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EPA Pesticide Program Updates: June 11, 2001Pesticide Program Update from EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs, June 11, 2001 IN THIS UPDATE:
Benomyl Cancellation Request PublishedOn May 23, 2001, EPA published in the Federal Register a Notice of Receipt of Request for Registration Cancellations for benomyl. The technical registrant, Dupont, is discontinuing production of benomyl worldwide, for business reasons. The notice proposes cancellation of eight benomyl product registrations used on 73 food and feed commodities. Foods with significant benomyl use in terms of percent crop treated and total volume of use include mushrooms, squash, raspberries, celery, brussels sprouts, nectarines, rice, wine grapes, soybeans, almonds, apples, and peaches.The notice provides a 30-day comment period on the proposed cancellations. EPA will decide whether to approve Dupont's request for these voluntary cancellations after considering public comment. If the Agency accepts the registrant's request, the effective date of cancellation will be the date of publication of the cancellation order. EPA anticipates granting Dupont's request to sell and distribute existing stocks of canceled benomyl products until June 30, 2001, and accepting their suggestion that the Agency permit sale of existing stocks of products in the channels of trade until December 31, 2002. In a future Federal Register notice, EPA may propose revocation of certain benomyl tolerances. EPA must receive comments on the May 22 FR notice by June 22, 2000. Comments must reference docket number OPP-66287. The notice is available on EPA's web site. Triallate Red AvailableIn Fiscal Year 2000, EPA completed a Reregistration Eligibility Decision (RED) for the pesticide triallate. On May 23, 2001, EPA published a Federal Register notice announcing the availability of the Triallate Reregistration Eligibility Decision (RED) document and starting a 60-day comment period on the RED. At the time of the RED, triallate was a pre-emergent herbicide federally registered but restricted to use in 13 states on barley, lentils, peas (dried and succulent), triticale, wheat, and canary grass (seed only).Since the RED, triallate use on canary has been canceled and a new tolerance for sugar beets has been established, EPA has concluded that the dietary risks from consuming crops treated with triallate are low. Computer modeling of ground and surface water show that risks from drinking water also are low. Aggregate dietary risks (from food + water) generally do not pose risk concerns; however, aggregate dietary cancer risk is of concern to the Agency. (Triallate has been classified as a possible human carcinogen.) To address this concern, the registrant is conducting a surface water monitoring program to measure triallate and its metabolite TCPSA in high-use areas with vulnerable soil conditions to compare actual concentrations in drinking water sources with model predictions. Interim results indicate that surface drinking water concentrations are sufficiently low to reduce the Agency's concern about aggregate dietary cancer risk. A final report on this study is expected in late 2002. Worker risks are mitigated with either personal protective equipment or engineering controls. Although levels of concern are slightly exceeded in certain circumstances for endangered small mammals and are exceeded for terrestrial and semiaquatic plants, the overall ecological risk from triallate use is low. The Triallate RED document is available from the Pesticide Docket (703-305-5805) and is posted on EPA's web site. The May 23 FR notice also is available on the Agency's web site. Comments identified by docket control number OPP-34266A must be received by EPA by July 23, 2001 (an incorrect closing date provided in the May 23 FR notice is being corrected). Diazinon Cancellation Requests for Indoor and Certain Agricultural Uses PublishedOn May 30, EPA published in the Federal Register the Notice of Receipt of Cancellation Requests and Amendments for diazinon. It states that registrants have requested that registrations for manufacturing-use products be canceled. End-use products for all indoor and certain agricultural uses also are to be canceled. The use of existing stocks of manufacturing use products listed in this notice for formulation into products labeled for indoor use will be unlawful as of the date of issuance of the cancellation order. Use of these products for formulation into products labeled for agricultural uses listed in this Federal Register notice will be unlawful as of June 30, 2001. 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 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 notice. EPA must receive comments on the May 30 notice by June 29, 2001, identified by docket number OPP-34225E. The Federal Register notice is available on EPA's web site. EPA's risk assessment for diazinon is available at http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/op/diazinon.htm. 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. For information about ongoing activities in the Office of Pesticide Programs, visit our home page or call or write us directly at: Communication Services Branch |
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 Western Integrated Pest Management Center Pest Management Centers are sponsored by the United States Department of Agriculture, Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service |
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