 
Pesticide Programs at http://www.epa.gov/pesticides, and select ``PR 
Notices''.
    2. Fax-on-demand. You may request a faxed copy of thePesticide 
Registration (PR) Notice titled ``Pesticide Resistance Management 
Labeling,'' by using a faxphone to call (202) 401-0527 and selecting 
item (6138). You may also follow the automated menu.
    3. In person. The Agency has established an official record for 
this action under docket control number OPP-00646A. The official record 
consists of the documents specifically referenced in this action, any 
public comments received during an applicable comment period, and other 
information related to this action, including any information claimed 
as confidential business information (CBI). This official record 
includes thedocuments that are physically located in the docket, as 
well as the documents that are referenced in those documents. The 
public version of the official record does not include any information 
claimed as CBI. The public version of the official record, which 
includes printed, paper versions of any electronic comments submitted 
during an applicable comment period, is available for inspection in the 
Public Information and Records Integrity Branch (PIRIB), Rm. 119, 
Crystal Mall #2, 1921 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, VA, from 8:30 
a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The 
PIRIB telephone number is (703) 305-5805.

II. Background

A. What Guidance Does this PR Notice Provide?

    The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and 
PestManagement Regulatory Agency of Canada (PMRA) are committed to 
long-term pest resistance management through pesticide resistance 
management and alternative pest management strategies. Under the 
auspices of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the U.S. 
and Canada have joined together to develop and publish guidelines for 
purely voluntary pesticide resistance management labeling for 
implementation in North America. The development of these guidelines is 
part of the activities of the Risk Reduction Subcommittee of the NAFTA 
Technical Working Group on Pesticides. A more nearly uniform approach 
across North America can help reduce the development of pesticide 
resistance and support joint registration decisions by providing 
consistency in resistance management labeling being considered for 
approval in any or all of the NAFTA countries. To implement this NAFTA 
initiative, the Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) of EPA has developed 
a Pesticide Registration (PR) Notice describing the voluntary pesticide 
resistance management labeling guidelines based on mode/target site of 
action for agricultural uses of herbicides, fungicides, bactericides, 
insecticides, and acaricides. Mode/target site of action refers to the 
biochemical mechanism by which the pesticide acts on the pest and 
should not be interpreted to imply that these chemicals share a common 
mechanism for purposes of cumulative human health risk assessment under 
the Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act (see EPA's document ``Guidance 
for identifying pesticide chemicals and other substances that have a 
common mechanism of toxicity'' located at http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-PEST/1999/February/Day-05/6055.pdf).
    The final PR Notice describes schemes of classification of 
pesticides according to their mode/target site of action (Appendices I-
III) provides a recommended standard presentation and format for 
showing group identification symbols on end-use

[[Page 37963]]

product labels, and provides examples of resistance management 
labeling. EPA believes that this approach to resistance management is 
sound and would be highly beneficial to pesticide manufacturers and 
pesticide users. EPA is hopeful that registrants will embrace this 
approach and work with EPA to implement it for all relevant products. 
EPA believes this approach is an important element of international 
harmonization.

B. PR Notices are Guidance Documents

    The PR Notice discussed in this notice is intended to provide 
guidance to EPA personnel and decision-makers and to pesticide 
registrants. This notice is not binding on either EPA or pesticide 
registrants, and EPA may depart from the guidance where circumstances 
warrant and without prior notice. Likewise, pesticide registrants may 
always assert that the guidance is not appropriate generally or not 
applicable to a specific pesticide or situation. For the matters 
covered by this particular PR Notice, EPA also does not expect to 
require that any registrant adopt the labeling set forth here as part 
of any individual licensing decision or action. However, if any 
registrant seeks to use the language set forth here in the manner and 
circumstances described here, EPA does generally expect to find such 
language acceptable in any licensing proceeding.

List of Subjects

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


    Dated: June 19, 2001.

Marcia E. Mulkey,
Director, Office of Pesticide Programs

[FR Doc. 01-18199 Filed 7-19-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-S