Pesticide Phase-Out To Begin in March 2001

Advisory Report - December 2000

Pesticide Phase-Out To Begin in March 2001
The EPA announced an agreement on December 4, 2000 to phase-out diazinon, one of the most widely used pesticides in the United States, for indoor uses, beginning in March 2001, and for all lawn, garden and turf uses by December 2003.

According to the EPA, diazinon is the most widely used pesticide by homeowners on lawns, and is one of the most widely used pesticide ingredients for application around the home and in gardens. It is used to control insects and grub worms. The agreement reached with the manufacturers, Syngenta and Makhteshim Agan, will eliminate 75 percent of the pesticide's use, which amounts to more than 11 million pounds annually.

The EPA is taking this action under the Food Quality Protection Act, which President Clinton signed into law in 1996 after the Administration helped lead the way for the new, tougher national pesticide law. Since then, EPA has targeted a large group of older, riskier pesticides called organophosphates for review because they pose the greatest potential risk to children. 

In August of 1999, for example, EPA announced action against methyl parathion and azinphos methyl to protect children from pesticide residues in food. The Agency reached an agreement to halt by December 2000 the manufacture of chlorpyrifos, or Dursban, for nearly all residential uses. Diazinon -- used in homes, and on lawns and gardens -- is the latest organophosphate to be phased out. Specifically, the terms of the agreement implement the following phase-out schedules:

• For the indoor household use, the registration will be canceled on March 2001, and all retail sales will stop by December 2002.

• For all lawn, garden and turf uses, manufacturing stops in June 2003; all sales and distribution to retailers ends in August 2003. Further, the company will implement a product recovery program in 2004 to complete the phase out of the product.

• Additionally, as part of the phase out, for all lawn, garden, and turf uses, the agreement ratchets down the manufacturing amounts. Specifically, for 2002, there will be a 25 percent decrease in production; and for 2003, there will be a 50 percent decrease in production.

• Also, the agreement begins the process to cancel around 20 different uses on food crops.

Organophosphates can affect the nervous system. The effects from diazinon vary depending on the dose, but symptoms from over-exposure can include nausea, headaches, vomiting, diarrhea, and general weakness. This ban also represents an important step for the environment. Diazinon's use on turf poses a risk to birds, and it is one of the most commonly found pesticides in air, rain, and drinking and surface water.

It is legal to purchase and use diazinon products according to label directions and precautions. If consumers choose to discontinue use, they should contact their state or local hazardous waste disposal program or the local solid waste collection service for information on proper disposal.

Additional information can be found at www.epa.gov/pesticides.