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Soil Fumigant Assessments
Updated November 6, 2007
October 2007 -- EPA approved a time-limited one-year registration of iodomethane with highly protective restrictions governing its use. The Agency will reevalutate this registration in 2008, concurrent with developing decisions on the other soil fumigant pesticides.
Soil fumigants are pesticides which, when applied to soil, form a gas to control pests which live in the soil and can disrupt plant growth and crop production. Fumigants are used on a wide range of annual and perennial crops. The largest amounts of soil fumigants are used in growing potatoes, tomatoes, tobacco, carrots, strawberries, and peppers to control plant pathogens, nematodes, and weeds.
On this page:
Soil fumigants play a very important role in agriculture, but they also have the potential to pose safety concerns.
- Bystanders - people who live, work, or otherwise may be near fields that are fumigated - may be exposed to soil fumigants in the air.
- Even people farther away may be exposed through ambient air.
- Workers who handle and apply the soil fumigants or enter areas where they have been applied may be at risk.
EPA's goal in evaluating the soil fumigants is to ensure safety and maintain their benefits to agriculture.
EPA is assessing risks and will develop risk management decisions for five soil fumigant pesticides:
- chloropicrin
- dazomet
- metam sodium
- methyl bromide, and
- a new active ingredient, iodomethane.
Risks of a sixth soil fumigant, 1,3-D (Telone), will be discussed for comparative purposes; the risk management decision for 1,3-D (Telone) was completed in 1998. The Agency is evaluating these soil fumigants concurrently to ensure that human health risk assessment approaches are consistent, and that risk tradeoffs and economic outcomes can be considered appropriately in reaching risk management decisions. This review is part of EPA's program to ensure that all pesticides meet current health and safety standards.
For additional information:
- Soil Fumigant Assessments, background paper
- Overview of the Use of Soil
Fumigants (PDF) (31 pp, 1.1 MB, About PDF)
Public Participation Process and How to Get Involved
EPA is evaluating each of the soil fumigants using a 6-phase public participation process, outlined below. The Agency encourages public involvement starting early and continuing throughout the evaluation process.
Phase 1 - "Error Only" Review of Risk Assessments by Registrants and USDA
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Completed fall 2004 and winter 2005.
Phase 2 - EPA Addresses Registrants' "Error Only" Comments
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Completed spring 2005.
Phase 3 - 60-Day Public Comment on Preliminary Risk Assessments
Completed fall 2006.
EPA issued the preliminary soil fumigant risk assessments for public comment. Stakeholders and the public were asked to provide additional use and usage information to further refine the Agency's soil fumigant risk assessments.
- First 4 Risk Assessments Issued for Comment - As explained in Federal Register notices for dazomet, metam sodium, methyl bromide, and 1,3-D (Telone), EPA's preliminary risk assessments and related documents for these soil fumigants were available for public comment from July 13 through October 12, 2005.
- Technical Briefing July 13, 2005 - EPA held a public meeting, known as a Technical Briefing, on July 13, 2005, to present the Agency's preliminary risk assessments for dazomet, metam sodium, methyl bromide, and 1,3-D (Telone). The Technical Briefing provided an opportunity for the public to learn more about the data, information, and methodologies that the Agency used in developing its preliminary risk assessments for these soil fumigant pesticides.
- Chloropicrin and Iodomethane Risk Assessments
- Chloropicrin -- EPA issued the preliminary risk assessments for public comment November 29, 2006.
- Iodomethane -- EPA approved a time-limited one-year registration of iodomethane in October 2007 with highly protective restrictions governing its use. The Agency will reevaluate this registration in 2008, concurrent with developing decisions on the other soil fumigant pesticides.
Phase 4 - EPA Revises Risk Assessments and Develops Benefits Analysis and Risk Management Options
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Completed fall 2006 and winter 2007
Phase 5 - 60-Day Public Comment on Revised Risk Assessments, Benefits Analysis, and Risk Management Options
- Public Comment Requested on Risk Mitigation Options -- From May 2 to November 3, 2007, EPA requested public comment and stakeholder input on risk management options and benefits assessments for the soil fumigants. For more information, see the Agency's May 2, 2007, Federal Register notices for chloropicrin, dazomet, metam sodium/potassium, methyl bromide, and 1,3-D or Telone.
- Public Meetings -- EPA hosted stakeholder meetings in the States of Washington and Florida, and participated in meetings in California. Through these meetings, the Agency obtained first-hand comments on possible human health risk mitigation options from stakeholders who are most affected by soil fumigant use. This information will help inform EPA's decisions on the soil fumigant pesticides later this year.
- Washington Meeting -- Held May 22, 2007, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Pacific) at the Federal Building, 825 Jadwin Avenue, Richland, WA 99352
- Meeting Agenda (3 pp, 52 KB, About PDF)
- Documents presented at the Washington meeting are available in Regulations.gov in docket EPA-HQ-OPP-2005-0125
- Florida Meeting -- Held June 6, 2007, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Eastern)
at the Harborside Event Center, 1375 Monroe Street, Ft. Myers, FL 33901
- California Meetings -- Held May 30, 2007, by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation, focusing on California's risk management proposals for metam sodium/potassium. See their website for more information.
Completed fall 2007
Phase 6 - EPA Develops Final Risk Management Decisions
(Anticipated Time Frame: Fall 2007 - 2008)
EPA is considering public comments and input received on the revised risk assessments, benefits analysis, and risk management options. In consultation with stakeholders, the Agency will develop and issue risk management decisions for the soil fumigants.
Soil Fumigant Pesticides
Chloropicrin - Reregistration Eligibility Decision (RED) scheduled in 2008. Docket ID Number EPA-HQ-OPP-2007-0350
Dazomet - RED scheduled in 2008. Docket ID Number EPA-HQ-OPP-2005-0128
Iodomethane -- EPA approved a time-limited one-year registration of iodomethane in October 2007 with highly protective restrictions governing its use. The Agency will reevaluate this registration in 2008, concurrent with developing decisions on the other soil fumigant pesticides.
Methyl bromide - TRED/RED (commodity uses) issued in summer 2006; RED (soil, greenhouse, residential, and structural fumigant uses) scheduled in 2008. Docket ID Number EPA-HQ-OPP-2005-0123
More information about The Phaseout of Methyl Bromide.
1,3-Dichloropropene (Telone) RED was completed in September 1998. It is included in the fumigants review for comparative purposes, and to provide a more complete picture of soil fumigant uses, risks, and benefits. Docket ID Number EPA-HQ-OPP-2005-0124