MACON, Ga. — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency published notice of its proposed interim decision (PID) for the herbicides diuron and fluometuron, as well as a number of other chemicals, on April 28. The registration for diuron and fluometuron expires Dec. 31.

The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) requires EPA to review pesticides every 15 years. The PIDs are part of the process to identify risks and actions that can mitigate these risks.

Diuron is used to defoliate cotton plants before harvest and as an herbicide to control weeds in a variety of agricultural sites and non-agricultural sites, including rights-of-way, utilities, and roadways, and as an algaecide in commercial fish production.

Fluometuron is also used for weed control in cotton. The EPA proposal would prohibit its use in high conductivity soils.

EPA is accepting public comments on the PID until June 27. To make a comment, visit https://www.regulations.gov/document/EPA-HQ-OPP-2015-0077-0061 and click the “comment” button.

EPA is proposing the following new measures for diuron:

• Terminate all herbicide uses on food and feed crops to address dietary and aggregate risks of concern to the general public and ecological risks of concern;

• Terminate all herbicide uses on non-food agricultural sites (e.g., ornamentals) and on all non-agricultural sites (e.g., rights-of-way, utilities, roadways) to address dietary and aggregate risks of concern to the general public and ecological risks of concern;

• Terminate the use as an algaecide for commercial fish production to address dietary risks of concern; and

• Revoke all food and feed tolerances to address dietary risks of concern to the general public (except for a single tolerance to support the remaining cotton harvest aid use).

For more information, click here.

–Georgia Farm Bureau