The EPA issued a final rule establishing tolerances for residues of propiconazole in multiple commodities. The rule also removes an established tolerance on stone fruit crop group 12, as it will be superseded by the new tolerance for stone fruit crop group 12, except plum, the agency said. Interregional Research Project Number 4 (IR-4) requested these tolerances under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. The regulation is effective June 27 and requests for hearings must be filed before August 27. The EPA considers the international maximum residue limits (MRLs) established by the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex), it said. The Codex has not established an MRL for propiconazole for any of the commodities covered by the final rule, the agency said.

The EPA is increasing the tolerance for residues for cyflufenamid in several commodities. In a final rule published in the Federal Register, the agency slightly increased the tolerances for pome fruit (Crop Group 11), 0.05 ppm to 0.06 ppm, and cucurbits (Crop Group 9), 0.05 to 0.07 ppm. The regulation is effective June 27 and requests for hearing must be made before August 27, the agency said. The regulation affects those engaged in crop production, animal production, food manufacturing and pesticide manufacturing. In making its tolerance decisions, EPA seeks to harmonize U.S. tolerances with international standards whenever possible, it said. EPA considers the international maximum residue limits (MRLs) established by the Codex Alimentarius Commission, but Codex has not established a MRL for cyflufenamid, it said.

Consumer Product Safety Commission announced the following voluntary recalls:

The Environmental Protection Agency established, effective June 12, a tolerance of 150 ppm for residues of methyl bromide in or on cotton, undelinted seed under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. The EPA said it established the tolerance because there is a need for imported undelinted cottonseed for use as additional feed for dairy cattle in the U.S. because of a 13% reduction in U.S. cotton production in the 2010/2011 and 2011/2012 seasons as a result of drought in Texas. Objections and requests for hearings on the EPA’s final rule are due by August 13.

The Environmental Protection Agency said it's withdrawing a significant new use rule (SNUR) promulgated under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) for a chemical substance identified generically as C15 olefins, which was the subject of premanufacture notice (PMN) P-11-511. The EPA said it received a notice of intent to submit adverse comments on the rule, so it intends to publish a proposed SNUR for the chemical substance under separate notice and comment procedures. The withdrawal is effective June 4. Further information: Kenneth Moss, 202-564-9232 or moss.kenneth@epa.gov.

The Environmental Protection Agency is promulgating a significant new use rule (SNUR) under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) for elemental mercury use in barometers, manometers, hygrometers, and psychrometers. This action will require persons who intend to import, manufacture or process elemental mercury for an activity that is designated as a significant new use by this final rule to notify EPA at least 90 days before beginning that activity. The notification will give EPA the opportunity to evaluate the intended use and, if necessary, to prohibit or limit it.

The Environmental Protection Agency said it sent an Information Collection Request to the Office of Management and Budget for review and approval covering the Foreign Purchaser Acknowledgement Statement of Unregistered Pesticides; EPA ICR No. 0161.12, OMB Control No. 2070-0027.

The Environmental Protection Agency withdrew the revocation of testing requirements for C.I. Pigment Blue 61 promulgated in a March 16, 2012, decision relating to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The March rule involved 10 chemical substances, including benzenesulfonic acid, [[4-[[4-(phenylamino)phenyl][4-(phenylimino)-2,5-cyclohexadien-1-ylidene]methyl]phenyl]amino]- (CAS No. 1324-76-1), also known as C.I. Pigment Blue 61. In the May 14 Federal Register, the EPA also restored the original testing requirements shown in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). The final rule revoking testing requirements for the other 9 chemical substances described in the March 16, 2012, Federal Register document is otherwise unaffected by the withdrawal of the revocation for C.I. Pigment Blue 61, EPA said. The action came after the EPA received an adverse comment regarding C.I. Pigment Blue 61, it said. Further information: Catherine Roman, 202-564-8157 or roman.catherine@epa.gov.

The Environmental Technologies Export Initiative announced by the Commerce Department and the Environmental Protection Agency builds on the National Export Initiative, which aims to double U.S. exports by the end of 2014 and support millions of American jobs, officials said at the Initiative announcement May 14 at the EPA's first Technology Market Summit.

The Environmental Protection Agency issued a final rule establishing tolerances for residues of the fungicide ametoctradin in several commodities. The regulations, effective on publication in the Federal Register due Wednesday, affects agricultural producers and food and pesticide manufacturers, the agency said. In making tolerance decisions, the EPA is seeking to harmonize U.S. rules with international standards wherever possible, it said. The EPA considers the international maximum residue limits (MRLs) established by the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex), as required by the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, it said. The Codex Alimentarius is a joint U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization food standards program, and it is recognized as an international food safety standards-setting organization in trade agreements to which the U.S. is a party, the EPA said.