June 2000
Pesticide Banned by EPA
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
has banned most home uses of chlorpyrifos, commonly referred to as Dursban,
Lorsban and other trade names. Chlorpyrifos is one of the United
States' most widely-used insecticides in and around the home.
The EPA performed a revised risk assessment
of chlorpyrifos and has entered agreements to lessen exposure to
chlorpyrifos by reducing residential, food and drinking water risks.
About 50 percent of chlorpyrifos is used in
and around residential homes. The agreement will cancel and phase out nearly
all indoor and outdoor residential uses. It effectively eliminates the
use of chlorpyrifos by homeowners, limiting use to certified, professional,
or agricultural applicators.
Those uses that pose the most immediate risks
to children, including home lawn, indoor crack and crevice treatments, and
whole-house, post-construction termiticide treatments, will be canceled
first. Spot and local post-construction and pre-construction
termiticide uses will be phased out over the next several years. Below
is a chart of the agreed upon mitigation measures and effective dates for home uses of
chlorpyrifos.
| Site |
Mitigation Measures |
Effective Dates |
| Home lawn and
most other outdoor uses |
Classify new
end-use products for restricted use or package in large containers
(except baits in child-resistant packaging)
Use will be canceled |
As of 12-1-00
Stop formulation 12-1-00
Formulators stop sale 2-1-01
Retailers stop sale 12-31-01 |
| Crack and
crevice and most other indoor uses |
Classify new
end-use products for restricted use or package in large containers
Use will be canceled |
As of 12-1-00
Stop formulation 12-1-00
Formulators atop sale 2-1-01
Retailers stop sale 12-31-01
|
| Termiticides
Full-barrier (whole-house)
post-construction use
Spot and local post-construction use
Pre-construction use |
Classify new
products for restricted use or package in large containers
Limit use to 0.5%
Use will be canceled
Use will be canceled
Use will be canceled |
As of 12-1-00
In label directions as of 12-1-00
Stop formulation 12-1-00
Formulators stop sale 2-1-01
Retailers stop sale 12-31-01
Stop formulation 12-1-00 unless label has stop use date of 12-31-02
Stop production 12-31-04
Stop use 12-31-05
|
For more information on the chlorpyrifos
decision, visit www.epa.gov/pesticides.
Or to learn more about pesticides and their toxicity, contact the National
Pesticide Telecommunications Network at (800) 858-7378.
Other stories in this month's report:
