Draft risk assessments for five pesticides available for public comment
EPA is releasing draft risk assessments on five pesticides for public comment as part of our open and transparent registration review process, a program mandated by FIFRA that re-evaluates all pesticides on a 15-year cycle. The draft human health and ecological risk assessments will be available for 60 days for public comment. Two noteworthy pesticides - aldicarb and coumaphos - are included.
Aldicarb is an insecticide with no residential uses. The draft risk assessment shows risks through the diet, as well as to agricultural workers who mix and apply pesticides. There are also risks to birds, mammals, aquatic organisms and bees. Aldicarb is systemic and can be available to bees in plants via pollen and nectar. Bee incidents have been reported. EPA plans to gather additional data on the toxicity of aldicarb to pollinators to fully characterize the risk to all developmental stages of honeybees. Aldicarb controls a broad spectrum of pests like thrips and nematodes and is valuable to growers.
The Agency welcomes comments including detailed information regarding potential exposure to workers, the effects of aldicarb on honeybees, and usage data for sweet potatoes (e.g., pounds of active ingredient applied, total area treated, percent of crop treated).
Coumaphos is an organophosphate with no residential uses.
The draft risk assessment for coumaphos shows risks through the diet and to agricultural workers.
EPA plans to refine its estimates with additional information related to the use of coumaphos to treat cattle for ticks.
EPA encourages stakeholders and interested members of the public to visit the dockets containing the draft risk assessments and related documents and submit comments. Proposed decisions will include any necessary mitigation measures to reduce exposure. The draft risk assessment and other supporting documents are available in the docket at www.regulations.gov in each respective docket: aldicarb, EPA-HQ-OPP-2012-0161; coumaphos, EPA-HQ-OPP-2008-0023.
The other three pesticides with draft risk assessments available for public comment are: Bensulide, EPA-HQ-OPP-2008-0022; Ethalfluralin,
EPA-HQ-OPP-2011-0094; and Pirimiphos-Methyl, EPA-HQ-OPP-2009-0056.
