EPA Publishes New Pesticide Guide for Citizens

The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency's new 49-page brochure, Citizen's Guide to Pest Control and Pesticide Safety, covers pest management including non-chemical methods; pest prevention indoors and outdoors including gardens and lawns; choosing the right pesticide; reading the label; using pesticide products safely and correctly; pesticide poisoning and handling the resulting emergency; pesticides and child safety; and choosing a pest control company. The public can obtain the new pesticide guide by contacting the National Center for Environmental Publications and Information, P. O. Box 42419, Cincinnati, Ohio 45242-2419. The guide is also available on internet through two pathways: EPA's gopher server at the address gopher.epa.gov.; and the World Wide Web at the address http://www.epa.gov. U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, December 4, 1995

Propoxur Risks Do Not Warrant Special Review, EPA Concludes

Based on its review of new scientific data, EPA has concluded that a special review of the pesticide propoxur is not warranted. Propoxur (trade names Baygon and Sendran) is a contact insecticide. It is used by homeowners and commercial operators to control a wide variety of insects, such as ants, cockroaches, crickets, wasps, and hornets in and around the home, as well as commercial, industrial and institutional sites. The Agency's initial concerns about propoxur were based on evidence that the chemical might pose significant risks to applicators and home residents. EPA has more recently determined that the risks from this chemical are negligible, based on new data which showed that it is a less potent carcinogen than originally believed and that exposure estimates are lower than originally calculated. In addition, the registrant has voluntarily canceled ready-to-use liquid formulations which posed the most significant risks. Propoxur is also used to control ticks and fleas on pets and is incorporated into pest strips and shelf paper (shelf paper for non-food areas only). Approximately 200 formulated products are on the market. The single manufacturer and registrant of the technical product is Bayer Corporation (formerly Miles Inc.) of Kansas City, Missouri. U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, February 9, 1996

EPA Proposes to Revoke Nine Pesticide Tolerances Under Delaney Clause

The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency is proposing to revoke nine raw or fresh food tolerances (maximum allowable residue levels) for five pesticides. This action is another in a series of Delaney related actions resulting from a 1992 U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Decision. EPA has concluded that revoking these nine tolerances would have little impact on the price or availability of food to the consumer. The nine tolerances being proposed for revocation are: dicofol on apples, grapes and plums; mancozeb on oats and wheat; propargite on apples and figs; simazine on sugarcane; and triadimefon on wheat. Once a pesticide tolerance is revoked, the affected crop can no longer be legally treated with that pesticide.

Studies indicate that all pesticides covered in this announcement cause cancer in laboratory animals. In the past, EPA regarded pesticide residues that posed no significant risk as acceptable under the Delaney clause. But the court decision, (Les vs. Reilly), required a strict literal interpretation of the Delaney clause. EPA is required to revoke tolerances which violate the clause, no matter how small the risk.

While these actions are based on legal grounds, EPA is continuing to evaluate all of the pesticides involved as part of its ongoing reregistration program. If, as part of this evaluation, EPA finds that any tolerances pose unreasonable risk, the Agency will take appropriate regulatory action to ensure protection of public health.

EPA is revoking these nine tolerances on raw foods because it is otherwise impossible to guarantee that processed foods will be in compliance with the Delaney clause. While the overall economic impact on growers will be minor, some commodities and some growing regions may be more adversely affected than others.

Also, EPA has concluded that it is not necessary to revoke 31 raw food tolerances because processed food tolerances are not needed to prevent the adulteration of processed food and therefore neither the Delaney clause nor EPA's coordination policy applies.

The following raw or feed tolerances will be retained: acephate on cottonseed, benomyl on citrus and rice, captan on grapes and tomatoes, carbaryl on pineapples, dicofol on tomatoes, diflubenzuron on soybeans, dimethipin on cottonseed, ethylene oxide on whole spices (direct treatment), iprodione on peanuts and rice and lindane on tomatoes. Also proposed for retention are mancozeb on barley, grapes and rye, maneb on grapes, methomyl on wheat, norflurazon on grapes, oxyfluorfen on cottonseed, peppermint, spearmint and soybeans, PCNB on tomatoes, permethrin on tomatoes, propargite on grapes and plums, thiodicarb on cottonseed and soybeans, and triadimefon on grapes and pineapple.

Comments on these proposed actions are due within 90 days after publication of the decisions in the Federal Register. The comments should be addressed to: Public Response Section, Field Operations Division, Office of Pesticide Programs, U.S. EPA, 401 M St. S.W., Washington, D.C. 20460. U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, February 27, 1996

U. S. Farmers Spend $7.2 Billion on Pesticides Annually

According to the National Center for Food and Agriculture (NCFAP), farmers in the U. S. spend $7.2 billion annually on pesticides for crop protection. Herbicides, which include nine of the top ten top-selling pesticides, account for $4.7 billion. The top-selling pesticides in the U. S. are metolachlor ($451 million per year), glyphosate ($447 million), imazethapyr ($438 million), trifluralin ($205 million), cyanazine ($184 million), atrazine($169 million), chlorpyrifos ($169 million), dicamba ($168 million), alachlor ($166 million) and pendimethalin ($152 million). Pesticide and Toxic Chemical News, 24(7), December 13, 1995

New Publication Available

The U. S. Department of Agriculture's national Agricultural Pesticide Impact Assessment Program has recently released a publication titled The Public and Pesticides: Exploring the Interface. The publication, authored by Charles Curtis of Ohio State University, is about people, values, belief systems, science education, and engaging the media. To receive a copy of the 95-page publication, contact Dr. Charles R. Curtis, Professor and Chairperson, Department of Plant Pathology, The Ohio State University, 201 Kottman Hall, 2021 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH 43210-1087; Telephone: 614-292-1375; Fax: 614-292-7162; Email: curtis.6@osu.edu.

Restricted Use Pesticides Used on Field and Vegetable Crops in the U. S.

During 1994, the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) surveyed growers of field and vegetable crops to obtain on- farm usage of all restricted and general use pesticides. NASS enumerators personally interviewed farm operators or managers to obtain information made on the sampled farm operators.

Field Crops

The 1994 chemical use survey program includes corn, cotton, potatoes, soybeans, and wheat. States surveyed represent 71 to 94 percent of the U. S. acreage for these crops.

The herbicide atrazine was the most widely used restricted use pesticide on any crop, with 68 percent of the corn acres reported as being treated. Other restricted use herbicides applied on more than 15 percent of planted acres were alachlor on corn, and cyanazine on both corn and cotton. Acetochlor was applied to 7 percent of the corn acres.

A wide range of restricted use insecticides were applied. Several restricted use insecticides were applied on cotton but only aldicarb, lambdacyhalothrin, and methyl parathion were used on more than 15 percent of the planted acres. The survey indicates a broad use of insecticides on potatoes. Phorate and methamidophos were used on over one quarter of the acres planted to potatoes. Insecticides, used on 10 to 20 percent of the acreage, included azinphos-methyl, carbofuran, esfenvalerate, and permethrin.

The fungicide triphenyltin hydroxide was applied on 11 percent of the potato acres planted. Paraquat was used as a herbicide on corn and soybeans and as a defoliant and vine killer on cotton and potatoes. Metam-sodium and dichloropropene were used for soil fumigation for potatoes and sulfuric acid was applied to kill vines to facilitate potato harvest.

Few restricted use pesticides were used on soybeans, winter wheat, durum wheat or other spring wheat.

Vegetable Crops

Growers in 14 states were surveyed to obtain chemical use data on 21 vegetable crops in 1994. The data on applications cover the period immediately following harvest of the 1993 crop through harvest of the 1994 crop.

Only a few different restricted use herbicides were applied to vegetable crops. Atrazine was applied to more than half of all sweet corn acres, while alachlor and cyanazine were used on 32 and 24 percent, respectively, of sweet corn for processing. Pronamide was used on nearly 50 percent of the lettuce acres. Paraquat was used on 10 to 32 percent of the acres for asparagus, fresh market cucumbers, peppers, strawberries, and fresh market tomatoes.

Many of the restricted use insecticides were utilized extensively across a broad range of vegetables. Permethrin was applied to 25 percent or more of the acres planted to broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, sweet corn for processing, lettuce, bell peppers, spinach, and tomatoes for fresh market. Methomyl usage exceeded 50 percent of planted acres for celery, sweet corn for fresh market, lettuces, and bell peppers. Other restricted use insecticides applied to more than 50 percent of planted acres were esfenvalerate on broccoli, cauliflower, and fresh market tomatoes, oxydemeton-methyl on broccoli and cauliflower, oxamyl on celery, cypermethrin on head lettuce, mevinphos on other lettuce, and methamidophos on fresh market tomatoes. Abamectin was the most widely used restricted use insecticide on strawberries, and was also used extensively on celery.

Other restricted use pesticides with general usage included methyl bromide and chloropicrin. Methyl bromide was used on 61 percent of the strawberry acres, 48 percent of the fresh tomato acres, and about 30 percent of the bell pepper and eggplant acres. Chloropicrin usage ranged from 11 to 45 percent for those same crops. Metam-sodium was used on 22 percent of the processing tomatoes acres. Agricultural Chemical Usage: 1994 Restricted Use Pesticides Summary U. S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, December 1995

WPS: Look for the Stop Sticker

Any pesticide for sale that comes under the jurisdiction of the Worker Protection Standard (WPS) must now be labeled with a WPS statement. Some older containers on the shelves may need to be relabeled by retailers/wholesalers. If there is supplemental labeling for an older product, the dealer must affix a STOP STICKER to the container. The sticker will read:

STOP! Use this product only in accordance with the WPS, 40 CFR Part 170, and the Supplemental Labeling Worker Protection requirements, which must be provided when the product is offered for sale. Otherwise, you are in violation of FIFRA. For more copies of the labeling, contact your dealer.

If you see a STOP STICKER on a product you buy, make sure you get the supplemental labeling at the time of sale. Containers that you have in your storage facility do not need to be relabeled and may be used according to the label. Mississippi's Environment, Mississippi State University, 23(12), December 1995

Using Restricted Use Pesticides Equals Responsibility

Designating a pesticide for restricted use . . .

Pesticides are classified for restricted use when preregistration research data indicate a potential to harm people, the environment, or wildlife. Currently, 125 active ingredients - about 15 percent of all pesticide active ingredients - carry a restricted use classification.

mandates that applicators become certified, . . .

Applicators who purchase, use, or supervise the use of restricted use pesticides must be certified to do so. A certified applicator is an individual who has demonstrated a certain level of knowledge and is deemed capable of managing the use of pesticide products so as to minimize associated risks.

and that they maintain pesticide use records.

Pesticide dealers who sell restricted use pesticides must ensure that the purchaser holds a valid pesticide applicator license. Both the pesticide dealer and the purchaser are required to maintain a specific set of records prescribed by state and federal laws. "The Label", Purdue University October 1995 in Arkansas Pesticide News, December 1995

Pesticide Reregistration Update

* EPA's congressionally mandated pesticide reregistration program currently is expected to reach completion by the year 2004. This comprehensive reevaluation of pesticide safety is required for those pesticide active ingredients initially registered before November 1, 1984. Presently, 121 of 405 REDs (Reregistration Eligibility Decision Documents) have been completed. Each RED summarizes one or more of the 590 active ingredients that are being reviewed. About 40 REDs are expected to be completed each year until the completion of the program. Thus far, only 46 of the 151 important food group REDs (List A) have been completed. We will be reviewing the status of those registered agricultural pesticides with unsupported uses that are nearing completion of this process. When REDs are issued, we will report any potential losses to Agriculture. For additional information contact: Mr. Ed Setren, EPA, Special Review and Reregistration Division, Telephone: 703- 308-8166, Fax: 703-308-8166, Email: setren.ed@ epamail.epa.gov. Reregistration Notification Network, U. S. Department of Agriculture, 5(9), December 21, 1995

* The U. S. EPA has proposed the revocation of the residue tolerances of oryzalin (Surflan) for cottonseed, barley grain, wheat grain, peas, potatoes, and soybeans. The uses resulting in these tolerances have not been registered since publication of the 1987 registration standard for this herbicide. EPA has sufficient data to ascertain the adequacy of the established tolerances on these commodities. However, if no party indicates support for the underlying uses of oryzalin during the comment period of this proposed rule, EPA will issue a final rule revoking these tolerances. Send comments, with reference to OPP-300405, to the Public Response Section of EPA by February 5, 1996. For information contact: Mr. Jeff Morris, EPA, Special Review Branch, Telephone: 703-308-8029, Fax: 703-308-8041, Email: morris.jeffrey@epamail.epa.gov. Send written comments to: Public Response Section (7506C), EPA, Office of Pesticide Programs, 401 M Street, SW, Washington, DC 20460, Email: opp-Docket@epamail.epa.gov. Reregistration Notification Network, U. S. Department of Agriculture, 5(9), December 21, 1995

* Currently, clopyralid (Transline, Reclaim, Stinger) is registered as an herbicide on the following agricultural sites: barley, Christmas trees, corn (field), cropland (fallow), grasses (seed crop), noncrop areas, oats, pastures, peppermint, rangeland, shelterbelt plantings, spearmint, sugar beets, and wheat. It is not registered for use in New York and California. However, new data submissions may allow registration in California. With the help of IR-4, DowElanco plans to obtain registrations shortly on asparagus, and later on pome fruits, stone fruits, cranberries, spinach, canola, and most cole crops. For additional information contact: Dr. Dennis Lade, DowElanco, Telephone: 317-337-4685, Fax: 317-337-4649. Reregistration Notification Network, U. S. Department of Agriculture, 5(9), December 21, 1995

* The EPA has issued a notice to explain and reaffirm its long-held pesticide coordination policy of coordinating food safety regulations under the Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) with pesticide registration under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). This significantly impacts implementation of the Delaney clause. This decision completes the EPA's response to the 1992 Delaney-related petition by the National Food Processors and others which asked, in part, that the EPA's policy of linking processed and raw food pesticide tolerances be discontinued. In place since 1963, the coordination policy is designed to ensure that the lawful use of pesticides by farmers will not result in unlawful residues in processed food or feed. As a consequence of this policy and the Delaney clause, some pesticide tolerances are expected to be revoked and the pesticide registrations on which they are based are expected to be cancelled. Last year, EPA conducted an economic impact assessment as to potential impacts on agricultural producers as a result of continuation of this policy without change. The assessment concluded that the total economic impact on affected producers could be as high as $500 million. Only three crops were estimated to incur impacts greater that 5 percent of their annual 1989-91 U. S. production value (pineapple 29%, sugarcane 13%, and grapes 5.1%). Absolute projected impacts were highest for sugarcane, grapes, potatoes, rice, and apples, which together comprised about 70% of total impacts projected. For various reasons, however, the assessment was based on a worst-case scenario and actual impacts are expected by EPA to be far less. EPA will update its economic impact analysis when it evaluates remaining uses potentially affected by the Delaney clause. For additional information contact: Ms. Jean M. Frane, EPA, Policy and Special Projects, Telephone: 703-305-5944, Fax: 703-305-6244, Email: frane.jean@ epamail.epa.gov. Reregistration Notification Network, U. S. Department of Agriculture, 6(1), February 16, 1996

* The EPA has issued a notice to explain its interpretation of the term raw agricultural commodity (RAC) as applied to dried agricultural commodities under FFDCA. This notice on the RAC policy is prompted indirectly by the Delaney clause which prohibits the establishment or maintenance of tolerances for a cancer causing pesticide in processed food, but does not prohibit such tolerances in raw food. Therefore, the classification of a commodity as a RAC or processed food is important. The EPA's interpretation of RACs as applied to dried commodities is based primarily on the purpose of drying rather than the means or degree of drying. Commodities which routinely are dried for the purpose of storage or transportation are to be considered RACs and those dried to create a new product are to be considered processed, thus, hay, grain, and nuts would be treated as raw food, whereas dried fruits such as raisins would be treated as processed food. This interpretation will not change the current classification of any dried commodities. For additional information contact: Ms. Jean M. Frane, EPA, Policy and Special Projects, Telephone: 703-305-5944, Fax: 703-305-6244, Email: frane.jean@epamail.epa.gov. Reregistration Notification Network, U. S. Department of Agriculture, 6(1), February 16, 1996

* The Captan Task Force has petitioned the EPA requesting the revocation of the food additive regulation for captan (Orthocide) residues in or on washed raisins. They feel that a processing study they submitted shows that captan residues do not concentrate in raisins above the level of the 408 tolerances for captan on grapes. There is no registered postharvest use of captan. The EPA is asking for comments from the public. Copies of the petition can be obtained from the Public Response Branch of EPA. Written comments, identified by PF-645, should be sent to the Public Response Branch of EPA by March 1, 1996. For information contact: Ms. Niloufar Nazmi, EPA, Special Review Branch, Telephone: 703-308-8028, Fax: 703-308-8041, Email: opp-docket@epamail.epa.gov. Copies and written comments: Public Response Branch (7506C), EPA, Office of Pesticide Programs, 401 M Street, SW, Washington, DC 20460, Email: nazmi.niloufar@epamail.epa.gov. Reregistration Notification Network, U. S. Department of Agriculture, 6(1), February 16, 1996

* During reregistration, the Cryolite Task Force plans to defend certain uses of cryolite (Kryocide, Prokil), support others in cooperation with IR-4, and leave some uses unsupported. The unsupported uses are being dropped primarily because the cost of reregistration exceeds expected returns. The primary registrants may consider maintaining some of these unsupported uses if another party is willing to develop the necessary data. The final RED (reregistration eligibility document) is expected from the EPA in May of 1996.

Supported Uses Expected to be Reregistered:

Supported by registrants: apricots, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, citrus, cucumbers, eggplant, grapes, kiwifruit, kohlrabi, lettuce, melons, nectarines, peaches, pears, peppers, plums, potatoes, pumpkins, squashes, and tomatoes

Supported by IR-4: blackberries, blueberries, boysenberries, cranberries, dewberries, loganberries, raspberries, strawberries, and youngberries

Unsupported Uses Likely to be Cancelled: apples, beans, collards, mustard, radishes, and turnips

For additional information contact IR-4 (addresses below) or: Ms. Elizabeth Codrea, Gowan Company, Telephone: 602-783-8844, Fax: 602-343-9255 or Mr. Chris Davis, ELF Atochem North America, Inc., Telephone: 215-419-7147, Fax: 215-419-7243. Reregistration Notification Network, U. S. Department of Agriculture 6(1), February 16, 1996

* Ciba Crop Protection has reached a decision about which registered uses of diazinon it will defend during reregistration, those to be supported in cooperation with IR-4, and those left unsupported. Some uses of this insecticide cannot be maintained because of dietary concerns, such as livestock-related uses and infant foods. However, other uses remain unsupported because the cost of reregistration does not justify continued registration. The following unsupported uses will be removed from labels by August 31, 1996, after which products with these unsupported uses may not be sold or distributed, although use of products as labeled may continue. Ciba may consider maintaining some of these unsupported uses if another party is willing to develop the necessary data. EPA's RED on diazinon is expected to be available in 1997.

Supported Uses Expected to be Reregistered:

Supported by Ciba: almonds (CA), animal quarters (except dairy barns, milk rooms & poultry houses), apples, apricots, bananas (import tolerance - no label in U.S.), barns (except dairy barns, milk rooms & poultry houses), barrier strips, beans (succulent lima, pole, and snap, including seed treatment), beets (red), blackberries (WA, OR & CA), boysenberries (WA, OR & CA), broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cantaloupe, carrots, casabas, cauliflower, celery, cherries, Chinese broccoli, Chinese cabbage, Chinese mustard, Chinese radish (CA & FL), collards, corn (field) (seed treatment), crenshaws, cucumbers, dewberries (WA, OR & CA), ditch banks, endive, food handling establishments, ginseng, grapes, honeydew melons, hops, kiwifruit (import tolerance - no label in U. S.), lettuce, loganberries (WA, OR & CA), muskmelons, mustard, nectarines, onions (green & bulb), ornamentals, parsley, parsnips, peaches, pears, peas (succulent including seed treatment), peppers, pineapples, plums, potatoes, prunes, radishes, raspberries (WA, OR & CA), roadsides, rutabaga, sheep, spinach, squash (summer), squash (winter), strawberries, sugarbeets, sweet corn, sweet potatoes, Swiss chard, tomatoes, turf (other than golf courses and sod farms), turnips, walnuts (CA), and watermelons

Supported by IR-4: blueberries, cranberries, figs (no label yet), filberts (no label yet), mushroom houses, and watercress (24c registration in HI)

Unsupported Uses Likely to be Canceled: alfalfa, bananas, beans (dried), bermudagrass, citrus fruits, clover, corn (field) (except seed treatment), cotton, cowpeas, grass forage, guar, lespedeza, olives, pastures, peanuts, peas (dried), pecans, rangeland, sorghum, soybeans, trefoil, and tobacco

For additional information, contact IR-4 (addresses below) or Ms. Carolyn Bussey, Ciba Crop Protection, Telephone: 910-632-2838, Fax: 910-292-6374, E-mail: uscgcrr3@ibmmail.com.

For assistance in defending unsupported food or ornamental crop uses of cryolite or diazinon, please contact the appropriate IR-4 office:

Reregistration Notification Network, U. S. Department of Agriculture 6(1), February 16, 1996