proposed rule. exemption under the federal insecticide fungicide and rodenticide act for certain plant-incorporated protectants derived from plant viral coat protein genes pvcp-pips supplemental proposal available in english number of pages 52 21 epa is proposing an exemption from federal regulation for certain plant virus coat protein plant-incorporated protectants or pvcp-pips. epa is proposing to define a pvcp-pip as a plant-incorporated protectant derived from one or more genes that encode a coat protein of a virus that naturally infects plants. this includes plant-incorporated protectants derived from one or more plant viral coat protein genes that produce only rna and no virus-related protein. pvcp-pips introduced into plants with the intention of preventing or mitigating viral disease meet the definition of pesticide as per relevant federal statutes because they are introduced into plants with the intention of preventing destroying repelling or mitigating any pest ... and plant viruses meet definition of pest according to the relevant federal statute. epa is proposing this exemption because the agency believes that the pvcp-pips covered by this exemption would be of a character which is unnecessary to be subject to federal regulation in order to carry out the purposes of the epas mandate. epa is further proposing to exempt the following from the federal requirement of a tolerance residues of coat proteins from viruses that naturally infect plants that humans consume as part of a normal diet including any metabolites or degradates of those coat proteins when such coat proteins are produced in living plants as part of a pip and the criteria proposed for this exemption are met. the proposed criteria are intended to clearly identify and exempt only those residues for which a long history of safe exposure and consumption can support exemption. epa believes there is a reasonable certainty that no harm will result from aggregate exposure to such residues including all anticipated dietary exposures and all other exposures for which there is reliable information. this proposed exemption would eliminate the need to establish a maximum permissible level in food for these residues