US EPA announces voluntary cancellation for the pesticide dacthal

Date:08-29-2024

On Aug. 28, following the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s emergency suspension of the pesticide dimethyl tetrachloroterephthalate (DCPA or Dacthal), the agency is initiating a process to cancel all products containing DCPA. On Aug. 19, 2024, EPA received a letter from AMVAC Chemical Corporation (AMVAC) stating its intent to voluntarily cancel the remaining pesticide products containing DCPA in the United States, and subsequently announced it intended to cancel all international registrations as well.

″Today’s announcement is a critical step towards protecting unborn babies from the serious health risks of this dangerous pesticide,″ said Assistant Administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Michal Freedhoff. ″AMVAC’s decision to voluntarily and quickly cancel their DCPA registrations is a huge win for public health and will ensure pregnant women are no longer exposed to a chemical that could cause their babies to experience irreversible lifelong health problems.″

The August 2024 emergency suspension was the first time in almost 40 years EPA has taken this type of emergency action, following several years of efforts by the agency to require the submission of data that was due in January 2016 and then assess and address the risk this pesticide poses. EPA took this action because unborn babies whose pregnant mothers are exposed to DCPA, sometimes without even knowing the exposure has occurred, could experience changes to fetal thyroid hormone levels, and these changes are generally linked to low birth weight, impaired brain development, decreased IQ and impaired motor skills later in life, some of which may be irreversible. For this decision, EPA relied on the best available science, which included robust studies that all demonstrate thyroid toxicity.

A registrant can cancel the registration of a pesticide product at any time under Section 6(f) of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act. Tomorrow, Aug. 29, 2024, EPA will publish a notice in the Federal Register to take public comments on the voluntary cancellation. At the conclusion of the comment period, EPA plans to publish the final cancellation order. Currently, all products containing DCPA are suspended following EPA’s temporary emergency suspension order announced on Aug. 6, 2024, and the action announced today will ensure that the registrations will be permanently cancelled.

The emergency suspension prohibits anyone from distributing, selling, shipping or carrying out other similar activities for any pesticide product containing DCPA. It also means that no person can continue using existing stocks of those products.  EPA is working closely with AMVAC, the sole manufacturer of DCPA, on a return program for existing DCPA products. AMVAC is developing a comprehensive plan designed to identify existing stocks held by distributors, retailers, and end-users, track any remaining DCPA products, and coordinate an effective and efficient collection process. EPA and AMVAC are regularly communicating on the status of the return program. AMVAC has shared preliminary information on a return program with EPA, including plans for regular communication with stakeholders and EPA. Distributors, retailers, and growers who hold existing product should contact AMVAC directly to determine the best options for managing existing stocks.  

Read the public inspection version of the Federal Register notice on the voluntary cancellation of DCPA.

For answers to frequently asked questions about DCPA, please see the DCPA Questions and Answers webpage. For additional background on the DCPA and Biden-Harris Administration efforts to assess and address risks, see the Aug. 6, 2024 press release.