Consultation on the special review of Linuron and its associated end-use products, Proposed Special Review Decision PSRD2020-05

Notice to the reader:

The online consultation is now closed.

Health Canada is consulting Canadians over the next 45 days on its proposed special review decision for the herbicide linuron. This special review was initiated due to decisions by Norway and the European Union to prohibit all uses of linuron due to health and environmental concerns.

While this special review was underway, Health Canada completed the re-evaluation of linuron (Re-evaluation Decision RVD2020-10, Linuron and its associated end-use products). As part of this re-evaluation, Health Canada conducted a comprehensive assessment of the human health and environmental risks of linuron, which included the aspects of concern identified in the special review.

Since the re-evaluation of linuron addressed the identified aspects of concern, the special review is based on the 2020 comprehensive human health and environmental assessment. The health and environmental risk mitigation measures outlined in the re-evaluation decision of linuron are adequate to address the aspects of concern identified in the special review. Therefore, no additional risk mitigation measures are proposed as part of this proposed special review decision. The following uses are acceptable for continued registration with additional risk mitigation measures as presented in the re-evaluation decision:

• Carrots
• Parsnip
• Potato
• Asparagus
• Shelterbelts

All other uses have been cancelled as a result of the re-evaluation decision:

• Tree fruit (apple, peach, pear, plum/prune, cherry)
• Corn (field and sweet)
• Wheat, barley, oats
• Soybean
• Celery
• Saskatoon berries
• Chokecherries
• Dill
• Coriander
• Caraway
• Sweet white lupins
• Pre-emergent combined with post-harvest application to asparagus

A list of products containing linuron can be found in Pesticide Label Search database results.

For more information on the proposed decision open the "Proposed Special Review Decision"

How to Get Involved

This consultation is open for comment from 5 November 2020 to 20 December 2020 (45 calendar days).

To comment on PSRD2020-05:

Step 1

Open the link "consultation document" to read the Science Evaluation that is the basis of this proposed regulatory decision.

Step 2

Submit comments to the PMRA Publications Section.

All comments and information received during the public comment period will be considered before making a final special review decision.

Please refer to the document title (for example: PSRD2020-05, Linuron and its associated end-use products) when providing comments.

Reporting to Canadians

Health Canada will make the results of this consultation available on this website. Once the decision is finalized, the PMRA will post a Special Review Decision on the Pesticides and Pest Management Reports and Publications portion of Canada.ca.

If you have any questions, contact the Pest Management Information Service.

Interested in our other consultations? Sign up and stay informed about topics that matter to you.