U.S.EPA, Reckitt Benckiser reach agreement to cancel certain rodenticide products

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recently reached agreement with Reckitt Benckiser Inc. to cancel 12 d-CON mouse and rat poison products that do not currently comply with EPA safety standards.

“Millions of households use mouse and rat poison products each year. Canceling these products will help prevent risks to children, pets and wildlife,” said Jim Jones, Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. “This voluntary move will get us far faster results than would otherwise be achieved through an administrative process.”

Before EPA tightened the safety standards for household rat and mouse poison products, more than 10,000 children a year were accidentally exposed. Since the new standard took effect, the number of children exposed has decreased. The agency worked with a number of companies to develop safer mouse and rat poison products that are effective, affordable and widely available.

The cancellation of these 12 d-CON products that do not comply with current standards will continue the trend of reduced exposure to children, pets and wildlife. The company has agreed to stop production by the end of the year and stop distribution to retailers by March 31, 2015. The new standards require consumer mouse and rat poison products to be housed in protective bait stations.

Pellets and other bait forms that cannot be secured in bait stations are prohibited. EPA also prohibits the sale of products containing brodifacoum, bromadiolone, difethialone and difenacoum to residential consumers because of their greater risk to wildlife such as mountain lions, eagles, wolves and foxes.