EPA Issues Emergency Order to Stop Use of Pesticide Dacthal to Address Serious Health Risk

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Note: This is abbreviated version of the announcement that Hastings posted. For full details go to
https://pestmanagement.rutgers.edu/news/

[US EPA. WASHINGTON ]– Today, Aug. 6, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is announcing the emergency suspension of all registrations ( i.e.,editorial note*: IMMEDIATE CANCELLATION OF ALL DISTRIBUTION, SALE, and USE pending EPA full analysis of risks and benefits in a cancellation hearing) of the pesticide dimethyl tetrachloroterephthalate (DCPA or Dacthal) under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). This is the first time in almost 40 years EPA has taken this type of emergency action.

EPA has taken this action because unborn babies whose pregnant mothers are exposed to DCPA, sometimes without even knowing the exposure has occurred, could experience changes to fetal thyroid hormone levels, and these changes are generally linked to low birth weight, impaired brain development, decreased IQ, and impaired motor skills later in life, some of which may be irreversible.

Editorial Notes*:

  1. Suspension is an interim remedy which enables the Agency to abate potential unreasonable adverse effects in advance of the full analysis of risks and benefits in a cancellation hearing. Pursuant to FIFRA section 6(c)(3), effective immediately, no person in any state may distribute, sell, offer for sale, hold for sale, ship, deliver for shipment, or receive and (having so received) deliver or offer to deliver to any person any pesticide product containing DCPA.
  2. This Emergency Order expressly prohibits any person from using any pesticide product containing DCPA for any purpose.
  3. Additionally, in accordance with FIFRA section 6(a)(1), EPA has elected not to permit the continued use of existing stocks, consistent with its policies applicable to cancellations where the Agency has identified significant risk concerns. See 56 FR 29362, 29367, June 26, 1991 (FRL-3845-4).
  4. However, EPA will allow continued distribution of existing stocks of DCPA for the express purpose of returning any DCPA product to the registrant of such products.
  5. EPA intends to issue a notice of intent to cancel DCPA products within the next 90 days, pursuant to FIFRA section 6(c)(3)