EPA Pesticide Program Update
from EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs 02/06/02
http://www.epa.gov/pesticides
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IN THIS UPDATE:
1)EPA RELEASES PRELIMINARY RISK ASSESSMENTS FOR LINDANE
2)TOLERENCE REVOCATION PROPOSED FOR OXADIXYL
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1) EPA RELEASES PRELIMINARY RISK ASSESSMENTS
FOR LINDANE
On January 31, 2002, EPA released revised human health and
ecological risk assessment documents for a pesticide undergoing
reregistration and tolerance reassessment: lindane. These
documents include information that was not available in August
2001 when the preliminary risk assessments were released.
EPA will accept comments, identified by docket number
OPP-34239B, on the new information contained in this risk
assessment and on risk management issues until April 1, 2002.
Lindane is an insecticide registered for use as an agriculture
pre-plant seed treatment on six crops. One proposed new
crop also is being considered for addition to the label: canola
seed treatment.
The revised risk assessment for this chemical was developed as
part of the Agency's process for making reregistration eligibility
decisions and tolerance reassessments for pesticides, consistent
with provisions of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and
Rodenticide Act and the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act,
as amended by the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA).
EPA is seeking to strengthen stakeholder involvement and help
ensure that our decisions under FQPA are transparent and based
on the best available information.
The risk assessment documents and brief summaries are available
on EPA's web site http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/reregistration/
lindane ). The Federal Register notice announcing its availability
is available on EPA's web site: http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-
PEST/2002/January/Day-31/p2382.htm.
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2)TOLERENCE REVOCATION PROPOSED FOR
OXADIXYL
EPA has proposed to revoke all tolerances (pesticide residues
allowed to remain in food) for residues of the fungicide oxadixyl,
because this pesticide is no longer registered for use in the U.S.
EPA must receive any comments on this proposal by April 8,
2002, identified by docket number OPP-301203. If EPA
receives comments expressing interest in retaining any of these
tolerances, EPA will not immediately revoke that tolerance but
will provide an opportunity for the parties to commit to
submitting data to support the tolerance. EPA is proposing an
expiration date of September 27, 2003 for the tolerances to take
into account the time needed for legally treated commodities to
pass through the channels of trade. According to letters from
the registrants, the last known production of oxadixyl occurred
before January 1, 1997, and no stocks remain in the control of
the registrants. The cancellation order, issued November 1,
2001 with an effective date of September 27, 2001, allowed
for existing stocks to be sold for one year from that date.
Oxadixyl is a systemic fungicide that was used to treat seeds
of a variety of food crops, as well as vetch, golf course turf,
and residential lawns. This Federal Register notice is available
on EPA's web site at:
(http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPAFR-CONTENTS/2002/
February/Day-06/contents.htm)
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For general questions on pesticides and pesticide
poisoning prevention, contact the National Pesticide
Information Center (NPIC), toll-free, at:
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
Ariel Rios Building
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20004-2403
703-305-5017