Order Denying Objections to Issuance of Tolerances

On four occasions in the first half of 2002, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and various other parties filed objections with EPA to final rules under section 408 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), (21 U.S.C. 346a), establishing pesticide tolerances for various pesticides. The objections apply to 14 pesticides and 112 separate pesticide tolerances. Although the objections raise numerous pesticide-specific issues, they all focus on the potential risks that the pesticides pose to farm children. This Order responds to NRDC's objections as to all of the challenged tolerances with the exception of the objections pertaining to the imidacloprid tolerance on blueberries which were previously denied. The objections to the other tolerances are denied for the reasons stated herein.