EPA Pesticide Program Update from EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs 08/23/01
http://www.epa.gov/pesticides
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IN THIS UPDATE:
1) EPA Web Site Offers Database on Emergency Exemptions
2) Additional Diazinon Cancellation Requests for Indoor and
Certain Agricultural Uses Published
3) Diazinon Product and Use Cancellation Order Published
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1) EPA WEB SITE OFFERS DATABASE ON EMERGENCY EXEMPTIONS
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has developed a
searchable database that provides Web visitors easy access to
information about Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and
Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) Section 18 Emergency Exemptions.
Under FIFRA Section 18, EPA may grant permission to states
and Federal agencies to use a pesticide for an unregistered use
for a limited time if EPA determines that emergency conditions
exist. The Section 18 Web page -- available at
http://www.epa.gov/opprd001/section18/ -- details current and
recent actions under Emergency Exemptions. Users may search
the database by site (the crop being treated with the pesticide),
chemical, the applicant, or by a specific date or date range.
We provide the following information in the database: the
pesticide, the site, the pest problem creating the emergency,
the state or Federal agency that applied for the exemption, the
date of the application, and EPA's response. For established
tolerances, we also provide the tolerance expiration date and
related Federal Register publication date for the related tolerance.
The Agency updates the Emergency Exemption database
every 2 weeks. The database integrates the EPA Food and
Feed Commodity Vocabulary, which we created for purposes
of consolidating all the major pesticide vocabularies into one.
Separate access to the Food and Feed Commodity Vocabulary
is available at http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/foodfeed/.
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2) ADDITIONAL DIAZINON CANCELLATION REQUESTS FOR
INDOOR AND CERTAIN AGRICULTURAL USES PUBLISHED
On August 1, EPA published in the Federal Register the Notice
of Receipt of Cancellation Requests and Amendments for diazinon.
It states that eight registrants have requested that registrations for
end-use products for all indoor and certain agricultural uses be
canceled. Retail sale of existing stocks of products labeled for
indoor uses listed in this notice, except mushroom houses, will not be
lawful after December 31, 2002. Retail sale of existing stocks labeled
for canceled agricultural uses or outdoor non-agricultural uses will be
allowed until 1 year after issuance of the final cancellation order.
Retail purchasers may continue to use canceled products in
accordance with existing labels.
An earlier request for cancellation of diazinon technical
products was published on January 10, 2001, and the cancellation
order terminating those registrations became effective when it
was published in the Federal Register on May 2, 2001
(66 FR 21967). Later notices of voluntary cancellation will be
published for end-use products not included in the May 30
and August 1 notices.
EPA must receive comments on the August 1 notice by
August 31, 2001, identified by docket number OPP-34225F.
The Federal Register notice is available on EPA's Web site
(www.epa.gov/fedrgstr ). Information on the December
agreement between EPA and the registrants is available at
http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/op/diazinon.htm.
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3) DIAZINON PRODUCT AND USE CANCELLATION ORDER
PUBLISHED
On July 19, 2001, EPA published a final cancellation order,
effective immediately, for the insecticide diazinon. This order
follows up on the May 30 notice of receipt of requests for
cancellation and amendment of diazinon product registrations
from three companies. The Agency received comments from
growers, trade associations, and other interested parties
requesting that EPA continue to permit the use of diazinon
products on certain agricultural crops that had been proposed
for cancellation. The July 19 notice describes these comments
and EPA's response. In particular, the use of diazinon on
spinach, strawberries, and tomatoes will continue because there
appears to be a nationwide need for the use of diazinon on these
crops. Several specific needs for diazinon on crops in specific
states that were identified may be addressed through "special
local needs" registrations issued by those states. See the
Federal Register notice for details. Existing stocks of diazinon
labeled for indoor use may be sold until December 31, 2002.
Existing stocks of diazinon labeled for use on any of the canceled
agricultural crops may be sold by the registrant until July 19, 2002,
and by persons other than the registrant until stocks are exhausted.
The Federal Register notice is available on EPA's Web site at
www.epa.gov/fedrgstr. Information on the December agreement
between EPA and the registrants is available at
http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/op/diazinon.htm.
An earlier request for cancellation of diazinon technical products
was published on January 10, 2001, and the cancellation order
terminating those registrations became effective when it was
published in the Federal Register on May 2, 2001 (66 FR 21967).
Later notices of voluntary cancellation will be published for
end-use products not included in the May 30 notice.
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EPA distributes its Pesticide Program Updates to external
stakeholders and citizens who have expressed an interest
in OPP activities and decisions. We have established
an electronic listserve for people who want to keep abreast
of pesticide issues and decisions. This update service is part
of EPA' s continuing effort to improve public access to
Federal pesticide information.
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For general questions on pesticides and pesticide
poisoning prevention, contact the National Pesticide
Telecommunications Network (NPTN), toll-free, at:
1-800-858-7378, by E-mail at nptn@ace.orst.edu,
or by visiting their Web site at:
http://ace.orst.edu/info/nptn/
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