[January News] EPA ponders pair of rodenticide issues

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The United States Environmental Protection Agency is in the process of resolving a pair of issues related to the agency’s Reregistration Eligibility Decisions (REDs) on the rodenticide cluster (brodifacoum, bromadiolone, brom-ethalin, chlorophacinone, diphacinone), and zinc phosphide as well as three other rodenticides, warfarin, difethialone and cholecalciferol.

The first issue dates back to 2001 when EPA revised the Rodenticide Cluster RED to rescind the requirement that a bittering agent and indicator dye be added in the formulations of the aforementioned rodenticides. In that decision, EPA accepted a federal advisory committee’s conclusion that the risk of children’s exposure to rodenticides was minimal and that bittering agents and indicator dies should not be required because of technical issues associated with this technology.

However, this issue was rekindled in November 2004 after a pair of environmental groups filed suits, asking a federal judge to reinstate the requirement for a bittering agent and indicator dye to be added to rodenticide formulations. A decision in this case is pending.

The second issue involves outdoor use of rodenticides. As part of the Rodenticide Cluster RED, EPA wanted further studies to find out if unacceptable levels of non-target species were being adversely affected by rodenticides. EPA has since issued three comparative risk assessments of rodenticides and the most recent assessment, filed earlier this year, suggests that there are unacceptable risks, according to the agency. Many groups disagree with these assessments because they believe the analysis was made using weak anecdotal data (which came from New York and California). The next stage of the process is to solicit comments on how to mitigate those risks. This most recent action suggests that EPA might be moving towards banning or strictly reducing the use of rodenticides outdoors.

The comment period is until Jan. 21. If you are interested in submitting comments to EPA on this matter and are interested in suggested language, contact the National Pest Management Association at rosenberg @pestworld.org or gharrington@pestworld.org. — Brad Harbison