U.S. EPA announced in December 2000 the phasing out of certain uses of the organophosphate pesticide diazinon. Also known as Spectracide and other trade names, diazinon is one of the most widely used insecticides in the United States, especially for household lawn and garden pest control.

The Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA), enacted in 1996, sets a more stringent safety standard for most pesticides and offers special protection for children. U.S. EPA has accepted a voluntary agreement from the manufacturers of diazinon to modify the uses of this pesticide to address the tough new safety standard of FQPA.

U.S. EPA is terminating all indoor residential and indoor nonresidential uses of diazinon. U.S. EPA and the registrants also have agreed to phase out and cancel outdoor residential lawn and garden uses over the next few years. Together, these actions will end about 75% of the current use of diazinon. U.S. EPA and the registrants have further agreed to remove about one-third of the agricultural crop uses of diazinon. This action will also help reduce risks to workers, birds and other wildlife, drinking water resources, and the environment.

About 75% of diazinon currently is used in and around the home. Diazinon accounts for about 30% of the homeowner-use insecticide market. The agreement will result in termination of all retail sale of diazinon for residential crack and crevice treatments and all other indoor uses by the end of 2002.

The agreement also virtually ends sales of the residential lawn-care use of diazinon in 2003 and provides for orderly transition to a new product line. The home lawn-care use accounts for most residential exposure but less risk than the indoor use of diazinon. Under the agreement, production of diazinon for home lawn-care and all other outdoor nonagricultural uses must phase down at least 50% by 2003. Production, formulation, and sales to retailers are scheduled to phase out and end completely during 2003. Registrants will buy back any products from retailers that remain at the end of 2004. However, few retail products for home lawn-care uses are expected to remain in the market by that time.

Broadcast application of diazinon to turf poses one of the greatest pesticide risks to birds. Diazinon use on golf courses and sod farms was canceled about 10 years ago due to repeated bird kills on large expanses of turf. Species affected were primarily geese, as well as widgeons and other ducks. Diazinon had the highest number of reported bird-kill incidents of any registered pesticide from 1994 to 1998. Birds of many species have been killed, including ducks, geese, hawks, songbirds, and woodpeckers. Because residential use of diazinon accounted for over half of these incidents, phasing out and canceling the outdoor residential uses is expected to further reduce risks to birds and other wildlife.

Diazinon is one of the most commonly found pesticides in air, rain, and fog. Monitoring data indicate that, while it is widespread in surface water nationally, diazinon is most commonly found in surface water in urban areas, as a result of runoff from residential use. Several water-treatment plants around the United States have commonly found diazinon in wastewater entering the plants. Indications are that this diazinon comes primarily from improperly disposing of insecticide by dumping it down the drain. Phasing out and eventually canceling the residential uses of diazinon, as well as some current agricultural uses, will help reduce residues of diazinon in surface water and throughout the environment.

The agreement allows about 70% of current diazinon agricultural uses to continue. The continuing diazinon uses are important to the production of many minor crops and do not exceed the "risk cup" for diazinon. The agreement also will maintain the restricted-use pesticide classification for remaining diazinon crop uses so they will continue to be limited to trained, certified applicators. EPA will further consider worker and ecological risks in developing risk-management options, considering public comments received during the next 60 days, and in completing an interim reregistration-eligibility decision for diazinon.

The diazinon agreement phases in various restrictions and cancellations to address higher-risk, indoor residential uses first. Because much pesticiderisk reduction involves increasing margins of safety, it is reasonable to focus first on uses that achieve the greatest risk reduction for children. Allowing other uses to continue for specific periods of time will help ensure that appropriate alternatives are available for a reasonable and orderly transition.

As the U.S. EPA continues its review of diazinon through the reregistration process, it will continue to look at both occupational and ecological risks to ensure that diazinon meets current safety standards. If EPA determines that unreasonable risks remain for workers or the environment, the agency will incorporate additional risk-mitigation measures as part of the interim reregistration eligibility decision.

For additional information on the diazinon agreement or other aspects of the U.S. EPA's pesticide regulatory program, contact EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs at (703)305-5017, or visit their Web site, www.epa.gov/pesticides.

Note:
For the "Provisions of the Agreement and Associated EPA Actions" table, check out this issue's PDF.

- Phil Nixon

As mandated by the Food Quality Protection Act of 1996, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has been working its way through the long list of pesticides and tolerances that must be reassessed. Media coverage during 2000 regarding the reassessment of several widely used insecticide active ingredients (for example, chlorpyriphos and diazinon) may have led you to believe that EPA recently began the reassessment process. This is simply not the case. In fact, the EPA is about one-third of the way through the reassessment process, and many active ingredients (not just insecticides) and registered products and uses have been lost without much fanfare. Soon after passage of the FQPA, the U.S. EPA prioritized how it would go about reassessing pesticide tolerances. The original schedule is as follows:

Group 1 (228 pesticides) includes organophosphates, carbamates, probable carcinogens, reference-dose exceeders (tolerances that are at levels above the amount that is believed to be safe for lifelong, daily consumption), and high-hazard inert ingredients.

Group 2 (93 pesticides) includes possible carcinogens and all remaining reregistration chemicals (those that were first registered before 1984).

Group 3 (148 pesticides) includes remaining pre-FQPA pesticides with reregistration-eligibility decisions; remaining post-1984 pesticides; biological pesticides; and remaining inert ingredients.

The following statistics were taken from a recent U.S. EPA progress report for the period ending September 30, 2000.

Tolerance reassessments completed since passage of the FQPA in 1996:
• Organophosphates: 505 (29.86%) of 1,691 tolerances
• Carbamates: 169 (31.01%) of 549 tolerances
• Organochlorines: 50 (19.76%) of 253 tolerances
• Carcinogens (probable and possible): 683 (35.99%) of 1,898 tolerances
• High-hazard inert ingredients: 0 of 5 tolerances
• Others: 2,144 (40.23%) of 5,329 tolerances

Product reregistration decisions during fiscal year 2000:
• Products reregistered: 139
• Products amended: 53
• Products canceled: 360

New active ingredients approved during fiscal year 2000:
• Conventional chemicals: 4
• Conventional reduced-risk chemicals: 7
• Biopesticides: 9
• Antimicrobials: 2

New uses for new and previously registered active ingredients approved during fiscal year 2000:
• New food uses: 406 (318 are biopesticides or conventional reduced-risk pesticides)
• New nonfood uses: 21 (13 are biopesticides or conventional reduced-risk pesticides)
• Major crops associated with new uses: 92
• Minor crops associated with new uses: 901

Other product permits issued/accepted during fiscal year 2000:
• Section 18 Emergency Exemptions: 458 (549 total requests)
• Special Local Needs (section 24[c]): 387
• Experimental Use Permits (EUP): 17

The take-home message is that pesticide labels do change with little or no notice. Before you purchase any (familiar or unfamiliar) pesticide, be sure to carefully read the label to identify which plants or sites can be treated and how the product can be safely and legally used. In addition to liability concerns, illegal pesticide use will lead to further restrictions and product loss.

(sources: U.S. EPA report, 12/00, and http://www.epa.gov/oppsrrd1/op.)

- Bruce Paulsrud

On the island of Hilo, Hawaii, the ginger grower Kap Dong Kim received civil and criminal citations in May 1999 by EPA's Region 9 San Francisco office for 11 counts of violating pesticide use and safety requirements under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). Kim was charged with allowing an employee to come into contact with Nemacur, a highly toxic pesticide. The farm worker applying the pesticide was hospitalized for 3 days in intensive care. Kim was also charged with failing to provide protective equipment or training on pesticide safety and safe use of pesticideapplication equipment; use of restricted-use pesticides without certification; storing restricted-use pesticides illegally at a residence; and applying a restricted-use pesticide to a crop not listed on the label for that product. For the criminal violations, Kim received 4 months in a California federal prison and was ordered to pay a $5,000 fine and $6,113 restitution. For the civil counts, he was ordered to pay $9,800.

In the Matter of Vern A. Stratton, Utah. In summer 1999, a young farm worker was found dead by the side of the road. Utah investigators found evidence at the farm of Vern A. Stratton that WPS training of workers did not occur; re-entry intervals (REI) were violated when no pesticide-application notification was given to workers and handlers; protective equipment was not provided to employees entering a spray area during the REI; the applicator was not monitored at appropriate intervals as required by WPS; a decontamination site was not provided for workers and handlers as required by WPS; and the required central location for posting of required information relating to pesticide application and safety was not provided. Although it was not possible to prove exposure to pesticides caused the young man's death, Stratton was ordered to cease and desist operating in violation of Utah's pesticide control act and its administrative rules. Utah ordered Stratton to pay a civil penalty of $10,000, serve a probationary period of 60 months, and provide the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food with a detailed written action plan for compliance with all Worker Protection Standards.

Cantau Farms, California. In July 1998, farm workers for the Cantau Farms reported pesticide-related illnesses from work-related exposure to pesticides to the California Department of Pesticide Regulations (CDPR). After a 4-month investigation, the county Department of Agriculture and CDPR determined the Cantau Farms failed to notify the crew chief for the farm workers that an aerial application of carbofuran, mepiquat chloride, and abamectin (agriculture pesticides) had occurred earlier, at 4 a.m. that morning. Workers entered the field only 2 hours later–instead of the required re-entry interval (REI) of 48 hours–to perform weeding activities for the next four hours. CDPR assessed a total fine of $14,832 against Cantau Farms for misuse of pesticides–for failure to notify the labor contractor ($1,000), not posting warning signs ($1,000), and not preventing workers from re-entering the applied field before the REI (32 counts, totaling $12,832). CDPR also assessed a fine of $1,400 against G&M Labor Contracting Services, the farmlabor contractor, for failure to provide adequate training and decontamination supplies, such as drinking water and water for cleaning and towels. Work-related illnesses resulted when workers, while taking a break from weeding to eat, may have spread the carbofuran pesticide from hand to mouth. The results of the worker illnesses was reported in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).

For more information about the Worker Protection Standard and how to comply, contact your nearest University of Illinois Extension office or visit the U of I Pesticide Safety Education Web site at http://www.aces.uiuc.edu/~pse/facts/facts.html.

(Source: U.S. EPA report, January 2001.)

- Bruce Paulsrud

Again this year, the Illinois Pesticide Review will be available free of charge on the Web at http://www.aces.uiuc.edu/~pse/newsletter/newsletter.html. But now you can receive automatic, detailed e-mail notification when each new issue is posted to the Web. Register after January 15 at the site listed.

- Anonymous

APPEAL (fluthiacet-methyl)–Kumiai Chemical Co.–This postemergence corn and soybean herbicide will be marketed in the United States by Entek Corp., with a 2001 introduction date. Novartis will market the product as a cotton defoliant called Action.

EXPERT (S-metolachlor/atrazine/glyphosate)–Novartis–This three-way herbicide is expected to be introduced next year on Roundup Ready corn in the United States.

RIDOMIL GOLD (metalaxyl-M)–Novartis–To cover a specific exemption, EPA established time-limited residue tolerances on canola at .05 ppm. They now expire 12-31-2001. (FR, vol. 65, 9-25-2000) [fungicide]

(Michelle Wiesbrook, unless otherwise noted, adapted from Agricultural Chemical News, November and December 2000.)

AIM (carfentrazone ethyl)–FMC–Added to their label the use on sweet corn, sorghum, rice, barley, and oats. [herbicide]

ARAMO (tepraloxydim)–BASF–A new postemergence herbicide for the control of grasses in broadleaf crops.

CINNACURE (cinnamaldehyde)–Proguard Inc–Added to their label the control of aphids and mites.

COMITE/OMITE (propargite)–Uniroyal–New crop-rotation restrictions are now 6 months for all root crops and 2 months for all other crops, except those on which the product is registered.
[insecticide]

DELTAGARD GC (deltamethrin)–Aventis–Added to their label the control of azalea caterpillars, California oakworm, casebearers, and firebrats.

ENGAME (glyphosate/AMADS)–Entek–A new formulation for use as a nonselective foliar-applied herbicide in noncrop areas and orchard crops.

ETHYL PARATHION–Cheminova–Under an agreement with EPA, the remaining uses in the United States will be canceled as of 10-31-2003. The remaining uses are on alfalfa, barley, corn, cotton, canola, sorghum, soybean, sunflower, and wheat. [insecticide]

MIMIC 2LV (tebufenozide)–Rohm & Haas–A new formulation being introduced for use on forests and ornamental trees to control various insects.

PENNCOZEB (mancozeb)–Elf Atochem–Added to their label the use as a seed treatment. [fungicide]

SAVEY (hexythiazox)–Gowan–Added to their label the use on cotton, strawberries, stone fruit, and almonds. [insecticide]

(Michelle Wiesbrook, unless otherwise noted, adapted from Agricultural Chemical News, November and December 2000.)

AGRIUM–The company has announced its acquisition of Unocal's fertilizer assets.

ALLIED SEED LLC–This is a new business entity created by a partnership between Southern States Coop, Agway Inc., and Tennessee Farmers Coop that purchased certain assets of Agribiotech of Henderson, NV, to ensure a supply of legume seed for the partners.

AMVAC–The company has purchased from DuPont its pyrethroid and organophosphate-manufacturing facility located at Axis, AL.

AQUANEAT (glyphosate)–Nu Farm–A new formulation being sold as an aquatic herbicide.

ATOMIK (sodium nitrophenolate)–Asahi–EPA established an exemption from residue-tolerance requirements for this growth regulator on all food commodities. (FR, vol. 65, 11-3-2000)

BASF–The company has made a worldwide agreement with Dow AgroSciences for Dow to market imidazolinone-tolerant Clearfield brand corn. The company has also named Waterbury Companies Inc. as the exclusive supplier of Siege Gel and Siege Pro Fire Ant Bait, which contains hydramethylon, for the U.S. market. This product is used in the structural pest-control market to control cockroaches and ants, including fire ants.

CEDAR CHEMICAL CO.–The company has purchased from Zeneca the thiocarbamate herbicides Sutan, Tillan, and Ro-Neet, which they will manufacture and sell worldwide. Also included were the EPTC products Eptam and Eradicane, which they will sell outside the United States, Canada, and the European Union.

DOW AGROSCIENCES–The company has reached an agreement to purchase from Zeneca their acetochlor line of herbicide products. These include Surpass, Ful Time, Top Notch, Trophy, and Winner.

ELF ATOCHEM–As of 1-1-2001, Elf Atochem's Agricultural Chemicals Division will become Cerexa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Atofina Chemicals.

EXELIXIS–The company will acquire the biotech company Agritope, located in Portland, OR. Exelixis is a human-genome company, while Agritope is developing numerous biotech pesticide products.

FLINT (trifloxystrobin)–Novartis–The company has sold this product worldwide to Bayer for $760 million, which includes the production site, located in Switzerland. [fungicide]

KOHLBERG KRAVIS ROBERTS & CO.–The private equity-investment firm has reached an agreement to purchase Laporte's Pigment and Additives Materials Division. This includes Applied Biochemists, which makes aquatic herbicides and Mineral Research and Development, which makes copper fungicides.

KMG CHEMICALS–The company has agreed to purchase Zeneca's MSMA herbicide product line. It is sold under the Bueno 6 trade name. KMG is located in Houston, TX.

ROHM & HAAS–The company has set up a joint venture in Japan with Sanyo Trading to form a company named Alphas, which will sell pesticides to golf courses. Products involved will initially be propyamide, dithiopyr, and myclobutanil. The company has also announced a partnership with Agra Quest of Davis, CA, for the rapid introduction and marketing of new biopesticides. Finally, the company has made a marketing agreement with 3M Canada to commercialize their sprayable insect pheromone technology under the trademark Confuzex. Rohm & Haas will have exclusive global distribution rights to the products. The initial markets will be fruit trees, cranberries, and grapes. (Eastern United States only.)

SIMPLOT–The company has acquired the St. Louis–based turf-fertilizer formulator Lange-Stegmann.

SOUTHERN STATES COOP–The company has finalized the purchase of Agway Inc., consumer/wholesale-dealer business

SUMITOMO CHEMICAL–The company has agreed on a consolidation with Mitsui Chemicals to combine all their business to be completed by October 2003. It would create Asia's largest chemical company and the world's fifth-largest chemical company.

SYNGENTA–This new company (Novartis/Zeneca) has picked Greensboro, NC, as the home of its North American crop-protection business and Delaware, MD, as its U.S. corporate headquarters.

TRANSLINE (clopyralid)–Dow AgroSciences–Added to their label the control of certain problem weeds in forest sites, including the use in tree plantings. [herbicide]

VERDANT BRANDS–The company plans to sell its lawn and garden retail business to Woodstream Corp. for an undisclosed amount. Verdant will retain its commercial pesticide business.

(Michelle Wiesbrook, unless otherwise noted, adapted from Agricultural Chemical News, November and December 2000.)

AKARI (fenpyroximate)–Nihon Nohyaku–Received EPA approval to use on greenhouse ornamentals to control mites. It will be marketed in the United States by Sepro Corp.

AVID (abamectin)–Novartis–As a result of the IR-4 Project, they can now add to their label the use on arborvitae, fir, white pine, and spruce. [insecticide]

BENSULIDE–Gowan–Some restrictions made by EPA for reregistration include prohibiting all handheld applications except spot treatment, prohibiting large turf area treatments such as parks and recreation areas (except golf courses), restricting golf course fairway use to bentgrass only in certain states, and limiting applications to one in the fall. [herbicide]

BONZI (paclobutrazol)–Uniroyal–Added to their label for this growth regulator the use on a number of new bedding plants and woody plant species.

CHASER ULTRA (MCPA/clopyralid/2,4-DP-p)–United Horticultural Supply–A new three-way herbicide to control broadleaf weeds in turf. It will be marketed by this company.

DEVRINOL (napropamide)–United Phosphorus–As a result of the IR-4 Project, they can now add to their label the use on nonbearing apples, black walnut, dogwood, pin oak, white pine, ash, birch, fir, and nonbearing peach. [herbicide]

DIMENSION ULTRA WSP (dithiopyr)–Rohm & Haas–A new formulation introduced for the turf and ornamental market. [herbicide]

FLINT (trifloxystrobin)–Novartis/Bayer–As a result of the IR-4 Project, they can now add to their label the use on nonbearing apples, daylilies, nandina, larkspur, pansy, phlox, privet, rose, and verbena. [fungicide]

GOAL (oxyfluorfen)–Rohm & Haas–As a result of the IR-4 Project, they can now add to their label the use on dogwood. [herbicide]

KALIGREEN (potassium bicarbonate)–Nichimen–As a result of the IR-4 Project, they can now add to their label the use on dogwood. [fungicide]

MANHANDLE (myclobutanil/mancozeb)–Rohm & Haas–A new fungicide formulation being developed for use on turf and ornamentals.

ORTHENE (acephate)–Valent–As a result of the IR-4 Project, they can now add to their label the use on ash, aster, birch, chrysanthemum, cineraria, dahlia, gloxinia, marigold, Persian violet, snapdragon, and verbena. [insecticide]

SANMITE (pyridaben)–BASF–As a result of the IR-4 Project, they can now add to their label the use on daylilies, winged euonymus, dogwood, lilac, rose of sharon, spruce, and trumpet creeper. [insecticide]

SPORODEX (Pseudozyma flocculosa)–Plant Products Inc.–As a result of the IR-4 Project, they can now add to their label the use on roses. [fungicide]

TRIMMIT 25C (paclobutrazol)–Zeneca–A new-formulation growth regulator for use on turf.

VENDEX 50WP TWO (fenbutatin-oxide)–Griffin–A newly labeled product to control mites in greenhouse and outdoor ornamentals and established landscape ornamentals.

(Michelle Wiesbrook, unless otherwise noted, adapted from Agricultural Chemical News, November and December 2000.)

ADMIRE (imidacloprid)–Bayer–Added to their label the use on pecans as a soil treatment. [insecticide]

AUTHORITY (sulfentrazone)–FMC–To cover a specific exemption, EPA established time-limited residue tolerances on horseradish at .1 ppm. Expires 12-31-2002. The specific exemption on horseradish was in Illinois to control yellow nutsedge and broadleaf weeds. (FR, vol. 65, 11-9-2000)

DOW CHEMICAL CO.–The subsidiary of Dow, Mycogen Seeds, will acquire the assets of Cargill Hybrid Seeds and will be the third-largest hybrid-corn seed producer in the United States. Cargill also produces soybean, sunflower, canola, alfalfa, and sorghum seeds.

FENOMEN–(fenamidone)–Aventis–A new fungicide being developed to control phytophthora and other diseases in potatoes, grapes, and other crops.

GRANUPOM (Cydia pomonella granulose virus)–Biobest–A new bio-insecticide being developed in Europe to control codling moth on apples and pears.

NUTROL INORGANIC FUNGICIDE (phosphoric acid-mono potassium salt)–Lidochem–A new product being developed to control powdery mildew on apples, grapes, melons, cucurbits, and tomatoes.

PROCLAIM (emamectin benzoate)–Novartis–Added to their label the control of leafminers on celery and head lettuce.

PRO-PHYT (potassium phosphate)–Luxembourg-Pamol–A new product being developed for the control of downy mildew, late blight, and root rot of squash tomatoes and avocados.

PYRAMITE (pyridaben)–BASF–Added to their label the use on grapes, stone fruits, and tree nut crops. [insecticide]

RALLY (myclobutanil)–Rohm & Haas–As a result of the IR-4 Project, they can now add to their label the use on nonbearing grapes. [fungicide]

STINGER (clopyralid)–Dow AgroSciences–EPA established time-limited residue tolerances to cover a specific exemption on peaches and nectarines at .5 ppm. Expires 12-31-2002. (FR, vol. 65, 9-27-2000) [herbicide]

STREPTROL (streptomycin sulfate)–Agtrol–A new formulation being introduced to control fireblight on apples and pears.

SYLLIT 65W (dodine)–Aventis–An older product being re-introduced into the market to control scab on apples and pears.

(Michelle Wiesbrook, unless otherwise noted, adapted from Agricultural Chemical News, November and December 2000.)

ANNIHILATOR WP (deltamethrin)–Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health–A new formulation for use as a public health insecticide in industrial buildings.

CO-RAL (coumaphos)–Bayer–Due to the high cost of reregistration, EPA has received a request to delete the use on sheep and goats. Unless withdrawn, this change will be effective 3-20-2001. (FR, vol. 65, 9-27-2000) [insecticide]

(Michelle Wiesbrook, unless otherwise noted, adapted from Agricultural Chemical News, November and December 2000.)