Newest News from the Office of Pest Management Policy: January 2004

Highlights

• Crop Profiles
• Pest Management Strategic Plans (PMS Plans)
• Chemical News
• Legislation

From the desk of Wilfred Burr
USDA/OPMP
1400 Independence Ave. SW
Washington, DC 20250-0315
Phone: (202-720-8647)

Arkansas	Colorado
Bean,green (new) Tomato (new) Watermelon (new)	Alfalfa (update) Barley (update) Beans, dry edible (update) Corn, field (update) Oats (update) Onion (update) Potato (update) Soybean (update) Proso millet (new) Sugarbeet (update) Winter wheat (update) Delaware:Apple (new)
Delaware	Florida
Apple (new)	Strawberry (update)
Georgia	Kansas
Squash (new)	Beans, dry edible (new) Cotton (new) Pasture (new)
Minnesota	Nebraska
Soybean (new)	Sunflower (new) Wheat (new)
New Jersey	North Central
Alfalfa (new) Asparagus (new) Cranberry (update) Peach (update) Spinach (new)	Legumes (new) Corn, pop (new) Corn, sweet (new)
North Carolina	Pacific Islands
Christmas tree (update) Leafy greens (new) Strawberry (new)	Banana (new)
Puerto Rico	Texas
Coffee (new)	Beans, green (new) Corn (new)
Wisconsin
Cabbage (new)

Pest Management Strategic Plans (PMS Plans)
Posted since August at http://www.ipmcenters.org

California

Avocado Caneberry Cherry Grapes, table Kiwifruit Nectarine Olive Peach Pear Plums

Florida

Strawberry

Midwest

Potato Soybean Legumes

New England

Apple

Ohio

Pepper

Pacific Northwest

Caneberry

Texas

Citrus Peanuts, stored

Recent PMS meetings

Spinach: DE, MD, NJ — January 5th

Upcoming PMS meetings

Ginseng: MI, WI - March

Cypermethrin
Phase I has begun. The preliminary human health risk assessment from HED has been sent to the registrants for error correction only review. They have 30 days in which to respond. These comments will be incorporated into the assessment and then I will be able to pass it on to you for comments and review.

Pyrethrins, Piperonyl Butoxide (PBO) and MGK-264
The Use Closure Memo has gone out for review and comments. This is the use and usage data that will be used in the risk assessment. Several weeks ago I sent a copy to the Regional IPM Centers for review and comments.

From the desk of Teung Chin (301-734-8943)

CHLORPYRIFOS - EPA is processing an OPMP/Forest Service request to place bark beetles on the Dursban 4e label. The use involves applications to single infested trees via a back pack or hydraulic sprayer.

FRUIT FLY ATTRACTANTS - OPMP is working with ARS and the State of Hawaii to ensure the registration of methyl eugenol for oriental fruit fly and cuelure (4-(p-hydroxyphenyl)- 2-butanone acetate) for melon fly. ARS is awaiting to hear back regarding registrant intentions for the three-lure attractant (ammonium acetate, trimethylamine, and putrescine)for oriental fruit fly. Previously, EPA did not register insect attractants as active ingredients, only as inerts, but is now requiring their registration.

CHLORSULFURON - The Chlorsulfuron RED has been pushed back to '06. The Forest Service is developing an Environmental Impact Statement so that it can be used in national forests.

COUMAPHOS - EPA is considering an APHIS request to no cancel existing tolerances for coumaphos on imported sheep and imported goats. Because the tolerances have not yet expired, no renewal or application to establish tolerances are needed, per EPA. APHIS is requesting that existing PDP data for beef and horses be surrogates for imported sheep and goats.

FORMETANATE HCL - OPMP and the Western Region Pest Management Center
Alerted SRRD that the 2001 PDP data on nectarines do not reflect the current label. The CRM. The nectarine and peach residue values should then fall below the levels of detection when the label requirement of no applications after petal fall are ascribed. The current label rates are lower than those existing stocks from the old 2000 label. The Carzol RED is still in Phase 2 and not out for public comment.

MALATHION - 11/24 Worked with APHIS Grasshopper and Boll Weevil Programs in collecting monitoring and rationale for buffers at the request of the registrant. Documents sent to the registrant 11/24. HED is still conducting its review of the tox studies.

MALATHION - Provided EPA usage information for the Boll Weevil Program. EPA is aware of the importance of the program. Tox studies are still being assessed. A final RED decision is not scheduled until well into '04.

ILSI PROBABILISTIC WORKER EXPOSURE WORKSHOP - USDA provided some funding for support of a November workshop in Belgium organized by the International Life Sciences Institute. The workshop was organized, in part, due to an initiative by the EU. Canada, CDPR and US EPA and Crop Life America members led a North American and supported a second European effort to explore the available data, limits and statistical methods for developing probabilistic risk assessments for worker mixer/loader/applicator scenarios. UC Riverside's Bob Krieger and ORACBA's Linda Abbott were external peer reviewers. Bob Krieger also attended the workshop on behalf of growers. Crop Life America members hope that probabilistic risk assessment will accomplish what DEEM assessments have done for deterministic dietary risk assessments. The organizers were not able to present a working model for demonstration at the Belgium meeting so USDA could not comment on the model in any detail. ILSI plans to continue the effort and expand the effort to include agricultural re-entry scenarios, funding permitting. CDPR is interested in evaluating seasonal exposure.

AG HANDLER EXPOSURE TASK FORCE - OPMP has participated in seven study review sessions of the Ag Handler Task Force. We are accepting or rejecting studies in the Pesticide Handler Exposure Database (PHED) using GLP and more current scientific standards. Major data gaps will be filled by new studies to be generated by the AHETF. The accepted studies will be placed into a new proprietary database which is undergoing beta testing. It will be 2-3 years before the new ag handler database will be fully operational.

AHETF and EPA have been working with NASS who will soon initiate a survey of greenhouses for pesticide usage. EPA and CDPR have been reviewing the Dept. of Labor database, the National Ag Worker Survey. They hope to work through data confidentiality issues although they are not optimistic. Statistics include child labor on farms.

AG REENTRY TASK FORCE - OPMP requested SRRD and HED to incorporate the most recent ARTF Transfer Coefficients for Dimethoate, Malathion and Methyl Parathion, which are the three remaining OPs yet to complete the RED process.

For compounds with a steep dose response curve, the REI difference can be one day or more depending on how the DFR is calculated and which transfer coefficient is used.

ARTF still seeks to have more multiple REIs on labels. The current constraints are a WPS provision for a single REI and reluctance by a number of state and federal enforcement agencies to change to current complicated system.

SRRD and ARTF will brief AAPCO on REIs based on plant growth stages during the next AAPCO meetings in Washington in March '04. Enforcement still has questions on the feasibility of this approach.

ARTF drafted a model label based on plant growth stages although orchard crops would still require distinctions based on activity. EPA invited ARTF to brief the POM Subcommittee of SFIREG in March. It was suggested that ARTF also brief the Minor Crop Farmers Alliance.

SOYBEAN RUST - EPA is continuing to review the data for triazoles and their metabolites. Additional information will be provided by the Triazole Task Force in January - February. The PDP data support the prior presumption of low to on-detectable levels of 1,2-4 T, TA and TAA metabolites from current uses. Minnesota and South Dakota have submitted an application for tebuconazole, tetraconazole, propiconazole, myclobutanil, trifloxystrobin, boscalid and pyraclostrobin. More than one triazole is needed so because of the large soybean acreage potentially needing fungicide treatments.

The Triazole Task Force is seeking completed EPA Registration Division decisions for all pending Section 3s, 24)c)s and 18s for all triazoles by early '05.

LACTOFEN (Cobra) - RED was completed in September without major changes to peanuts, soybeans and rice and forest nurseries.

SODIUM ACIFLUORFEN (Blazer) RED was completed in September without major changes to peanuts, soybeans and rice. North Carolina is seeking a 24(c) on strawberries. A tolerance for strawberries is already in place.

RESMETHRIN - USDA attended the SMART meeting held in October. Both registrants will retain all current uses: vector control as well as indoor and outdoor residential uses.

ORIENTAL FRUIT FLY OUTBREAK - A third infestation in California involves detected numbers which triggered APHIS involvement. Naled bait mixed with the attractant methyl eugenol is being applied on poles and trees, as discrete "bait stations."

SPINOSAD - APHIS is seeking to stockpile supplies of spinosad in the U.S. to meet future fruitfly outbreaks more speedily. Unused inventory will be shipped to quarantine areas in Central America while the stocks are still fresh. Organic standards in Europe have not accepted spinosad as yet.

EPA MOSQUITO LABELING RECOMMENDATIONS - EPA is seeking to revise mosquito labels so that repeat applications are only as needed. Prior approval by health officials has been proposed. EPA sought feedback on this issue during the November meeting of the Pesticide Program Dialogue Committee.

EPA/USDA MOU ON PUBLIC HEALTH PESTICIDES - OPP has decided not to move ahead on a proposed EPA/USDA MOU on Public Health Pesticides citing other priorities at the moment including mosquito labeling issues.

Cotton Herbicide Review Held
A cotton herbicide review for the southeast was held in Atlanta on Friday, December 5, 2003. Frank Carter and Garret Van Duyn represented the National Cotton Council, Bob Nichols attended from Cotton Incorporated, Barry Brecke from Florida, Stanly Culpepper from Georgia, and Mike Patterson from Alabama. Harold Coble represented USDA/OPMP and participated for North Carolina in the absence of scientists from NC State. Efficacy of cotton herbicides was reviewed, strengths and weaknesses of alternatives considered, and use and usage figures discussed for each herbicide from each state in the southeast. The discussion will be summarized along with results from similar meetings in the mid-south region and the west and made available soon.

Carboxin (Vitavax)
The EPA released the EFED and HED risk assessments to the registrant for error review in November of 2003. There is very little risk of concern — no dietary, water, or worker risk. There is a possibility of one endangered species. Due to this positive risk picture, EPA is planning on shortening their review of carboxin, at the registrants urging, to four phases that will conclude in mid-summer of 2004.

EBDCs (Maneb, Mancozeb, and Metiram)
The EBDCs comprise a group of three fungicides currently registered in the U.S. used on a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, and ornamentals. Their regulatory review was begun in 1999, and no risk assessments have been finished yet. Risk assessments are expected by the beginning of next year and RED decisions is expected in FY 05.

Thiram
USDA and the registrant met with EPA on 11/14/03. EPA indicated that the phase 3 risk assessments would be published in December of 2003. The registrant has begun a new ANT study in hopes of fixing the NOEL at a higher level. Results from this study, expected to be completed by April of 2004, may alleviate risk concerns of the Agency.

NEXT STEPS: We await the phase 3 risk assessments and the registrant’s new ANT study. We plan to have a teleconference with EPA, the registrants, and growers soon after the phase 3 risk assessments are published, probably sometime in late November.

Soybean Rust
A subgroup of the Working Group is developing Section 18s to cover the use of several fungicides on soybeans and other leguminous species. A Section 18 was submitted from South Dakota and Minnesota for soybean rust on soybeans on 11/5/03. Seven fungicides were requested to provide adequate supply for this potentially rapid spreading and devastating disease. We have met with EPA three times over the past four months to highlight the importance of this Section 18 to USDA and to plan for an orderly submission of quarantine exemptions.

With the help of the Economic Research Service of USDA, a national economic analysis of soybean rust has been attached to the Section 18 draft. I met with 10 ERS economists on 10/15/03 to discuss plans for the analysis of soybean rust and provide cost and other information. Another meeting at ERS headquarters occurred on 11/25/03 to help refine the planned model for the assessment. In attendance were 23 experts on various phases of soybean rust biology.

From the desk of Al Jennings

LEGISLATION--several bills are kicking around.

1. POPs. There is a Senate version amending the Toxic Substances Control Act that would implement the POPs, LRTAP-POPs, and PIC treaty. No action yet in the Ag committee or in the House. Interagency discussions on similar FIFRA amendments have a long history and there is an Administration "discussion draft."
2. Fees. HR 3188 would authorize a "fee for service" to accelerate the registration process. There is broad support for the initiative.
3. Canadian Pesticides. HR 3319 would allow the third party registration of certain Canadian pesticides. The issue is the concern of Northern state farmers that identical products are cheaper in Canada. Needless to say, the registrants are not supportive.

METHYL BROMIDE
The meeting of the parties is scheduled for next week in Kenya. Although the technical committee recommended Critical Use Exemptions mostly as requested by the US, we are anticipating pushback from the EU. The second round of CUEs is proceeding.

ATRAZINE
EPA signed an IRED on 10/31/03 dealing with cancer, amphibian, and aquatic primary producers. The aquatic risk approach is novel and is now harmonized with the Water Quality Criteria from the Water Office. The registrants have committed to monitoring representative highly vulnerable streams. Problems will be mitigated on a local watershed basis. Read the document on the EPA Website for more details. EPA's Steve Bradbury did an outstanding job making this happen and moving the program into the realm of science.

PERCHLORATE
The NAS committee is under way. As the analytical chemistry improves and more people look, the more perchlorate we are finding. Lettuce production from the Imperial Valley will begin in a few weeks. Growers remain concerned about the next salvo from the Enviros.

SOYBEAN RUST
The revised and hopefully final version of the Section 18 was received by EPA last week. We anticipate quick approval so we have chemicals ready to go when (if) the disease arrives.