The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a ruling in August to revoke all tolerances for chlorpyrifos, the active ingredient in Lorsban, following a lengthy review and legal battle.
The summary of the ruling states, “On April 29, 2021, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ordered EPA to issue a final rule concerning the chlorpyrifos tolerances by August 20, 2021. Based on the currently available data and taking into consideration the currently registered uses for chlorpyrifos, EPA is unable to conclude that the risk from aggregate exposure from the use of chlorpyrifos meets the safety standard of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA). Accordingly, EPA is revoking all tolerances for chlorpyrifos.”
Chloripyrifos has been used to manage insect pests in fruit and vegetable crops since the 1960s. This ruling is bringing its use to an end. According to the ruling, “This final rule is effective October 29, 2021. The tolerances for all commodities expire on February 28, 2022.”
We are still learning how this will affect the fruit and vegetable industry, but as of right now it appears growers will be able to use existing stock through the 2021 season.
The South Carolina Grower 