. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/TBT/Notif.99.546
29 October 1999
(99-4701)
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade
NOTIFICATION
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6.
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   UNITED STATES
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):           
2. Agency responsible:   Environmental Protection Agency  (39)
Agency or authority designated to handle comments regarding the notification shall be
indicated if different from above:           
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [  X ], 2.10.1 [    ], 5.6.2 [    ], 5.7.1 [    ], other:           
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading.
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):   Pesticide Containers
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   Standards for
Pesticide Containers and Containment (27 pages, in English)
6. Description of content:   The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a proposed
rule in the Federal Register proposing containe r design and residue removal requirements for
refillable and non-refillable pesticide containers and standards for pesticide containment
structures.  EPA is today reopening the co mment period to obtain public comment on three
issues brought out in the comments on the proposed  rule or by recently enacted legislation and
on one other issue.  EPA is considering change s that would reduce the scope of the container
standards, add an exemption for certain antim icrobial pesticides, and adopt some of the
Department of Transportation ( DOT) hazardous materials regula tions.  EPA is also seeking
comment on the definition for small business us ed to identify small pesticide formulators,
agrichemical dealers and commercial pesticide a pplicators in the small entity impact analysis.
These potential changes, if adopted in the fi nal rule, would support EPA’s goal of pollution
prevention by promoting the use of refillable containers and would harmonize and promote
consistency within the Federal packaging st andards by adopting the DOT standards.  In
addition, the changes would decrease the estimat ed economic impact by reducing the number
of pesticide products subject to the container re quirements compared to  the original proposal.
7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:   
To harmonize the classification and labelling of chemicals for human and
environmental hazards.
8. Relevant documents:   64 FR 56918, 21 October 1999 and 59  FR 6712, 11 February 1994;
40 CFR Part 165.   Will appear in the Federal Register when adopted.G/TBT/Notif.99.546
Page 2
9. Proposed date of adoption:  To be determined
Proposed date of entry into force:
10. Final date for comments:   20 December 1999
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [  X ] or address, e-mail and telefax
number of the other body:   http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/index.html