Stop-Sale Insecticide Deadline Will Have Major Impact on Consumers

Pest control around the home will likely get harder beginning in 2005.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued a notice reminding the nation’s retailers of the Dec. 31, 2004, stop-sale date for all outdoor diazinon home, lawn and garden products. Simply put, it will be illegal to sell diazinon outdoor nonagricultural use products at the end of this year --- part of an agreement between EPA and diazinon registrants to phase out and eliminate all residential use of the insecticide. The agreement is part of an ongoing effort under the 1996 Food Quality Protection Act, which seeks to assess the safety of insecticides based on an individual’s aggregate exposure to these substances from air, food, drinking water and other sources. Children are a special concern.

The regulation’s exacting standards already have resulted in the losses of several insecticides, and more losses are expected in the future.

While the loss of this key pesticide will not be tragic for consumers, it will mean they will have to be better informed when buying pesticides in the future.

Diazinon is known as broad-spectrum pesticide, meaning it is currently labeled for use on a wide variety of insect pests.

“This product has been popular among consumers for the simple reason it was broad-spectrum and didn’t require much knowledge to use,” says Dr. Lawrence “Fudd” Graham, an Alabama Cooperative Extension System pesticide education specialist.

The good news is there are other insecticide alternatives available. The bad news is that many of these insecticides are insect-specific rather than broad-spectrum --- meaning they can be used only on one insect species.

“In some cases, these alternatives will actually be more effective on pests, although they will be more expensive,” Graham says. “But the biggest challenge to consumers will be following the directions carefully and applying the product correctly.”

Diazinon is widely used on fire ants as well as on many common home- and vegetable-garden pests.

Diazinon registrants are offering a buyback to assist with removing the product and preventing further resale. The registrants will repurchase any unopened, unused outdoor residential products from retailers or formulators.

EPA is advising retailers to make all possible efforts to sell their diazinon products back to manufacturers by March 31, 2005.

Consumers may continue using diazinon residential products according to label directions and precautions. However, if they opt to discontinue use, they should contact their state or local hazardous waste disposal program or local solid waste collection service for information on proper disposal.

Consumers are urged not to dispose of pesticides in sinks, toilets, storm drains or any body of water. In some cases, local governments may advise consumers to take diazinon products to house hazardous waste collection sites.

Diazinon, known an organophosphate pesticide, has been one of the most widely used pesticide products in the United States for household lawn and garden pest control as well as for indoor residential treatments.

More information about the product and the phase-out has been posted on the EPA Web site at the following url:

[Source: Dr. Lawrence “Fudd” Graham, Alabama Cooperative Extension System Pesticide Education Specialist, (334) 844-2563.]

Posted by Jim Langcuster at October 4, 2004 04:06 PM | TrackBack