WASHINGTON, DC — The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says it is ending use of endosulfan in the United States, according to AP. The pesticide has already been banned in 60 countries, although it is still used in Australia. Endosulfan use has been limited in the US since 2002; production will now be phased out by manufacturer Makhteshim Agan of North America (MANA). MANA is in discussions with EPA to work out the details of a plan which will phase out the use of endosulfan over time while giving growers options for moving toward other pest control practices.
The insecticide, used on cotton and some fruits and vegetables, has been said to cause nerve damage in farm workers through inhalation or skin contact, as well as present a hazard to wildlife. Endosulfan, first registered in the 1950’s, is marketed exclusively by MANA under the brand names Thionex 3EC and Thionex 50W. MANA will announce the final timetable for Thionex to producers and agrochemical retailers in the coming weeks.
Two years ago, several groups of workers and environmental advocates sued the EPA for re-registering endosulfan.
In a press release, Raleigh, North Carolina, US-based MANA stated: “From a scientific standpoint, MANA continues to disagree fundamentally with EPA’s conclusions regarding endosulfan and believes that key uses are still eligible for re-registration,” said Scott Rawlins, MANA director of global governmental and industry relations. “The Agency has made a number of overly conservative and unrealistic assumptions about how endosulfan is used that do not reflect the best available science.
“However, given the fact that the endosulfan market is quite small and the cost of developing and submitting additional data high, we have decided to voluntarily negotiate an agreement with EPA that provides growers with an adequate time frame to find alternatives for the damaging insect pests currently controlled by endosulfan,” Rawlins said.