EPA RELEASES PRELIMINARY RISK ASSESSMENTS
FOR LINDANE[ This does not include use on humans ]
Subject: IN THIS EPA UPDATE
Date: Wed, 6 Feb 2002 15:57:42 -0500
From: Stephen Tvedten <steve@getipm.com>
Organization: Get Set Inc. (www.getipm.com)
To: Paul Helliker <phelliker@cdpr.ca.gov>
Director, State of
California, Department of Pesticide Regulation
cc: Christine Whitman whitman.christine@epa.gov
IN THIS UPDATE:
1)EPA RELEASES PRELIMINARY RISK ASSESSMENTS FOR LINDANE
2) TOLERENCE REVOCATION PROPOSED FOR OXADIXYL
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1) EPA RELEASES PRELIMINARY RISK ASSESSMENTS FOR LINDANE
On January 31, 2002, EPA released revised human health and ecological risk assessment documents for a pesticide undergoing reregistration and tolerance reassessment: lindane. These documents include information that was not available in August 2001 when the preliminary risk assessments were released. EPA will accept comments, identified by docket number OPP-34239B, on the new information contained in this risk assessment and on risk management issues until April 1, 2002. Lindane is an insecticide registered for use as an agriculture pre-plant seed treatment on six crops. One proposed new crop also is being considered for addition to the label: canola seed treatment.
The revised risk assessment for this chemical was developed as part of the Agency's process for making reregistration eligibility decisions and tolerance reassessments for pesticides, consistent with provisions of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act and the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, as amended by the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA). EPA is seeking to strengthen stakeholder involvement and help ensure that our decisions under FQPA are transparent and based on the best available information.
The risk assessment documents and brief summaries are available on EPA's web site http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/reregistration/ lindane ). The Federal Register notice announcing its availability is available on EPA's web site: http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA- PEST/2002/January/Day-31/p2382.htm.
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2) TOLERENCE REVOCATION PROPOSED FOR OXADIXYL
EPA has proposed to revoke all tolerances (pesticide residues allowed to remain in food) for residues of the fungicide oxadixyl, because this pesticide is no longer registered for use in the U.S. EPA must receive any comments on this proposal by April 8, 2002, identified by docket number OPP-301203. If EPA receives comments expressing interest in retaining any of these tolerances, EPA will not immediately revoke that tolerance but will provide an opportunity for the parties to commit to submitting data to support the tolerance. EPA is proposing an expiration date of September 27, 2003 for the tolerances to take into account the time needed for legally treated commodities to pass through the channels of trade. According to letters from the registrants, the last known production of oxadixyl occurred before January 1, 1997, and no stocks remain in the control of the registrants. The cancellation order, issued November 1, 2001 with an effective date of September 27, 2001, allowed for existing stocks to be sold for one year from that date. Oxadixyl is a systemic fungicide that was used to treat seeds of a variety of food crops, as well as vetch, golf course turf, and residential lawns. This Federal Register notice is available on EPA's web site at: (http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPAFR-CONTENTS/2002/ February/Day-06/contents.htm)
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