USA to phase out dicofol by 2016

In a Memorandum of Agreement with EPA dated May 17, 2011, the registrants of dicofol requested voluntary cancellation of all their dicofol registrations.  EPA is requesting comment for 30 days on the registrants' request, which would terminate the last dicofol products registered in the United States. EPA plans to grant the registrants' request at the close of the comment period unless substantive comments require further deliberation. Dicofol is the last organochlorine pesticide to go through a cancellation process to terminate all its remaining uses in the U.S.

The registrants, Agan Chemical Manufacturing, Ltd. and Makhteshim Agan of North America, Inc., ceased all production of dicofol as of May 17, 2011, and have agreed to cease all sales and distribution of the pesticide by October 31, 2013. The companies also have agreed to amend product labels for existing stocks by August 31, 2011, to prohibit use of dicofol after October 31, 2016.  EPA plans to revoke the tolerances associated with commodities treated with dicofol effective October 31, 2016.

Dicofol is registered for use as a miticide on cotton and several other agricultural crops and on non-residential lawns and ornamentals.  Use of dicofol has significantly declined since the amended Reregistration Eligibility Decision (RED) in 2006.  The 2006 amended RED significantly increased the re-entry interval for most crops in order to protect workers harvesting the crops after application of dicofol.