IN THIS EPA UPDATE
Click Here to Add CommentSubject: IN THIS EPA UPDATE:
Date: Tue, 30 Apr 2002 09:07:49 -0400
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 EPA UPDATE:
1)CANCELLATIONS PROPOSED FOR CHLORPYRIFOS- METHYL PRODUCTS
2)UREA TOLERANCE REASSESSMENT DECISION IS ISSUED
3)PUBLIC FORUM NEXT WEEK WILL HIGHLIGHT ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE (Press Advisory 4/25/02)
4)NEARLY $4 MILLION IN GRANTS AWARDED FOR WILDLIFE RESEARCH (Press Advisory 4/25/02)
************************************************
1)CANCELLATIONS PROPOSED FOR CHLORPYRIFOS- METHYL PRODUCTS
Through a Federal Register notice published on April 24, 2002, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced receipt of requests from two companies to voluntarily cancel their chlorpyrifos -methyl product registrations. The EPA is inviting public comment on these requests until May 24, 2002. Chlorpyrifos-methyl is a organophosphate pesticide registered to control insect pests in stored grain. During tolerance reassessment, completed in 2001, the registrants agreed to voluntarily cancel all products containing this pesticide, rather than generate the additional data required by the Agency to support continued registration. To implement this agreement, chlorpyrifos-methyl dust formulation products were canceled effective December 31, 2001. In addition, Dow Agro Sciences LLC on January 31, 2001, and Gustafson LLC on February 13, 2001, submitted letters requesting cancellation of their manufacturing use product and liquid formulations. If no compelling comments to maintain these products are received during the comment period, EPA intends to issue an order granting these requested chlorpyrifos-methyl product cancellations. The Agency anticipates that existing stocks provisions will prohibit the registrants' sale or distribution of these products after December 31, 2003, and will prohibit other persons' sale and distribution of existing stocks after December 31, 2004. The Federal Register notice is available on EPA's web site at http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr, and information on chlorpyrifos- methyl is available at http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/op/chlorpyrifos-methyl.
************************************************
2)UREA TOLERANCE REASSESSMENT DECISION IS ISSUED
On April 15, 2002, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued its tolerance reassessment decision for the frost protectant pesticide urea, and is inviting public comment until May 15, 2002. EPA finds that urea poses no risk concerns within the limits of the existing tolerance exemptions. Therefore, no additional risk mitigation is needed, and no changes will be made to the 78 urea tolerance exemptions as a result of this reassessment decision. EPA regards the 78 exemptions as completed tolerance reassess- ments, contributing toward the Agency's goal of completing 66% of all required tolerance reassessment decisions by August 3, 2002.
A naturally occurring compound in humans, urea is approved for several human therapeutic uses. In addition, urea is considered "Generally Recognized As Safe" (GRAS) as affirmed by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration for use in food. Urea is an active ingredient in only one registered pesticide product, Enfrost, which is registered for commercial application to a wide variety of field crops, vegetables, fruit trees, and ornamentals to reduce frost formation by ice-nucleating bacteria naturally present on leaf surfaces. Urea also is an inert ingredient included in pesticide products as a stabilizer, inhibitor, or intensifier. Outside the pesticide realm, urea is included in fertilizer, used as an animal feed supplement, and used in the manufacture of dyes, fire retardant paints, plasticizers, and stabilizers for explosives.
The Federal Register notice is available on EPA's website at http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr . Risk assessments and related documents for urea also are available at :- http://www.epa.gov/oppsrrd1/reregistration/urea/.
************************************************
3)PUBLIC FORUM NEXT WEEK WILL HIGHLIGHT ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE (Press Advisory 4/25/02)
EPA will host a two-day Science Forum in Washington, D.C. on May 1-2. EPA Administrator Christine Whitman will deliver a key note address on Wed., May 1. Several senior agency program officials will provide their perspective on the importance of science in decision-making. The event, which is open to the public, will feature interactive exhibits on cutting- edge scientific issues, public discussions of recent research and many activities for school children. Some topics that will be featured at the "EPA Science Forum 2002: Meeting the Challenges," will be Safe Water, Air Quality, Environmental Indicators and Susceptible Populations. Posters, exhibits and EPA scientists will be on hand to show-case EPA's leadership in key areas of environmental science. The Forum will be held both days between 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. on the Concourse Level of the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, 1300Pennsylvania Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C. More information and on-line registration are available at: www.epa.gov/ord/scienceforum
************************************************
4)NEARLY $4 MILLION IN GRANTS AWARDED FOR WILDLIFE RESEARCH (Press Advisory 4/25/02)
EPA recently awarded research grants totaling more than $3.8 million to seven universities, one nonprofit research institution and one state agency to evaluate the impacts of environmentally -related stressors on wildlife populations. The impact of environmental pollutants, loss or alteration of habitat and intro- duction of non-native species can have on birds, mammals, amphibians and reptiles will be studied. The grants have been awarded to: University of California (Santa Barbara); University of Colorado; Florida Atlantic University; University of Hawaii at Manoa; Kansas State University;University of Kentucky; University of Maryland; Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources; and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. The goal of this research is to contribute empirical information on the relative impacts of various environmental factors on wildlife populations, so that strategies can be developed to mitigate the most influential pollutant sources and so that benefits of mitigation can be better defined by policy makers. The grants were awarded through EPA's Science to Achieve Results program. This grant program is designed to engage the nation's best university scientists and engineers in environmental research. Through the program, EPA funds research grants in numerous environmental science and engineering disciplines through a competitive solicitation process and independent peer review. For more information, see: http://www.es.epa.gov/ncer/ .
If you would like to be included in our mailing list for continuing information on pesticides, please email us at list@safe2use.com.