News emanated in many directions from recent actions by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency against agricultural uses of the pesticides methyl parathion and azinphos methyl. Three key public events coincided with the August 3 anniversary of the 1996 Food Quality Protection Act - also the first of three deadlines for FQPA-mandated reassessment of pesticide tolerances:

• 1 p.m. August 2 EPA news conference announcing cancellation agreements and risk reduction strategies, with statements from EPA Administrator Carol Browner and U.S. Department of Agriculture Deputy Secretary Richard Rominger.
• 3 p.m. August 2 technical briefing on EPA's methyl parathion risk assessment.
• 2 p.m. August 3 subcommittee hearing of the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture

http://www.usda.gov/news/speeches/index99.htm

Contents: Speech no. 0314, text of Rominger's news conference statement.

http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/announcements8299.htm

Contents: EPA press release and text of Browner's statement; summary of methyl parathion risk assessment; fact sheets on the methyl parathion and azinphos methyl cancellation agreements and risk management decisions; and other FQPA-related information, including the EPA schedule for review of organophosphate pesticides.

http://www.agriculture.house.gov/hearings/testimony.htm

Contents: Submitted testimony regarding "Impact of FQPA Implementation on Public Health" before the Subcommittee on Department Operations, Oversight, Nutrition and Forestry. Includes statements by Richard Rominger and Peter Robertson, EPA deputy administrator. Transcripts that include remarks from congressional members are not yet posted.

Most Recent Use Data
At the end of this OPMP Monthly are the most recent use data published by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) regarding crop treatments with azinphos methyl and methyl parathion. The information is taken from the following NASS releases, which are posted at http://www.usda.gov/nass/ :

• Agricultural Chemical Usage - 1997 Fruits Summary, released July 21, 1998
• Agricultural Chemical Usage - 1998 Vegetable Summary, released July 21, 1999
• Agricultural Chemical Usage - 1998 Field Crops Summary, released May 19, 1999

Chlorpyrifos, an organophospate with significant agricultural and residential uses, has begun the six-phase process for development of a risk assessment and risk mitigation plans. This six-phase process was recommended by the Tolerance Reassessment Advisory Committee (TRAC) and is described on the EPA web site at http://www.epa.gov/oppsrrd1/op/process.htm .

As previously reported, USDA and the land-grant universities are involved in reviewing EPA risk assessments for the organophosphates. This role was recommended by TRAC and is coordinated by this office.

The draft assessment for chlorpyrifos now is in the 30-day period of error correction by the registrant (Phase 1). USDA participates at this phase to conduct a basic review on the use of USDA data.

In Phase 2, EPA makes revisions based on Phase 1 corrections and then initiates Phase 3 - a 60-day public comment period - by placing a completed preliminary risk assessment on the EPA web site and in a public docket. When Phase 3 begins, the OPMP will alert the land-grant universities and affected commodity groups, and also provide a summary and list of sections in the assessment where data and assumptions should be evaluated by the agricultural community.

During Phase 4, EPA revises the assessment. The USDA and land-grant partners contribute again by reviewing the revised assessment. The revised assessment, which EPA may present at a technical briefing, is then publicly posted. This begins Phase 5, in which risk mitigation suggestions are sought through a 60-day comment period. In Phase 6, another 60-day period, a completed risk mitigation plan is produced.

It's advisable to begin early, prior to Phase 5, to begin examining important uses of chlorpyrifos. In agriculture, the largest volume use (26%) is on corn. Based on U.S. totals, crops with a high percent of treated acreage are: Brussel sprouts (73%), cranberries (46%) apples (44%), broccoli (41%) and cauliflower (31%). Some 70% of urban use involves termite control.

Land-grant faculty may contact the OPMP if interested in participating in the USDA review of chlorpyrifos. Any interested individual may access risk assessments during the public comment periods by checking the EPA web site at http://www.epa.gov/oppsrrd1/op/status.htm . An explanation of how to comment may be found at http://www.epa.gov/oppsrrd1/op/involve.htm.

An EPA draft guidance document, open to public comment through September 13, is an excellent primer about how EPA gathers and employs information on pesticide use. Entitled, "The Role of Use-Related Information in Pesticide Risk Assessment and Risk Management," it can be viewed at http://www.epa.gov/oppbead1/use-related.pdf . Prospective land-grant reviewers and others who expect to comment on risk assessments would benefit from studying this document.

Worker Protection
Dr. Teung Chin will join the EPA Pesticides Handler Exposure Task Force as USDA's headquarters representative to help evaluate and improve this database. Also regarding worker protection, USDA is exploring the feasibility of a study to generate exposure data for the use of chemical-resistant aprons. Such data would enable EPA to assign a protective factor for use of this personal protective equipment.

Mosquito Control
OPMP hosted USDA and EPA staff on July 1 for a briefing by Dr. James Dukes on his research into mosquitocide applications and technology. Dr. Dukes is the mosquito adulticide research leader of the Public Health Entomology Research and Education Center at the John A. Mulrennan Sr. Arthropod Research Laboratory of Florida A&M University in Panama City, Florida. He provided some of the first available information on deposition patterns of aerial mosquitocide applications, which was used by the EPA to confirm residential exposure risk derived from the agricultural spray drift model. Dr. Dukes also presented his preliminary findings on using different nozzles to reduce aerial mosquitocide use up to 50 percent while maintaining equivalent efficacy.

Metallic Phosphide Fumigants
OPMP's Ted Rogers continues to work with USDA's Phosphine Task Force, the EPA and the Aluminum/Magnesium Phosphide Re-registration Coalition. These cooperators are assisting the Agency with development of new proposed risk mitigation measures (RMMs) for the use of aluminum and magnesium phosphide fumigants. The new proposals are expected to appear in the Federal Register in September, along with a schedule for public meetings.

IR-4 Food Use Workshop
August 25-27 in Denver, Colorado: At this meeting IR-4 will review and prioritize the year 2000 potential research plan. Each pest control discipline - disease control, insect/mite control and weed control - are provided a day of discussion. Industry is encouraged to attend and present information about new crop protection technology. Contact cferrazoli@aesop.rutgers.edu for registration and hotel information; contact jbaron@aesop.rutgers.edu for workshop information.

Crop Profiles Posted in July ( http://ipmwww.ncsu.edu/opmppiap/proindex.htm)

American Samoa: taro 

California: plum

Delaware: spinach

Georgia: blueberry

Michigan: asparagus, cabbage, fresh cucumber, processed cucumbers

Ohio: strawberry 

Oregon: sugarbeet, wheat, cranberry, potato, spinach, hazelnut, sweet cherry

West Virginia: dairy cattle
 

New Pesticide Safety Web Site Debuts
The EPA Office of Pesticide Programs recently added a page on Pesticide Safety Programs to its web site. Among the programs featured are the pesticide applicator Certification and Training Program, which is coordinated with the USDA Pesticide Applicator Training (PAT) Program. A draft report and proposals on the future of the programs is posted at the site for public review. Other features of the site include links regarding the Worker Protection Standard and National Strategies for Health Care Providers. http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/safety/

NOTE: In the list that follows, the "Reported, but not published" descriptor means the active ingredient was identified during the survey as being used on the crop of interest, but by too few respondents to permit publishing under NASS disclosure rules. In these data sets, most of the "Reported, but not published" citations represent a range of up to 10 percent of the crop treated, although most represent less than one percent of the crop treated. For more information, contact James A. Ewing at (202)690-2284 or Glenn Strasburg at (202)720-7492.

NOTE: In the list that follows, the "Reported, but not published" descriptor means the active ingredient was identified during the survey as being used on the crop of interest, but by too few respondents to permit publishing under NASS disclosure rules. In these data sets, most of the "Reported, but not published" citations represent a range of up to 10 percent of the crop treated, although most represent less than one percent of the crop treated. For more information, contact James A. Ewing at (202)690-2284 or Glenn Strasburg at (202)720-7492.

Note: In the list that follows, the "Reported, but not published" descriptor means the active ingredient was identified during the survey as being used on the crop of interest, but by too few respondents to permit publishing under NASS disclosure rules. In these data sets, most of the "Reported, but not published" citations represent a range of up to 10 percent of the crop treated, although most represent less than one percent of the crop treated. For more information, contact James A. Ewing at (202)690-2284 or Glenn Strasburg at (202)720-7492.

NOTE: In the list that follows, the "Reported, but not published" descriptor means the active ingredient was identified during the survey as being used on the crop of interest, but by too few respondents to permit publishing under NASS disclosure rules. In these data sets, most of the "Reported, but not published" citations represent a range of up to 10 percent of the crop treated, although most represent less than one percent of the crop treated. For more information, contact James A. Ewing at (202)690-2284 or Glenn Strasburg at (202)720-7492.

NOTE: In the list that follows, the "Reported, but not published" descriptor means the active ingredient was identified during the survey as being used on the crop of interest, but by too few respondents to permit publishing under NASS disclosure rules. In these data sets, most of the "Reported, but not published" citations represent a range of up to 10 percent of the crop treated, although most represent less than one percent of the crop treated. For more information, contact James A. Ewing at (202)690-2284 or Glenn Strasburg at (202)720-7492.

NOTE: In the list that follows, the "Reported, but not published" descriptor means the active ingredient was identified during the survey as being used on the crop of interest, but by too few respondents to permit publishing under NASS disclosure rules. In these data sets, most of the "Reported, but not published" citations represent a range of up to 10 percent of the crop treated, although most represent less than one percent of the crop treated. For more information, contact James A. Ewing at (202)690-2284 or Glenn Strasburg at (202)720-7492.

Last Modified August 10, 1999