EPA Pesticide Program Update
from EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs 09/27/01
http://www.epa.gov/pesticides
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IN THIS UPDATE:
1) STATE FIFRA ISSUES RESEARCH AND
EVALUATION GROUP (SFIREG) MEETING
CANCELLED
2) PESTICIDE ADVISORY PANEL TO REVIEW ISSUES
PERTAINING TO CHILDREN'S EXPOSURE TO CCA-
TREATED WOOD
3) PUBLIC INPUT SOUGHT REGARDING
CCA-TREATED WOOD STUDY METHODS
4) DIAZINON CANCELLATION ORDER PUBLISHED
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1) STATE FIFRA ISSUES RESEARCH AND
EVALUATION GROUP (SFIREG) MEETING
CANCELLED
Because of recent events, EPA has canceled the
meeting of the SFIREG Water Quality and
Pesticide Disposal working committee, scheduled for
October 1 and 2 in Arlington, VA. Please direct any
inquiries regarding SFIREG to Jim Roelofs at
703-308-2964, e-mail address roelofs.jim@epa.gov.
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2) PESTICIDE ADVISORY PANEL TO REVIEW
ISSUES PERTAINING TO CHILDREN'S
EXPOSURE TO CCA-TREATED WOOD
A panel of independent scientists will meet on October 23-
25, 2001, to review a set of issues being considered by EPA
in its ongoing reassessment of chromated copper arsenate
(CCA) treated wood. Specifically, the Scientific Advisory
Panel (SAP) will provide input to the Agency regarding
EPA's development of a preliminary evaluation of hazard
and exposure to children from contact with CCA-treated
wood playground equipment and associated
CCA-contaminated soil. The meeting, which will be open
to the public, will be held at the Sheraton Crystal City
Hotel, 1800 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, VA.
Additional information on this meeting will be available at:
www.epa.gov/scipoly/sap, or can be retrieved from the
Federal Register published on Sept. 19 at
www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/aces/aces140.html.
Additional information on EPA's ongoing reassessment of
CCA-treated wood can be found at
www.epa.gov/pesticides/citizens/1file.htm.
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3) PUBLIC INPUT SOUGHT REGARDING
CCA-TREATED WOOD STUDY METHODS
Several draft guidelines ("protocols") for sampling and
analyzing chemical residues from chromated copper
arsenate (CCA) pressure-treated playground equipment
have been released for public review and comment. Prior
to initiating any actual sampling and analysis, a 30-day
comment period is open to solicit public input on the study
design. The comment period will remain open until
October 22, 2001. Developed cooperatively by EPA and
the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), these
protocols will be used in studies to analyze dislodgeable
and soil residues of arsenic, chromium, and copper from,
and adjacent to, CCA-treated playground equipment.
Because of specific concerns related to the use of CCA-
treated wood in playground equipment, EPA is analyzing
available exposure and hazard data in order to determine
possible risks to children. The protocols have been
developed to enable the Agency and the CPSC to conduct
targeted exposure studies that are expected to provide
reliable data to better evaluate the potential exposure and
any associated risks to children who may come in contact
with CCA-treated wood. These efforts are one aspect of
EPA's comprehensive evaluation of the human health and
environmental effects associated with CCA. The Federal
Register notice announcing this comment period was
published on September 20, and is available at
www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/aces/aces140.html.
Additional information on EPA's ongoing reassessment of
CCA-treated wood is available at:
www.epa.gov/pesticides/citizens/1file.htm.
For further information regarding the draft protocols, please
contact Connie Welch, OPP, Antimicrobial Division, 703-
308-8218; e-mail address: welch.connie@epa.gov.
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4) DIAZINON CANCELLATION ORDER
PUBLISHED
EPA has published a cancellation order for registrations for
all indoor uses, certain agricultural uses, and certain
outdoor non-agricultural uses for end-use diazinon products
belonging to 8 registrants. This order follows up on the
August 1 publication in the Federal Register of the Notice
of Receipt of Cancellation Requests and Amendments.
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 did not receive any comments on the August 1 notice.
The Federal Register notice, published September 20, 2001,
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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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