Herbicide Review Complete, Comments Requested
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announces it has completed a cumulative risk assessment of crop protection class of products - triazines.
Compiled by staff
Published: Jun 26, 2006
Late Friday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced it had completed its triazine cumulative risk assessment. The last products in the review process - simazine and propazine - now have reregistration eligibility decisions that require public comment. The third product in the class - atrazine - received its interim RED in 2003.
In its review, EPA concluded that the chlorinated triazine class of pesticides - with mitigation measures for atrazine and simazine outlined in those individual decisions - have cumulative risks below the Food Quality Protection Act regulatory level of concern. Triazine tolerances have been reassessed and found to meet safety standards established by the FQPA. The agency has finalized its interim RED for atrazine - completed in 2003, through this cumulative assessment.
EPA is looking for public comment by Aug. 21, 2006 on the triazine cumulative risk assessment, the RED for simazine and the tolerance reassessment decision for propazine. EPA notes that products with triazine pesticides - atrazine alone is included as a premix in dozens of herbicides - must still complete product reregistration where label changes and associated risk-mitigation measures will be included.
In reviewing these products, EPA looked at product use in three regions - the Midwest, California and Florida. The agency also looked at four exposure scenarios - drinking water in each region, and home lawn or golf course exposure in Florida. The agency has concluded that cumulative exposures to triazine residues are not a concern in any of the four exposure scenarios.
You can learn more about the review and how to make a comment by visiting www.epa.gov/oppsrrd1/cumulative/triazine_fs.htm.
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Tagged: EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, herbicides
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