EPA Pesticide Program Update
from EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs
http://www.epa.gov/pesticides
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IN THIS UPDATE: Press Advisory
Draft Assessment on CCA-Treated Wood
Released for Scientific Peer Review
The Scientific Advisory Panel (SAP),
a group of independent scientists
who advise EPA on critical science issues, will evaluate the AgencyEs
draft risk assessment on pressure-treated wood on Dec. 3-5. The draft
assessment evaluates the potential risks to children who play on
playsets and decks made with wood pressure-treated with chromated copper
arsenate (CCA). This draft risk
assessment focuses on a number of new
predictive models and data sources that have been used to better
quantify and understand potential risks associated with exposure to
CCA-treated wood. The Agency is asking the SAP to review these new
approaches and to provide comments to further refine the draft
assessment.
It is important to note the draft
risk assessment findings are
preliminary and subject to additional analysis. Therefore, it is
premature to reach conclusions about the potential for CCA-treated
playsets and decks to contribute to cancer risk in children. In Feb.
2002, the manufacturers of CCA
informed the Agency that they would
voluntarily cancel their registrations for residential uses of
CCA-treated wood. As a result of their
voluntarily cancelled
registrations, wood intended for uses such as playground equipment,
decks, fences, walkways and landscape timbers cannot legally be treated
with CCA after Dec. 30 of this year.
In addition to the SAP review, the
Agency is conducting a study on
whether sealants can reduce or eliminate
exposure to arsenic in CCA-treated wood as a further way to help
consumers make informed choices around their home. Results from this
study are expected in 2004. For
further information, the draft risk
assessment is available at :
http://www.epa.gov/scipoly/sap/ ; for more
information on CCA-treated wood, go to: http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/.
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For general questions on pesticides
and pesticide
poisoning prevention, contact the National Pesticide
1-800-858-7378, by e-mail at npic@ace.orst.edu,
or by visiting its Web site at:
http://npic.orst.edu
For information about ongoing
activities in the
Office of Pesticide Programs, visit
our homepage
at:
http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/.
Or call or write us directly at:
Communication Services Branch
Office of Pesticide Programs (7506C)
US Environmental Protection Agency
703-305-5017