U.S. EPA to ban insecticide Diazinon - USA Today

Reuters 5dec00

     WASHINGTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday will announce plans to phase out use of the insecticide diazinon, the last widely used pest-control product made from a class of chemicals linked to health risks for children, USA Today reported on Tuesday.

     EPA has reached a voluntary agreement with diazinon's chief manufacturer, Syngenta AG, to gradually halt all home and garden applications of the pesticide over the next four years, the newspaper reported, citing sources familiar with the deal.

     Used in everything from household ant and roach killers to grub-killing lawn sprays, diazinon is marketed under such brands as Ortho, Spectracide and Real-Kill.

     USA Today said the agreement was a major milestone in pesticide regulation, effectively marking the end of organophosphates, or OPs, chemicals derived from nerve gas agents developed during the Second World War.

     Once among the nation's most widely used pesticides, OPs were singled out for a regulatory crackdown six years ago amid studies linking them to neurological disorders and other health problems in children.

     Under the Food Quality Protection Act of 1996, Congress ordered sweeping safety reviews of all pesticides, starting with OPs. But thousands of pesticide uses have yet to be evaluated. Chemical and agriculture interests have fought the process, arguing that the EPA is targeting safe pesticides needed to protect crops.

     Diazinon manufacturers say the product poses no health threat with normal application, and the EPA, which considers it less risky than other banned OPs, will continue to allow some commercial crop uses. But Syngenta officials say they can't justify paying for new studies needed to prove diazinon's safety for consumer use.

     The EPA's agreement to a phase out ``confirms the value and safety of this product,'' Syngenta's Eileen Watson told the paper.

     Environmental and consumer groups urged retailers to halt diazinon sales immediately.