EPA Pesticide Program Update
from EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs 12/20/01
http://www.epa.gov/pesticides
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IN THIS UPDATE:
1) Acephate; Request to Delete Uses and Voluntarily
Cancel Certain Product Registrations
2) Amendment to the Rodenticide Cluster and Zinc
Phosphide Reregistration Eligibility Decision (RED)
Document
3) Availability of Azinphos-Methyl and Phosmet Interim
Risk Management Decision Documents
4) Public Comment Period Opened for Common
Mechanism Determination for Thiocarbamate
and Dithiocarbamate Pesticides
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1) Acephate; Request to Delete Uses and Voluntarily
Cancel Certain Product Registrations
On November 28, 2001, the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) announced receipt of requests by certain registrants of the
organophosphorus pesticide, acephate to terminate certain uses and
voluntarily cancel certain products containing acephate. The requests
to cancel certain uses will reduce residential risks that exceed the
Agency's level of concern. EPA will accept comments on the requests
until December 28, 2001. After consideration of public comment EPA
will decide whether to approve the requests.
Acephate is an organophosphorus insecticide registered to control
certain insect pests on a variety of field, fruit, and vegetable crops,
in food handling establishments, on ornamental plants both in greenhouses
and outdoors, and on turfgrass sites, including residential lawns, golf
courses, sod farms, and industrial sites. Acephate is also registered
for use in and around the home to control common household insect pests.
During development of the Interim Reregistration Eligibility Decision
(IRED), EPA identified risk concerns for residents, including children,
who contact treated surfaces in homes following indoor application.
EPA also identified a risk of concern for young children playing on
treated lawns. In order to address these concerns prior to completion
of the IRED, Valent USA corporation (Valent) and the other technical
registrants notified EPA of their intent to formally request amendment
of their registrations to delete these uses. Specifically, Valent
requested that EPA amend all of its registered products to delete the use of
acephate on residential indoor and turfgrass sites (except golf courses,
sod farms, and spot or mound treatment for harvester and fire ant
control).
EPA will soon release the IRED, which further describes the risks
associated with acephate uses in and around the home. The IRED also
outlines EPA's other risk concerns and risk management measures
adopted in the IRED to address them.
The Federal Register notice is available on EPA's website at
http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr .
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2) Amendment to the Rodenticide Cluster and Zinc
Phosphide Reregistration Eligibility Decision (RED) Document
On November 28, 2001, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
announced the decision to rescind the bittering agent and indicator dye
requirements from the Rodenticide Cluster and Zinc Phosphide
Reregistration Eligibility Decision (RED). Comments on this amendment,
identified by docket control number OPP-34240, must receive on or
before December 28, 2001.
This decision amends the rodenticide cluster (brodifacoum,
bromadiolone, bromethalin, chlorophacinone, diphacinone, and pival)
and zinc phosphide RED. It came about after extensive discussions,
meetings, and recommendations from the Rodenticide Stakeholder
Workgroup (RSW) and with agreement from the rodenticide registrants.
EPA accepted the RSW's recommendation to rescind the requirement
for indicator dyes based on lack of a suitable dye. In addition, there
are issues such as lack of data on the usefulness of dyes. The decision to
rescind the requirements for bittering agents requirement includes the
RSW's concern that bittering agents may reduce the effectiveness of
rodenticide baits. In addition, the inclusion of a bittering agent does
not make the bait less toxic nor does it provide absolute protection for
children.
EPA has determined that the rodenticide bait products are eligible for
reregistration without indicator dyes and bittering agents. Although
indicator dyes and bittering agents may not be necessary in all cases, EPA
supports voluntary incorporation of these ingredients in rodenticide
formulations.
The Federal Register notice with a summary of the Rodenticide
Cluster and Zinc Phosphide amendment is available on EPA's website at
http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr .
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3) Availability of Azinphos-Methyl and Phosmet Interim
Risk Management Decision Documents
On November 28, 2001, the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) announced in the Federal Register the
availability of the interim risk management decisions (IRED)
for azinphos-methyl and phosmet. This notice starts a 60-
day public participation period during which the public is
encouraged to submit written comments on the interim risk
management decision documents.
Azinphos-methyl, an organophosphorus insecticide, was first
registered in 1959 and is widely used in agriculture and
provides important pest control benefits to growers of
orchard fruit, nut, and other crops. However, azinphos-
methyl also poses a high degree of risk to agricultural
workers, as well as significant acute ecological risks.
The Agency's actions address both the high risks and
benefits associated with current agricultural uses of
azinphos-methyl. To improve worker safety and lessen
ecological risks, EPA's actions for azinphos-methyl include:
28 crop uses will be canceled without phaseout since safer
pest control alternatives are available
7 crop uses will be phased out over 4 years, allowing time
to shift to safer pest control alternatives; and
8 crop uses will be issued time-limited registrations for 4
years, allowing time to develop safer pest control
alternatives.
Phosmet, an organophosphate insecticide first registered in
1966, is widely used in agriculture and provides important
pest control benefits to growers of orchard fruit, nut, and
other crops. In order to eliminate phosmet exposure in
residential settings, improve worker safety, and lessen
ecological risks, EPA's actions for phosmet include:
3 uses will be canceled immediately - since safer
pest control alternatives are available;
9 crop uses would be eligible for time-limited
registrations for 5 years if the registrations are
amended to require additional risk reduction
measures;
33 uses would continue with additional risk mitigation
measures.
To enhance protection of agricultural workers from
exposure to azinphos-methyl and phosmet during
the phase-out and time-limited registration periods,
a variety of stringent new precautions are being im-
plemented to reduce exposure, including longer
periods before a worker can enter a treated area,
limiting the number of applications, and prohibiting
aerial application for almost all azinphos-methyl uses.
Provided that risk mitigation measures are adopted,
azinphos-methyl and phosmet fit into their own risk
cup; their individual, aggregate risks are within
acceptable levels. EPA has been evaluating azinphos-
methyl and phosmet as part of the Agency's process
to individually review the organophosphorus
pesticides and take necessary risk reduction measures
as required under the FQPA and FIFRA.
EPA's next step under FQPA is to consider the
cumulative risks of the organophosphorus pesticides,
which share a common mechanism of toxicity. The
interim risk management decision documents on
azinphos-methyl and phosmet cannot be considered
final until this consideration of organophosphorus
cumulative risks is complete. When the cumulative
risks of the organophosphorus pesticides have been
considered, EPA will issue its final tolerance reassess-
ment decision for azinphos-methyl and phosmet, and
further risk mitigation measures may be needed.
The Federal Register notice is available on EPA's
website at http://www.epa.gov/fedregstr . The
IREDs and risk/benefit assessment documents are
available at www.epa.gov/pesticides/op/azm.htm and
www.epa.gov/pesticides/op/phosmet.htm.
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4) Public Comment Period Opened for Common
Mechanism Determination for Thiocarbamate
and Dithiocarbamate Pesticides
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced an
opportunity for the public to comment on its determination
on whether certain chemicals widely used in homes,
gardens, and in agriculture as fungicides and herbicides
share a common mechanism of toxicity. The thiocarbamate
and dithiocarbamate pesticides are subgroups belonging to
a larger group of chemicals known as carbamates. A
cumulative risk assessment considers the combined risks
from exposure to different pesticides that act the same way
in the body - known as a common mechanism of toxicity-
which helps EPA make regulatory decisions that protect
public health, especially the health of infants and children.
Identifying pesticides and other substances that share a
common mechanism of toxicity is the first step of the
cumulative risk assessment process. EPA made these
determinations based on evidence that pesticides in these
two subgroups may affect the body through the same major
pathway. Carbamates have been given high priority in EPA's
review of older pesticides and associated residue limits.
Interested parties have until February 22, 2002, to submit
comments. For more information on how to submit comments,
read the attached announcement or visit the Office of Pesticide
Program Web site at www.epa.gov/pesticides.
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EPA distributes its Pesticide Program Updates to external
stakeholders and citizens who have expressed an interest
in O.P. activities and decisions. We have established
an electronic list serve 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.
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 its 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