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Department of Pesticide Regulation

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Brian R. Leahy
Director
  Edmund G. Brown Jr.
Governor
 
 
March 7, 2013
 
  ENF 13-03
 
TO:
County Agricultural Commissioners
 
SUBJECT:

ENDOSULFAN - USES CANCELLED AND TOLERANCES REVOKED

 

On November 10, 2010, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a final order in the Federal Register to cancel endosulfan products. This action was taken because endosulfan, an agricultural insecticide, can pose unacceptable health risks to farmworkers and wildlife and can persist in the environment. This action cancels the registered product uses and the established residue tolerances in a phase-out approach. See also https://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=EPA-HQ-OPP-2002-0262-0188;oldLink=false. This phase-out of uses began July 31, 2012 and will continue until July 31, 2016. The complete endosulfan product phase-out schedule is available at the U.S. EPA website: https://www.epa.gov/oppfead1/cb/csb_page/updates/2010/endosulfan-phout.html.

Product Use Cancellations

There are currently four pesticide products containing the active ingredient endosulfan that are registered in California:

  1. Avenger Insecticide Cattle Ear Tag (EPA Reg. No. 61483-65); KMG-Bernuth
  2. Thionex 50W Insecticide (EPA Reg. No. 66222-62); Makhteshim Agan of N. America
  3. Thionex 3EC Insecticide (EPA Reg. No. 66222-63); Makhteshim Agan of N. America
  4. Drexel Endosulfan 3EC Insecticide (EPA Reg. No. 19713-399); Drexel Chemical Co.

The Avenger label includes a note "It is unlawful to use this product after July 31, 2016 ". Avenger is not a restricted use material.

The labels for Thionex 50W, Thionex 3EC and Drexel Endosulfan 3EC, which are restricted use pesticides, all include the same use directions for several crops and a NOTE TO ALL USERS, which specifies dates when each of the labeled crop uses will no longer be permitted. The three labels also state "It is unlawful to use this same product from containers bearing previous (older) versions of labeling after July 31, 2012 on the following crops which may have appeared on those earlier labels" and lists all those crops.

Several crop uses on the currently registered labels for the three restricted use pesticides were cancelled July 31, 2012. Other uses will be cancelled July 31, 2013, July 31, 2015, and July 31, 2016. On these dates, the corresponding U.S. EPA established endosulfan tolerances were or will be simultaneously revoked in Title 40 Code of Federal Regulations Part 180.182.

Residue Tolerance Revocations

Residue tolerances are being revoked as the uses are cancelled. When a tolerance is revoked, it means that any residues detected are illegal. On September 14, 2011, U.S. EPA announced in the federal Register the schedule for revoking established endosulfan crop tolerances until July 31, 2016 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?c=ecfr &SID=82ee26ae814b0f108ff25180d5171037&rgn=div8&view=text&node=40:25.0.1.1.28.3.19.36&idno=40. U.S. EPA established endosulfan tolerances were or will be revoked in Title 40 Code of Federal Regulations Part 180.182 according to the schedule.

A July 2010 formal Memorandum of Agreement between U.S. EPA and the manufacturers of the agricultural insecticide resulted in voluntary cancellation and phasing-out of all existing endosulfan uses in the United States.

This letter is being issued with two attachments. Attachment 1 (Table 1) lists all crop uses on the currently registered Thionex 50W, Thionex 3EC and Drexel Endosulfan 3EC labels that were cancelled July 31, 2012. It also lists commodities on previous (older) versions of labeling that can no longer be treated with any of the three endosulfan products effective July 31, 2012. Attachment 2 (Table 2) lists all U.S. EPA established endosulfan tolerances that were revoked July 31, 2012.

For specifics on the endosulfan uses that will be cancelled and tolerances that will be revoked on July 31 of 2013, 2015, and 2016, refer to the U.S. EPA websites and the currently registered product labels.

If you have any questions, please contact the Enforcement Branch Liaison assigned to your county.

 
Sincerely,
 
 
Original Signature by:
 
George Farnsworth
Chief, Enforcement Branch
916-324-4100

Enclosures:
Table 1: Endosulfan Crop Uses Cancelled July 31, 2012
Table 2: U.S. EPA Established Endosulfan Tolerances Revoked July 31, 2012
 

cc:   Mr. Joe Marade, DPR Agricultural Commissioner Liaison
        Enforcement Branch Liaisons

1001 I Street  ·   P.O. Box 4015  ·  Sacramento, California 95812-4015  ·   www.cdpr.ca.gov
A Department of the California Environmental Protection Agency