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Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking the next step in the registration review process for the pesticide sulfuryl fluoride by releasing draft risk assessments for public comment. The agency is also proposing additional safety measures to better protect the public when this pesticide is used to fumigate homes. EPA is proactively taking this step to ensure the necessary human health protections are in place.
Sulfuryl fluoride is a fumigant used to control pests such as termites, powder post beetles, old house borers, bedbugs, carpet beetles, moths, cockroaches, rats, and mice. It is a restricted-use pesticide, meaning it can only be used by a certified applicator or someone under the certified applicator’s direct supervision.
For the registration review of sulfuryl fluoride, which includes all the uses of the pesticide, EPA is releasing sulfuryl fluoride draft risk assessments (DRAs), including the combined ecological draft risk assessment and drinking water assessment, and the occupational and residential risk assessment.
The DRAs are part of a multi-step process to identify risks as well as actions that can mitigate risks. After considering public comments, EPA will proceed with registration review by issuing the proposed interim decision, which will propose measures to reduce human health and ecological risks.
The Sulfuryl Fluoride Draft Interim Re-entry Mitigation Measures Memorandum released today outlines the new safety measures EPA is proposing for fumigation uses and is in response to the EPA Office of Inspector General’s December 2016 Report No. 17-P-0053 that was conducted to assess which additional safety measures could be taken to prevent serious injuries from use of this pesticide during residential fumigation. This report recommended EPA make changes to how this pesticide can be used and do an assessment of the clearance devices used to determine safe reentry levels in homes after fumigation.
While EPA testing has called into question the accuracy of some of the clearance devices, the agency will continue to work with the device manufacturers to address the device calibration issue. Until the device calibration issue can be addressed by the device manufacturers, applicators in possession of those devices may choose to practice enhanced clearance actions including active aeration and increased aeration time. These clearance actions are being proposed by EPA to help ensure the clearance level of 1ppm, which the agency has determined is a safe level to re-enter residences and other structures following fumigation.
As EPA works to finalize these safety measures, the agency is allowing continued use of sulfuryl fluoride as a structural fumigant because it is the only fumigant approved for residential use. Consumers should follow guidance from the pesticide applicator on how to prepare their houses for fumigation and when to reenter the house following fumigation.
In the Draft Interim Re-entry Mitigation Measures Memorandum, EPA is proposing the following label revisions for all sulfuryl fluoride products:
- Require more posting of warning signs to be clearer that there is no admittance to fumigation tents during fumigation;
- Require a fumigant management plan for residential fumigations;
- Require additional registrant-sponsored applicator stewardship and training; and
- Only allow use of the clearance devices shown to be effective.
In addition, EPA is proposing to require remote fumigations and aeration from outside of the fumigated space, increase aeration time to 12 to 24 hours, require active aeration (e.g. use of fans), and require portable stacks, which aligns with California’s Aeration Plan that has yielded positive results.
These proposed mitigation measures as outlined in the Draft Interim Re-entry Mitigation Measures Memorandum, are designed to work together to provide better protections and promote safe reentry into fumigated homes. The agency will continue to partner with the National Pest Management Association on sulfuryl fluoride device education and outreach efforts.
After a thorough review of public comments, EPA will issue the Final Interim Re-entry Mitigation Measures Memorandum, including the label requirements for sulfuryl fluoride products. Registrants will then have 60 days to submit revised labels reflecting these new requirements to the agency.
The public comment period is now open for 60 days for the Draft Interim Re-entry Mitigation Measures Memorandum and DRAs. The documents are available in docket ID number EPA-HQ-OPP-2009-0136 at www.regulations.gov.
EPA is continuing to work on the remaining dietary and aggregate sulfuryl fluoride DRAs and will issue for public comment at a later date.
Additional information on sulfuryl fluoride can be found on EPA’s website.
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