EPA: Product Cancellation Order for Certain Pesticide Registrations

The original announcement was published by the EPA on May 20, 2019, and can be found here.

AGENCY:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

This notice announces EPA’s order for the cancellations, voluntarily requested by the registrants and accepted by the Agency, of the products listed in Table 1 of Unit II, pursuant to the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA).

This cancellation order follows a March 25, 2019 Federal Register Notice of Receipt of Requests from the registrants listed in Table 2 of Unit II, to voluntarily cancel these product registrations. In the March 25, 2019 notice, EPA indicated that it would issue an order implementing the cancellations, unless the Agency received substantive comments within the 30-day comment period that would merit its further review of these requests, or unless the registrants withdrew their requests. The Agency received two anonymous public comments on the notice but none merited its further review of the requests.

Further, the registrants did not withdraw their requests. Accordingly, EPA hereby issues in this notice a cancellation order granting the requested cancellations. Any distribution, sale, or use of the products subject to this cancellation order is permitted only in accordance with the terms of this order, including any existing stocks provisions.

DATES:

The cancellations are effective May 20, 2019.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Christopher Green, Information Technology and Resources Management Division (7502P), Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone number: (703) 347-0367; email address: green.christopher@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, and agricultural advocates; the chemical industry; pesticide users; and members of the public interested in the sale, Start Printed Page 22842distribution, 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.

B. How can I get copies of this document and other related information?

The docket for this action, identified by docket identification (ID) number EPA-HQ-OPP-2019-0091, is available at http://www.regulations.gov or at the Office of Pesticide Programs Regulatory Public Docket (OPP Docket) in the Environmental Protection Agency Docket Center (EPA/DC), West William Jefferson Clinton Bldg., Rm. 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460-0001. The Public Reading Room is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The telephone number for the Public Reading Room is (202) 566-1744, and the telephone number for the OPP Docket is (703) 305-5805. Please review the visitor instructions and additional information about the docket available at http://www.epa.gov/dockets.

II. What action is the Agency taking?

This notice announces the cancellation, as requested by registrants, of products registered under FIFRA section 3 (7 U.S.C. 136a). These registrations are listed in sequence by registration number in Table 1 of this unit.

Table 1—Product Cancellations
Registration No.	Company No.	Product name	Active ingredients
100-1341	100	Meridian 0.20G	Thiamethoxam.
100-1346	100	Meridian 0.14G	Thiamethoxam.
100-1399	100	Avicta Complete Corn 500	Azoxystrobin; Metalaxyl-M; Fludioxonil; Thiabendazole; Abamectin & Thiamethoxam.
100-1426	100	THX_MXM_FDL_TBZ FS	Thiamethoxam; Metalaxyl-M; Fludioxonil & Thiabendazole.
100-1449	100	Adage Deluxe	Thiamethoxam; Metalaxyl-M; Fludioxonil & Azoxystrobin.
100-1450	100	Adage Premier	Thiamethoxam; Metalaxyl-M; Fludioxonil; Azoxystrobin & Thiabendazole.
264-1125	264	Emesto Quantum	Clothianidin & Penflufen.
59639-164	59639	V-10170 0.25 G GL Insecticide	Clothianidin.
59639-176	59639	Inovate Seed Protectant	Clothianidin; Metalaxyl & Ipconazole.
59639-187	59639	Inovate Neutral Seed Protectant	Clothianidin; Metalaxyl & Ipconazole.
59639-214	59639	Aloft GC G Insecticide	Bifenthrin & Clothianidin.
72155-95	72155	Flower, Rose & Shrub Care III	Clothianidin & Imidacloprid.

Table 2 of this unit includes the names and addresses of record for all registrants of the products in Table 1 of this unit, in sequence by EPA company number. This number corresponds to the first part of the EPA registration numbers of the products listed in Table 1 of this unit.

Table 2—Registrants of Cancelled Products
EPA company No.	Company name and address
100	Syngenta Crop Protection, LLC, P.O. Box 18300, Greensboro, NC 27419-8300.
264	Bayer CropScience, LP 2 T.W. Alexander Drive, P.O. Box 12014, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709.
59639	Valent U.S.A., LLC, 1600 Riviera Avenue, Suite 200, Walnut Creek, CA 94596-8025.
72155	Bayer Advanced, A Business Unit of Bayer CropScience, LP 2 T.W. Alexander Drive, P.O. Box 12014, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709.

III. Summary of Public Comments Received and Agency Response to Comments

The Agency received two anonymous public comments on the notice, but didn’t merit its further review of the requests. For this reason, the Agency does not believe that the comments submitted during the comment period merit further review or a denial of the requests for voluntary cancellation.

IV. Cancellation Order

Pursuant to FIFRA section 6(f) (7 U.S.C. 136d(f)), EPA hereby approves the requested cancellations of the registrations identified in Table 1 of Unit II. Accordingly, the Agency hereby orders that the product registrations identified in Table 1 of Unit II, are canceled. The effective date of the cancellations that are the subject of this notice is May 20, 2019. Any distribution, sale, or use of existing stocks of the products identified in Table 1 of Unit II, in a manner inconsistent with any of the provisions for disposition of existing stocks set forth in Unit VI, will be a violation of FIFRA.

V. What is the Agency’s authority for taking this action?

Section 6(f)(1) of FIFRA (7 U.S.C. 136d(f)(1)) provides that a registrant of a pesticide product may at any time request that any of its pesticide registrations be canceled or amended to terminate one or more uses. FIFRA further provides that, before acting on the request, EPA must publish a notice of receipt of any such request in the Federal Register. Thereafter, following the public comment period, the EPA Administrator may approve such a request. The notice of receipt for this action was published for comment in the Federal Register of March 25, 2019 (84 FR 11087) (FRL-9990-87). The comment period closed on April 24, 2019.

VI. Provisions for Disposition of Existing Stocks

Existing stocks are those stocks of registered pesticide products which are currently in the United States and which were packaged, labeled, and released for shipment prior to the effective date of the cancellation action. Start Printed Page 22843The existing stocks provisions for the products subject to this order are as follows.

The registrants may continue to sell and distribute existing stocks of products listed in Table 1 of Unit II, until May 20, 2020, which is 1 year after the publication of the Cancellation Order in the Federal Register. Thereafter, the registrants are prohibited from selling or distributing products listed in Table 1, except for export in accordance with FIFRA section 17 (7 U.S.C. 136o), or proper disposal. Persons other than the registrants may sell, distribute, or use existing stocks of products listed in Table 1 of Unit II, until existing stocks are exhausted, provided that such sale, distribution, or use is consistent with the terms of the previously approved labeling on, or that accompanied, the canceled products.

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

Dated: May 8, 2019.

Delores Barber,

Director, Information Technology and Resources Management Division, Office of Pesticide Programs.

[FR Doc. 2019-10447 Filed 5-17-19; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560-50-P

EPA to Hold Public Meeting on Revisions to Draft Framework on Endangered Species Act Process for Pesticides

This announcement was released by the EPA on May 5, 2019 and can be found here.

WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking comment on draft revisions to the framework used to evaluate the impacts pesticides have on endangered species under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act. The draft revisions would ensure this process is efficient, protective, transparent, and based on the best available science.

“EPA’s draft framework allows the agency to consider real-world data that will better reflect where pesticides are actually used, and which species could be affected and those that are not likely to be affected,” said EPA Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Assistant Administrator Alexandra Dapolito Dunn. “Making these revisions to the framework will follow through on EPA’s commitments under the 2018 Farm Bill and will help EPA target environmental protections where they are needed, and ensure that pesticides can continue to be used safely without impacting endangered species.”

The June 10 public meeting will be part of the federal government’s coordinated effort to improve the Endangered Species Act (ESA) process that is used when pesticides are federally registered. New provisions in the 2018 Farm Bill call for the establishment of an interagency working group to provide recommendations and implement a strategy to improve the pesticide registration process. Input from the public meeting and the public comment period on the draft revised method will be used by the working group to make these improvements.

As part of the EPA’s efforts to engage with stakeholders on this important issue, the agency will host a public meeting on June 10, 2019, at its Potomac Yard South Building in Arlington, Virginia. The public meeting will be held from 9 a.m. to Noon EDT in the lobby-level conference center.

Those wishing to attend either in person or via teleconference/webinar must register by Thursday, May 30, 2019. To register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/us-epa-public-meeting-on-revised-method-for-esa-pesticide-assessments-registration-61651229487

Upon publication in the Federal Register, the EPA will accept public comments for 45 days in docket EPA-HQ-OPP-2019-0185 on the draft revised method on www.regulations.gov. The draft revised method and a summary of the major draft changes will be found in the docket.

The draft revised method can also be found here: https://www.epa.gov/endangered-species/draft-revised-method-national-level-endangered-species-risk-assessment-process.

Under the ESA, federal agencies are required to determine whether their actions may affect endangered and threatened species and their designated critical habitat. More information: https://www.epa.gov/endangered-species

Chlorpyrifos registrations to be canceled by California EPA

The original article was published by Vegetable Growers News on May 9, 2019 and can be found here.

The California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) said May 8 its Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) would ban the use of the pesticide and toxic air contaminant chlorpyrifos in California by canceling the pesticide’s registration.

“California’s action to cancel the registration of chlorpyrifos is needed to prevent the significant harm this pesticide causes children, farm workers and vulnerable communities,” CalEPA Secretary Jared Blumenfeld said in a news release. He added that with the cancelation comes the opportunity to develop alternative pest management practices.

The pesticide is an active ingredient in “dozens” of agricultural products used on a number of crops, according to CalEPA. Use of the pesticide in the state dropped more than 50 percent from two million pounds in 2005 to just over 900,000 pounds in 2016. It was banned from residential use in 2001.

Chlorpyrifos has been used as a pesticide since 1965 in both agricultural and non-agricultural areas:

The largest agricultural market for chlorpyrifos in terms of total pounds of active ingredient is corn.
It is also used on soybeans, grapes, fruit and nut trees, Brussels sprouts, cranberries, broccoli and cauliflower, as well as other row crops.
Non-agricultural uses include golf courses, turf, green houses, and on non-structural wood treatments such as utility poles and fence posts. It is also registered for use as a mosquito adulticide, and for use in roach and ant bait stations in child resistant packaging.

Products are sold as liquids, granules, water dispersible granules, wettable powders, and water soluble packets, and may be applied by either ground or aerial equipment.

CalEPA and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) also announced that the Governor will propose $5.7 million in new funding in the May revision budget proposal to support the transition to safer, more sustainable alternatives, and plans to convene a working group to identify, evaluate and recommend alternative pest management solutions.

The decision to ban chlorpyrifos follows recent findings by the state’s independent Scientific Review Panel on Toxic Air Contaminants, that the pesticide causes serious health effects in children and other sensitive populations at lower levels of exposure than previously understood. The effects include impaired brain and neurological development.

In April, chlorpyrifos was formally listed as a “toxic air contaminant.” The listing requires DPR to develop control measures to protect the health of farmworkers and others living and working near where the pesticide is used. DPR determined that sufficient additional control measures are not feasible.

DPR said it would begin the process of canceling the registrations for products containing chlorpyrifos, and at the same time would convene a cross-sector working group to identify safer alternatives to avoid replacing chlorpyrifos with an equally harmful pesticide.

DPR will consult with county agricultural commissioners and local air pollution control districts before filing for cancellation. The cancellation process could take up to two years.

During the cancellation process, DPR’s recommendations to county agricultural commissioners for tighter permit restrictions on the use of chlorpyrifos will remain in place. These include a ban on aerial spraying, quarter-mile buffer zones and limiting use to crop-pest combinations that lack alternatives. DPR will support aggressive enforcement of these restrictions.

DPR and CDFA will convene a cross-sector working group to identify and develop safer and more practical and sustainable alternatives to chlorpyrifos, including the use of biological controls and other integrated pest management practices. They will also partner with growers as they transition from using chlorpyrifos to implement safer alternatives.

In addition, the Governor’s May Revision budget proposal includes millions of dollars for research and technical assistance to support the transition. In combination, the working group and funding for alternatives will produce short-term solutions and prioritize the development of long-term solutions to support healthy communities and a thriving agricultural sector.

“We look forward to working with the Legislature through the budget process on the Governor’s proposal to support growers in the transition to alternative pest management,” CDFA Secretary Karen Ross said in a news release.

EPA Takes Next Step in Review Process for Herbicide Glyphosate, Reaffirms No Risk to Public Health

This announcement was originally published by the EPA on April 30, 2019. You can access more information here.

Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking an important step in the agency’s review of glyphosate. As part of this action, EPA continues to find that there are no risks to public health when glyphosate is used in accordance with its current label and that glyphosate is not a carcinogen. The agency’s scientific findings on human health risk are consistent with the conclusions of science reviews by many other countries and other federal agencies. While the agency did not identify public health risks in the 2017 human health risk assessment, the 2017 ecological assessment did identify ecological risks. To address these risks, EPA is proposing management measures to help farmers target pesticide sprays on the intended pest, protect pollinators, and reduce the problem of weeds becoming resistant to glyphosate.

“EPA has found no risks to public health from the current registered uses of glyphosate,” said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “Today’s proposed action includes new management measures that will help farmers use glyphosate in the most effective and efficient way possible, including pollinator protections. We look forward to input from farmers and other stakeholders to ensure that the draft management measures are workable, realistic, and effective.”

“If we are going to feed 10 billion people by 2050, we are going to need all the tools at our disposal, which includes the use the glyphosate,” U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue said. “USDA applauds EPA’s proposed registration decision as it is science-based and consistent with the findings of other regulatory authorities that glyphosate does not pose a carcinogenic hazard to humans.”

Glyphosate is the most widely used herbicide in U.S. agriculture and has been studied for decades. Glyphosate is used on more than 100 food crops, including glyphosate-resistant corn, soybean, cotton, canola and sugar beet. Non-agricultural uses include residential areas, aquatic areas, forests, rights of way, ornamentals and turf.

Once the Federal Register notice publishes, the public will be able to submit comments on EPA’s proposed decision at www.regulations.gov in docket # EPA-HQ-OPP-2009-0361. Public comments will be due 60 days after the date of publication in Federal Register. EPA’s responses to the comments received on the draft ecological and human health risk assessments and the benefits assessment will be in the docket.

Find more information about glyphosate, including today’s proposed interim decision and supporting documents.

See the glyphosate draft risk assessments and supporting documents.

EPA reaffirms finding that glyphosate does not cause cancer

The original article was written by Donnelle Eller and published on April 30, 2019 by Des Moines Register. You can access the full article here.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday reaffirmed its finding that glyphosate, the world’s most popular herbicide, is not a cancer risk to users.

“There’s no evidence that glyphosate causes cancer,” said Alexandra Dunn, an EPA assistant administrator for chemical safety and pollution prevention. “There’s no risk to public health from the application of glyphosate.”

It’s the next step in the EPA’s process to re-register the herbicide, popular with farmers growing food and with families and businesses killing weeds.

The agency said its scientific findings on human health risk are consistent with the reviews by several other countries and federal agencies.

Click here to continue reading.

PERC is pleased to announce a NEW suite of WPS training resources in Spanish!

Printed copies are available for purchase here, with a portion of proceeds benefiting pesticide safety education programs.

– Cómo Cumplir con la Ley de Protección al Trabajador para Pesticidas Agrícolas, Revisada en 2015 Lo que los Propietarios y Empleadores Necesitan Saber

In English: How to Comply with the 2015 Revised Worker Protection Standard For Agricultural Pesticides – What Owners and Employers Need To Know

http://pesticideresources.org/wps/htc/index.es.html

– Guía de Protección Respiratoria de la Ley de Protección al Trabajador (WPS) Requisitos para Empleadores de Manipuladores de Pesticidas

In English: Worker Protection Standard (WPS) Respiratory Protection Guide: Requirements for Employers of Pesticide Handlers

http://pesticideresources.org/wps/hosted/respirators.es.pdf

– Manual De La Ley De Protección Al Trabajador Agrícola para Empleadores Agrícolas:Este es un manual en español para los empleadores agrícolas. El pequeño folleto de 17 páginas contiene respuestas a las preguntas más frecuentes, sirviendo como un resumen de los requisitos de WPS en las fincas, viveros, huertos, viñedos y otros establecimientos agrícolas.

In English: Worker Protection Standard Handbook for Agricultural Employers: This is a 17-page handbook in Spanish for agricultural employers. The small booklet answers frequently-asked questions, serving as a summary of WPS requirements on farms, nurseries, orchards, vineyards, and other agricultural settingshttp://pesticideresources.org/wps/hosted/wps-agemp-handbook.es.pdf

Bilingual Dictionary of Terms – English and Spanish

http://pesticideresources.org/wps/dictionary.html

– Our Quick Reference Guide (2-pages) is also available in English and Spanish, freshly updated.

We also have Spanish videos, flipcharts, posters, and presentations.

· Materiales de capacitación en español sobre la seguridad de los pesticidas

· In English: Spanish-Language Training Materials About Pesticide Safety

For more information, please contact percsupport@ucdavis.edu.

About PERC: PERC is led by University of California of Davis Extension and Oregon State University, and is funded by cooperative agreement #X8-83616301 from the U.S. EPA.

2019 USA PAm-Costco Scholar Fellowship Awards for Honey Bee Health Announcement

Scholarship: In 2013 Costco and Project Apis m. (PAm) launched the first PAm-Costco Scholar Fellowship Program. Costco has an admirable commitment to sustainability, and is a champion supporter of honey bee research, recognizing it as an investment to ensure an ethical and sustainable food supply.

Investing in research that has real and practical impacts on the sustainability of honey bee health, honey production and crop production is the foundation of the PAm-Costco partnership. Sustainability is often defined in terms of resource management, but another component of sustainability is developing intellectual expertise by supporting those who will help solve problems in the future: tomorrow’s bee scientists. The students who receive this PhD Fellowship award bring new energy, ideas, and expertise to the fold of scientists pushing the edges of bee health research across the globe. This award is an investment in the next generation of leaders to innovate and support beekeepers and pollinators.

The PAm-Costco Scholar Fellowship Program in the USA and Canada has awarded over $550,000 to impressive up-and-coming bee researchers who are committed to a better future for bees. These scholars have already made significant contributions and important discoveries through their research, been recognized with awards of merit, published peer-reviewed academic articles, and continue with dedication to solve the mysteries and challenges that bees and beekeepers face. The PAm-Costco Scholar Fellowship Program recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students to pursue research-based doctoral degrees in fields within the Project Apis m. mission of enhancing honey bee health while improving crop production.

Program: Open to candidates within a Ph.D. program in any Agriculture, Apiculture or Entomology department in the United States. The PAm-Costco Scholar will be involved in a clearly identifiable and defined bee health issue.

Qualifications: Candidates must have a B.S. or M.S. degree in a science or agriculture-related field. It is preferable the candidate have some working experience with bees, and published papers in apiculture. The individual must demonstrate potential for significant achievements in honey bee health science and research, and a commitment to working in the field of honey bee research after completing graduate work.

Financial Support: Up to three years continuous support for graduate education and research will be provided in annual increments up to $50,000, based on qualifications and need. In cases where a student is already receiving financial awards, the award amount will be determined on a case by case basis.

Application Deadline: Monday, May 6, 2019, 11:59 pm EST.

Contact: To apply, please follow the attached format or visit our website atwww.ProjectApism.org/rfps.html. For additional information, contact Sharah Yaddaw atSharah@ProjectApism.org. No phone calls.

Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs presents Children in the Fields Campaign

Since 1997, AFOP’s Children in the Fields Campaign (CIFC) has been dedicated to ensuring that farmworker children are protected and given an opportunity to succeed in life. AFOP strives to educate the public, advocate for educational programs for farmworker children, and support fair living wages for all farmworkers.

CIFC has partnered with the Child Labor Coalition, the National Consumers League, and other concerned parties to protect farmworker children. Together, they work to publicize the plight of this hidden population and advocate for federal policies that would strengthen the child labor safeguards in agriculture so that they are just as protective as those in other industries.

As part of AFOP’s mission to serve farmworkers, AFOP formed the Children in the Fields Campaign to work on behalf of farmworker children in three areas:

Education/Prevention
Awareness & Advocacy
Expression

Children In the Fields Campaign’s mission is to show America the realities our farmworker families face through the eyes of their children and to spur action to provide better educational support for our farmworker children, and prevent health hazards from working in the fields.

Click here to learn about their Migrant & Seasonal Farmworker Children Art & Essay Contests today!

Pollinator Protection: Residual Time to 25% Bee Mortality Data Released

The original article was published by the Environmental Protection Agency March 21, 2019 and can be found here.

RT₂₅ Data: What They are and Where They Come From

The residual time to 25% mortality (referred to as the RT25) values provided in the table below were compiled from registrant-submitted data submitted in order to fulfill the data requirement for Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) Toxicity of Residues on Foliage study (OCSPP Guideline 850.3030). This study may be conditionally required if the honey bee acute contact (or oral) median lethal dose (LD50) value (obtained from a honey bee acute toxicity test such as OCSPP Guideline 850.3020) is less than 11 µg/bee¹.

The honey bee toxicity of residues on foliage study is a laboratory test designed to determine the length of time over which field weathered foliar residues remain toxic to honey bees, or other species of terrestrial insects. The test substance (e.g., a representative end-use product) is applied to crop foliage, the foliage is harvested at predetermined post-application intervals (i.e., aged residues), and test adult bees are confined on foliage with aged residues for 24 hours. Three treatment intervals (different durations of time that residues are aged between application and harvest) are typically used (e.g., 3, 8 and 24 hours post-application). At a minimum, the test substance should be evaluated at the maximum application rate specified on the product label. If mortality of bees exposed to the foliage harvested 24 hours after the application is greater than 25%, bees should continue to be exposed to aged residues on foliage samples collected every 24 hours (i.e., 48, 72, 96, 120 hours, etc. after the application) until mortality is 25% or less.

About the RT25 Data Table

The table below represents all available RT₂₅ values from studies submitted to the Agency which have undergone quality assurance reviews to ensure that the data are scientifically sound. Depending on the chemical tested, either the technical grade active ingredient or a specific formulation was tested using either the honey bee, alfalfa leaf cutting bee, or alkali bee; the table lists the test material and species tested. The table also denotes the plant species on which residues were aged.

RT₂₅ values are a function of a number of factors including application rate, physical-chemical properties, dissipation, crop, and pesticide formulation. Thus, there is considerable variability in RT₂₅ values within a single formulation, between formulations, between crops, and across application rates. The values included in the table are chemical and formulation specific. EPA plans to update this table as a more robust data set becomes available.

View full article and data table here.

EPA Releases for Public Comment Draft Guidance for Plant Regulators, Including Plant Biostimulants

EPA is releasing for public comment Draft Guidance for Plant Regulators, Including Plant Biostimulants. Read a pre-publication copy of the draft guidance here.

In recognition of the growing categories of products generally known as plant biostimulants, this draft document gives guidance on which products are (and are not) subject to regulation under FIFRA as plant regulator pesticides, and what kinds of claims can be made for them. The draft guidance provides examples of each. EPA is taking this step to provide clarity to our state regulatory partners, to industry, and to the interested public in this emerging product area.

Plant biostimulants are a relatively new, but growing, category of products containing naturally occurring substances and microbes that are used to stimulate plant growth, enhance resistance to plant pests, and reduce abiotic stress. Their increasing popularity arises from their ability to enhance agricultural productivity by stimulating natural processes in the plant and in soil, using substances and microbes already present in the environment.

Biostimulants can improve soil health, optimize nutrient use, and increase plant growth, vigor, yield and production. They can promote greater water and nutrient use efficiency but do not provide any nutritionally relevant fertilizer benefit to the plant. Plant biostimulant products can be used in sustainable agriculture production systems and integrated pest management (IPM) programs, which in turn can reduce the use of irrigation water, as well as agrochemical supplements and fertilizers.

Once the Federal Register Notice publishes, the public will be able to submit comments on this guidance on www.regulations.gov in Docket # EPA-HQ-OPP-2018-0258. Public comments will be due 60 days after the date of publication in Federal Register.