FIFRAblog®

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) on October 12, 2023, soliciting public comment and suggestions on specific issues related to seed treated with conventional pesticides (treated seed) and paint treated with conventional or antimicrobial pesticides (treated paint). 88 Fed. Reg. 70625. According to the ANPRM, EPA is considering whether a rule under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) to regulate...

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on September 29, 2023, that it is proposing to register pesticide products containing the new active ingredient ledprona for three years, a timeframe consistent with EPA’s approach to other novel pesticide products. EPA states that ledprona “is a new type of pesticide that relies on a natural mechanism — called RNA interference (RNAi) — used by plants and insects to protect against disease.” The proposed biopesticide...

On September 14, 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the release of final guidance to improve the efficiency of EPA’s Endangered Species Act (ESA) analyses for new pesticide active ingredient applications and active ingredients undergoing registration review. EPA states this guidance fulfills requirements outlined in the Pesticide Registration Improvement Act of 2022 (PRIA 5) and furthers goals outlined in EPA’s 2022 ESA Workplan to protect listed species from...

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced on August 4, 2023, that it is providing resources to help biotechnology developers exercise the full benefits of the exemptions available under the Plant Incorporated Protectants (PIP) exemption rule. These resources are available on EPA’s public website and include the following: The PIPs Exemption Final Rule went into effect on July 31, 2023.  More information on the final rule is available in our June 2,...

On August 29, 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the release of final guidance and methods for evaluating efficacy claims of antimicrobial products registered to reduce bacteria and viruses on soft surface textiles. EPA states that throughout the guidance, the term “soft surface textile” refers to a soft, porous, or non-porous surface that includes the outer surface of non-clothing fabrics/textiles in clinical and...

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) will host a “first-ever Summit on the future of farm subsidies featuring key experts, including leaders from the Heritage Foundation and other conservative voices” on September 5, 2023. According to EWG, the Summit will also feature experts from other organizations, including farm groups, and will feature a panel of congressional staff who work for leading subsidy reform advocates in Congress. EWG notes that the Future of Farm Subsidies Summit...

On July 31, 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it provided more than $1.3 million in funding to a team of researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison to develop nanosensor technology that can detect, monitor, and degrade commonly used pesticides found in water that can harm human health. According to EPA, using funding from the grant, researchers will develop an integrated, portable, sensor-controlled water treatment technology that itself...

On June 20, 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it is seeking input from stakeholders on ways to make bilingual pesticide labeling accessible to farmworkers and to implement a plan to ensure that farmworkers have access to the bilingual pesticide labeling by December 2025, as required by the Pesticide Registration Improvement Act of 2022 (PRIA 5). 88 Fed. Reg. 39845. PRIA 5 requires EPA to begin to seek stakeholder input on ways to make...

On July 17, 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the release of draft guidance for the evaluation of products for claims against viruses. This new guidance provides the framework for registrants who seek to make virucidal claims for antimicrobial products. This draft guidance reiterates recommended test methods and regulatory guidance for the addition of virucidal claims to products that meet the criteria for hard surface disinfection claims...

On June 8, 2023, the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) issued Notice 2023-07: Pesticide Registration Program Annual Processing Timelines. Under Notice 2023-07, DPR sets forth its annual report summarizing the past five years of registration and post-registration activities. This includes the number of pesticide product registration and amendment submissions received and processed, and average number of days to complete different types of registration submissions are also...

On June 29, 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a new effort closing out notification actions for minor pesticide label or product formulation changes in an effort to reduce the backlog, which, EPA states, will allow it to focus its limited resources on addressing higher priority actions. EPA announced it has closed out approximately 2,000 antimicrobial actions submitted to EPA prior to October 1, 2022. EPA states that the notification actions do not impact...

Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) is pleased to announce that additional FIFRA Tutor® regulatory training courses are now available at www.FIFRAtutor.com. The one-hour F105 — Due Diligence and Transferring FIFRA Registrations and/or Data module and two-hour F208 — Data Citation, Data Compensation, and Data Sharing module join six existing FIFRA Tutor courses providing expert, essential Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA)...

On May 31, 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a final rule exempting a class of plant-incorporated protectants (PIP) created using genetic engineering, from registration requirements under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), and from the food or feed residue tolerance requirements under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA). 88 Fed. Reg. 34756. PIPs are pesticidal substances produced by plants and the genetic material...

On May 23, 2023, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 9 announced a settlement with Watts Regulator Company for alleged violations under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) related to the sale or distribution of misbranded water filtration devices and importation of pesticides into the United States. Watts, which is headquartered in Massachusetts, imported devices through a port of entry within EPA Region 9. The specific alleged violations...

On May 17, 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced it released, and is seeking public comment on, draft guidance that claims to improve the efficiency of EPA’s Endangered Species Act (ESA) analyses for new pesticide active ingredient applications and active ingredients undergoing registration review. When the guidance is issued in final, EPA states that it will fulfill the requirements outlined in the Pesticide Registration Improvement Act of...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced on April 11, 2023, that its Agricultural Research Service (ARS) recently developed sustainable, machine-washable antimicrobial wipes that can be used at least 30 times for cleaning hard and nonporous surfaces. According to USDA, ARS researchers developed the antimicrobial wipes “by using raw cotton fiber that naturally produced silver nanoparticles inside the fiber in the presence of a silver precursor.” USDA states that the...

On March 13, 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a proposed rule that would update the pesticide Application Exclusion Zone (AEZ) requirements under the 2015 Agricultural Worker Protection Standard (WPS). 88 Fed. Reg. 15346. The proposed rule is available at EPA-HQ-OPP-2022-0133, and comments on the proposed rule are due on or before May 12, 2023. Application Exclusion Zone According to EPA’s press release, the WPS regulations offer protections to...

On February 22, 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP) announced that it will co-host a virtual public meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Center of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) on March 22, 2023. As stated in our February 17, 2023, blog, EPA and FDA are considering how best to update their respective oversight responsibilities for specific products in an efficient and...

On February 15, 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) announced plans to seek public input on the best approaches for updating their respective oversight responsibilities for specific products. EPA states the goal is to determine responsibilities in an efficient and transparent manner and in alignment with each agency’s...

Bergeson & Campbell, P.C.’s (B&C®) January 31, 2023, webinar “What to Expect in Chemicals Policy and Regulation and on Capitol Hill in 2023” is now available for on-demand viewing. During this one-hour webinar, Lynn L. Bergeson, Managing Partner, B&C; James V. Aidala, Senior Government Affairs Consultant, B&C; Richard E. Engler, Ph.D., Director of Chemistry, B&C; and Dennis R. Deziel, Senior Government Affairs Advisor, B&C discussed...