Saturday, March 2, 2013

Declaration of Prion as a Pest Under FIFRA; Related Amendments; and Availability of Final Test Guidelines






Action


Final Rule.


Summary


With this final rule EPA declares a prion (i.e., proteinaceous infectious particle) to be a “pest” under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and amends the regulations to expressly include prion within the regulatory definition of pest. This final rule also amends existing pesticide product performance data requirements to clarify that efficacy data are required for pesticide products with prion-related claims. In addition, EPA is announcing the availability of final test guidelines on generating the product performance data for prion-related pesticide products.

Unified Agenda


Prions; Amendment of EPA?s Regulatory Definition of Pests to Include Prion

4 actions from January 26th, 2011 to November 2012

Table of Contents Back to Top

 
 

Tables Back to Top

 
 
 
 

DATES: Back to Top

This final rule is effective April 29, 2013.

 

ADDRESSES: Back to Top

 

 


The docket for this action, identified by docket identification (ID) number EPA-HQ-OPP-2010-0427, is available at http://www.regulations.gov or at the OPP Docket in the Environmental Protection Agency Docket Center (EPA/DC), located in the EPA West 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. In addition to being available in the docket, a copy of the final test guidelines titled “Product Performance Test Guidelines, OCSPP 810.2700: Products with Prion-Related Claims” is available online at http://epa.gov/ocspp/pubs/frs/home/testmeth.htm.

 
 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Back to Top

 
 
Melba Morrow, Antimicrobials Division, Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone number: (703) 308-2716; fax number: (703) 308-6467; email address: morrow.melba@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Back to Top

 

 


I. Executive Summary Back to Top

 

 


A. Does this action apply to me?

 
 
 
You may be potentially affected by this action if you apply for or own pesticide registrations. The following list of North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) codes is not intended to be exhaustive, but rather provides a guide to help readers determine whether this document might apply to them. Potentially affected entities may include, but are not limited to:
 
 
 
  • Producers of pesticide products (NAICS code 32532).
  • Producers of antimicrobial pesticides (NAICS code 32561).
  • Veterinary testing laboratories (NAICS code 541940).
  • Medical pathology laboratories (NAICS code 621511).
  • Taxidermists, independent (NAICS code 711510).
  • Surgeons (NAICS code 621111).
  • Dental surgeons (NAICS code 621210).

 

 

B. What is the agency's authority for taking this action?

 
 
 
This action is issued under the authority of sections 2 through 34 of FIFRA (7 U.S.C. 136-136y). In particular, the final rule is issued pursuant to FIFRA section 25(a) (7 U.S.C. 136w(a)).

 

 

C. What action is the agency taking?

 
 
 
EPA declares a prion (i.e., proteinaceous infectious particle) to be a “pest” under FIFRA, and amends its regulations to expressly include prion within the regulatory definition of pest. Since 2003, EPA has considered a prion to be a pest under FIFRA, so a product intended to reduce the infectivity of any prion on inanimate surfaces (i.e., a “prion-related product”) is considered to be a pesticide and regulated as such. Any company seeking to distribute or sell a pesticide product regulated under FIFRA must, subject to some possible exceptions, obtain a section 3 registration, section 24(c) registration, or a section 18 emergency exemption before it can be distributed or sold in the United States. This rule codifies the Agency's current interpretation of FIFRA with respect to prions. The amendment of the definition of “pest” in EPA's regulations, together with the formal declaration under FIFRA section 25(c)(1) that a prion is a pest, eliminates any confusion about the status of prion-related products under FIFRA. Regulating prion-related products under FIFRA is appropriate for protecting human health and the environment against unreasonable adverse effects and ensuring that such products are effective.
 
 
 
 
EPA is also amending its product performance data requirements to clarify that efficacy data are required for all products with prion-related claims. The existing product performance data requirements already require efficacy data to be submitted when the “pesticide product bears a claim to control pest microorganisms that pose a threat to human health and whose presence cannot readily be observed by the user including, but not limited to, microorganisms infectious to man in any area of the inanimate environment * * * .” Since this general product performance data requirement applies to products with prion-related claims, EPA is amending the regulation to specifically identify the efficacy data that are required for products with prion-related claims. In addition, EPA is announcing the availability of final test guidelines concerning the generation of product performance data for prion-related products.
 
 
 

D. What are the incremental costs and benefits of this action?

 
 
 
This final rule will: (a) Codify the Agency's current interpretation of FIFRA by adding “prion” to the list of pests in 40 CFR 152.5, and (b) amend the pesticide data requirement regulations to clarify that efficacy data are required to support the registration of all end-use products which bear label claims to reduce the infectivity of prions. The qualitative benefits of this final rule relate to the protection of human health and the environment by subjecting prion-related products to regulation under FIFRA, including all data and labeling requirements. The incremental costs of this rule are estimated to range from $424,000 to $4.72 million per pesticide registration action. See also Unit VI.A.
 
 
 
 

II. Background Back to Top

 
 
 

A. What is a prion?

 
 
snip...
 
 
Publication Date:
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Agency:
Environmental Protection Agency
Dates:
This final rule is effective April 29, 2013.
Effective Date:
04/29/2013
Entry Type:
Rule
Action:
Final rule.
Document Citation:
78 FR 13501
Page:
13501 -13507 (7 pages)
CFR:
40 CFR 152
40 CFR 158
40 CFR 161
Agency/Docket Numbers:
EPA-HQ-OPP-2010-0427
FRL-9372-7
RIN:
2070-AJ26
Document Number:
2013-04613
Shorter URL:
https://federalregister.gov/a/2013-04613

snip...see full text ;
 
 
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
 
White House budget proposes cuts to ag programs including TSE PRION disease aka mad cow type disease
 
 
 
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
 
Declaration of Prion as a Pest Under FIFRA and Amendment of EPA's Regulatory Definition of Pests To Include Prion EPA-HQ-OPP-2010-0427 EPA-HQ-OPP-2010-0427
 
 
Friday, March 27, 2009
 
Scientific Issues Associated with Designating a Prion as a “Pest” under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), and Related E March 31 - April 1, 2009
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Friday, February 08, 2013
 
*** Behavior of Prions in the Environment: Implications for Prion Biology
 
 
 
 
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
World Organization for Animal Health Recommends United States' BSE Risk Status Be Upgraded
Statement from Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack:
 
 
 
 
 
 
Thursday, February 14, 2013
The Many Faces of Mad Cow Disease Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy BSE and TSE prion disease
 
 
 
 
 
 
Thursday, February 21, 2013
National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance Center Cases Examined January 16, 2013
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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