Release of Mosquitoes Experiments in Several States including CA, New York
http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=EPA-HQ-OPP-2013-0254-0008
This Notice document was issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Public Comments must be received on or before May 30, 2014.II. What action is the Agency 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. Following the review of the application and any comments and data received in response to this solicitation, EPA will decide whether to issue or deny the amended EUP request, and if issued, the conditions under which it is to be conducted. Any issuance of an amended EUP will be announced in theFederal Register.Therefore, pursuant to 40 CFR 172.11(a), the Agency has determined that the following amended EUPapplication may be of regional and national significance, and therefore is seeking public comment on the following amended EUP application:89668-EUP-1. (Docket ID Number: EPA-HQ-OPP-2013-0254). On July 26, 2013, EPA approved an application for an experimental use permit (EUP), 89668-EUP-1. A notice of the issuance of the EUP was published in theFederal Registeron September 12, 2013 (78 FR 56227) (FRL-9397-7). This EUP was approved for the weekly release at specified sites and times for male Aedes albopictus mosquitoes with Wolbachia pipientis ZAP strain bacteria between July 29, 2013, and July 29, 2016. Releases were approved for certain areas of California, Florida, Kentucky, and New York in accordance with the EUP. The released Aedes albopictus male mosquitoes, infected with Wolbachia pipientis ZAP strain bacteria, are expected to mate with their indigenous female counterparts, causing conditional sterility, resulting in non-viable eggs. Thus, the mosquito population is expected to be substantially reduced using this technique. Adult and egg collection data from treated areas will be compared to those in an untreated control site to examine for the effect of the released product in the indigenous population.On November 5, 2013, the applicant requested an amendment to Mosquito Mate, Inc., 1122 Oak Hill Dr., Lexington, KY 40505-3322, application (89668-EUP-1), to add San Gabriel Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District, West Covina, CA. The applicant is requesting to add 5379 acres for monitoring, including the six—one acre additional CA sites where the mosquitoes will be released, to the existing EUP's monitoring areas of 2059 acres. If approved, the total treatment and monitoring areas will be 7,438 acres.In addition, the applicant requested a time-extension for this EUP on the currently approved sites in CA, FL, and KY until October 31, 2015; and in NY until September 30, 2016. The time-extensions are to allow for a full-season of test-trials, so that control efficacy can be determined for the full-season of expected mosquito occurrence. Additional information on the experimental use permit is available in the docket.