Pesticide Contamination Prevention Act Review Process Triggered by Detection of Alachlor Degradates in Groundwater

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Legal Agricultural Use Determination

Detections in groundwater of alachlor ethanesulfonic acid (ESA) and alachlor oxanilic acid (OXA), degradation products of alachlor, were determined to be from legal agricultural use and DPR responded by placing alachlor in the formal detection response process.

Memorandum, PDF – Request to proceed with detection response process for alachlor, 2016

  • Attachment 2, PDF – Legal agricultural use determination for alachlor degradate detections in California, 2016

Formal Review Process

A formal review process began in March 2016 following detection of alachlor degradates in groundwater.

Notice of detection cover letter, PDF (March 2016) listing products containing alachlor, their registrants, procedures for registrants to request a public hearing before a subcommittee of the Pesticide Registration and Evaluation Committee (PREC), and related information.

  • Attachment 1, PDF – Notice of alachlor degradation product residue detections in California ground water and registrant opportunity to request a hearing, 2016
  • Attachment 2, PDF – Legal agricultural use determination for alachlor degradate detections in California, 2016

Formal Review Process Suspended

Prior to DPR issuing its March 2016 notice, Monsanto Company submitted a request to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) to voluntarily cancel the registrations of all of its alachlor products, which would terminate the last alachlor products registered for use in the U.S. The receipt of Monsanto Company's request to voluntarily cancel all of its alachlor products was published by U.S. EPA in the Federal Register on January 5, 2016. Given that U.S. EPA was in the process of issuing its final cancellation order for all alachlor registrations in the U.S., DPR suspended the PCPA review process and issued the attached notice of withdrawal based upon the fact that the federal cancellation of all alachlor products was imminent.

  • Attachment 1, PDF – Withdrawal of notice of alachlor degradation product residue detections in California ground water and registrant opportunity to request a hearing, 2016

The final alachlor voluntary cancellation order for all alachlor registrations in the U.S. was published by U.S. EPA in the Federal Register on June 30, 2016.

Final alachlor voluntary cancellation order, PDF (June 2016)

  • The registrant may continue to sell and distribute existing stocks until June 30, 2017, which is 1-year after the publication of the Cancellation Order in the Federal Register.
  • Thereafter, the registrant is prohibited from selling or distributing products, except for export in accordance with FIFRA section 17 (7 U.S.C. 136o) or for purposes of proper disposal.
  • Persons other than the registrant may sell, distribute, or use existing stocks of the affected canceled products until existing stocks are exhausted, provided that such sale, distribution, or use is consistent with the terms of the previously approved labeling on, or that accompanied, the canceled products.