EPA scrutinizes pesticide ingredients

Washington – The Environmental Protection Agency is seeking public comment regarding a proposal to remove 72 chemicals from its list of substances that are approved for use in pesticide products.

EPA said the chemicals in question are not currently being used as inert ingredients in any pesticide product, but had been included as part of a list of 371 chemicals targeted for disclosure by Beyond Pesticides, the Center for Environmental Health, Physicians for Social Responsibility and other groups. Chemicals such as turpentine oil and nitrous oxide were listed as possibilities for removal.

Pesticides have been a focus this year for EPA, which in February unveiled a proposal for “commonsense revisions” that included mandates for annual pesticide safety training for farmworkers and warning signs around pesticide-treated areas.

“This is the first major step in our strategy to reduce risks from pesticides containing potentially hazardous inert ingredients,” Jim Jones, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, said in a press release.

The deadline for comment is Nov. 21.