Endosulfan Uses To Be Ended Under FIFRA

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking action to end all uses of the insecticide endosulfan in the United States. Endosulfan, which is used on vegetables, fruits, and cotton, was determined to pose unacceptable neurological and reproductive risks to farmworkers and wildlife and can persist in the environment. EPA is currently working out the details of the decision that will eliminate all endosulfan uses, while incorporating consideration of the needs for growers to timely move to lower-risk pest control practices.

Under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), EPA must consider endosulfan’s risks and benefits. While EPA implemented various restrictions in a 2002 re-registration decision, EPA’s phaseout is based on new data and scientific peer review, which have improved EPA’s assessment of the ecological and worker risks from endosulfan. EPA’s 2010 revised ecological risk assessment reflects a comprehensive review of all available exposure and ecological effects information for endosulfan, including independent external peer-reviewed recommendations made by the endosulfan Scientific Advisory Panel.

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