Notice2023-13013
Implementation of PRIA 5 Bilingual Labeling Requirements To Make Bilingual Pesticide Labeling Accessible to Farmworkers; Request for Comments
Primary source
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Published
June 20, 2023
Issuing agencies
Environmental Protection Agency
Abstract
The Pesticide Registration Improvement Act of 2022 (PRIA 5) requires the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to begin to seek stakeholder input on ways to make bilingual pesticide labeling accessible to farmworkers by June 30, 2023, and to implement a plan to ensure that farmworkers have access to the bilingual pesticide labeling by December 2025. EPA hosted the Bilingual Pesticide Labeling National Webinar on June 15, 2023 and is opening a docket to receive written public comments. The purpose of the public comment period is to obtain feedback from stakeholders on ways to make bilingual pesticide labeling accessible to farmworkers to aid in the development of a plan to ensure that farmworkers have access to the bilingual pesticide labeling. Public input that includes environmental justice perspectives with solutions will be key in helping the Agency develop a strong starting point for addressing historical disadvantages for farmworkers.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 117 (Tuesday, June 20, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 117 (Tuesday, June 20, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39845-39847]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-13013]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-HQ-OPP-2023-0270; FRL-10998-01-OCSPP]
Implementation of PRIA 5 Bilingual Labeling Requirements To Make
Bilingual Pesticide Labeling Accessible to Farmworkers; Request for
Comments
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Pesticide Registration Improvement Act of 2022 (PRIA 5)
requires the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to begin to
seek stakeholder input on ways to make bilingual pesticide labeling
accessible to farmworkers by June 30, 2023, and to implement a plan to
ensure that farmworkers have access to the bilingual pesticide labeling
by December 2025. EPA hosted the Bilingual Pesticide Labeling National
Webinar on June 15, 2023 and is opening a docket to receive written
public comments. The purpose of the public comment period is to obtain
feedback from stakeholders on ways to make bilingual pesticide labeling
accessible to farmworkers to aid
[[Page 39846]]
in the development of a plan to ensure that farmworkers have access to
the bilingual pesticide labeling. Public input that includes
environmental justice perspectives with solutions will be key in
helping the Agency develop a strong starting point for addressing
historical disadvantages for farmworkers.
DATES: Submit your comments on or before August 21, 2023.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by docket identification
(ID) number EPA-HQ-OPP-2023-0270, through the Federal eRulemaking
Portal at <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>. Follow the online instructions
for submitting comments. Do not submit electronically any information
you consider to be Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other
information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Additional
instructions on commenting or visiting the docket, along with more
information about dockets generally, is available at <a href="https://www.epa.gov/dockets">https://www.epa.gov/dockets</a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Susan Bartow, Office of Chemical
Safety and Pollution Prevention, Pesticide Re-evaluation Division
(7508M), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW,
Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone number: (202) 566-2280; email
address: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#014e515163686d686f6674606d6d6063646d72416471602f666e77"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="fab5aaaa98939693949d8f9b96969b989f9689ba9f8a9bd49d958c">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. General Information
A. Does this action apply to me?
This notice is directed to the general public and may be of
specific interest to persons (e.g., industry, non-governmental
organizations (NGOs), farmworkers, and academia) who are interested in
making bilingual pesticide labeling accessible to farmworkers. Because
other entities may also be interested in this notice, the agency has
not attempted to describe all the specific entities that may be
interested in this subject. If you have any questions regarding the
applicability of this action to a particular entity, contact the person
listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
B. What should I consider as I prepare my comments for EPA?
1. Submitting CBI. Do not submit CBI information to EPA through
<a href="http://regulations.gov">regulations.gov</a> or email. Clearly mark the part or all of the
information that you claim to be CBI. In addition to one complete
version of the comment that includes information claimed as CBI, a copy
of the comment that does not contain the information claimed as CBI
must be submitted for inclusion in the public docket. Information so
marked will not be disclosed except in accordance with procedures set
forth in 40 CFR part 2.
2. Tips for preparing your comments. When preparing and submitting
your comments, see Tips for Effective Comments at <a href="https://www.epa.gov/dockets">https://www.epa.gov/dockets</a>. Please note that once submitted, comments cannot be edited or
removed from the docket. The EPA may publish any comment received to
its public docket.
II. Background
A. What is the Agency's authority for taking this action?
The Federal, Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA)
section 3(f)(5)(D) requires EPA to seek stakeholder input on ways to
make bilingual labeling accessible to farmworkers.
B. What action is the Agency taking?
The Pesticide Registration Improvement Act of 2022 (PRIA 5),
enacted on December 29, 2022, amended FIFRA requiring Spanish language
translation for sections of the end-use pesticide product labels where
translation is available in the EPA Spanish Translation Guide for
Pesticide Labeling. The Spanish Translation Guide is located at:
<a href="https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-labels/spanish-translation-guide-pesticide-labeling">https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-labels/spanish-translation-guide-pesticide-labeling</a>. It contains translations of the health and safety
portions of pesticide product labels. Specifically, it has Spanish
translations of the ``keep out of reach of children'' statement, the
restricted use pesticide statement for restricted use products, the
signal word, the first aid section, the precautionary statement
section, the personal protective equipment section, the misuse
statement, and the storage and disposal statements. It also has
examples of pesticide product label language for the agricultural use
requirements section (including restricted entry interval information)
and precautionary statements.
PRIA 5 requires that the Spanish language translation for sections
of the end-use pesticide product labels (where translation is available
in the EPA Spanish Translation Guide) must appear on the pesticide
product container or a link to such translation via scannable
technology or other electronic methods readily accessible on the
product label. These translations are required on a rolling schedule
from December 2025 to December 2030 depending on the type of pesticide
product and the toxicity category.
PRIA 5 also requires EPA to begin to seek stakeholder input on ways
to make bilingual pesticide labeling accessible to farmworkers by June
30, 2023, and to implement a plan to ensure that farmworkers have
access to the bilingual pesticide labeling by December 2025.
On June 15, 2023, EPA hosted the Bilingual Pesticide Labeling
National Webinar to obtain input from the public on ways to make
bilingual pesticide labeling accessible to farmworkers as required by
the Pesticide Registration Improvement Act of 2022. EPA is now opening
a comment period for 60 days through a Federal Register Notice. The
purpose of the public comment period is to obtain feedback from
stakeholders on ways to make bilingual pesticide labeling accessible to
farmworkers to aid in the development of a plan to ensure that
farmworkers have access to the bilingual pesticide labeling. Public
input that includes environmental justice perspectives with solutions
will be key in helping the Agency develop a strong starting point for
addressing historical disadvantages for farmworkers.
C. What feedback does EPA hope to gain from the public comments?
The Agency is interested in suggestions focusing on how to make
bilingual pesticide labeling accessible to farmworkers. We are not
seeking input or comments about any specific products or other topics
outside of that scope. Here are some questions to consider as you
provide feedback to EPA on making bilingual pesticide labeling
accessible to farmworkers:
<bullet> What communication approaches, processes or strategies
should the Agency consider to ensure bilingual pesticide labels are
accessible to farmworkers? What specific approaches should the Agency
avoid or adopt when implementing efforts to best ensure access by
farmworkers to bilingual pesticide labels?
<bullet> What technologies, mobile applications, and internet
access should the Agency consider? Would web-based labels be accessible
to farmworkers? How should the Agency overcome internet connectivity
issues that some farmworkers may face?
<bullet> How can the Agency effectively share health and safety
information on pesticide labels with farmworkers? What should on-the-
ground logistics look like? Which entities (e.g., community-based
organizations) should the Agency work with to provide label information
to farmworkers?
[[Page 39847]]
<bullet> As the Agency implements actions to meet this requirement,
how can EPA effectively increase farmworker access to bilingual
pesticide labels (e.g., communication plans, outreach strategies)?
D. How is EPA seeking public comments?
EPA is seeking public comments through several planned activities
including through this Federal Register document, EPA is soliciting
comment on the questions posed in Unit II.B. Following the close of the
comment period, EPA will consider comments received during the public
webinar and public comment period in the development of a plan to
ensure that farmworkers have access to the bilingual pesticide
labeling.
Authority: 7 U.S.C. 136 et seq.
Dated: June 13, 2023.
Michal Freedhoff,
Assistant Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2023-13013 Filed 6-16-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
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