EPA Publishes Cancellation Order on Azinphos-methyl Group 2 Uses
EPA issued an order in the Federal Register on March 29, 2006, amending registrations of azinphos methyl (AZM) products to terminate the "Group 2" uses, which include caneberries, cotton, cranberries, peaches/nectarines, potatoes, and Southern pine seed orchards. This order follows up on an August 2005 notice of receipt of requests from the registrants to voluntarily cancel the Group 2 uses.
Under the existing stocks provisions, distribution or sale of AZM products for these uses is allowed until March 31, 2006, and use of these products is allowed until September 30, 2006.
During the public comment period, EPA received two comments in response to the August 17, 2005, Federal Register notice announcing the Agency's receipt of requests to terminate the Group 2 uses of AZM. These comments were reviewed and taken into consideration in developing the decision to proceed with this cancellation order. A response was sent to each commentor and placed in the public docket.
This order canceling certain AZM uses is the result of EPA's October 2001 AZM Interim Reregistration Eligibility Decision (IRED) and a May 2002 Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the Agency and the registrants of AZM pesticide products. The MOA implemented the
provisions of the IRED by dividing the universe of AZM uses into three groups. Group 1 contained 23 crops with little use that were deleted from product labels immediately. Group 2 consists of the seven uses that are the subject of this order; these uses will be phased out in September 2006. Group 3 is comprised of the only 10 remaining uses of AZM, which have time-limited registrations that are currently being re-evaluated. The current order implements EPA's decision on the Group 2 uses of AZM.
