Re-evaluation Decision RVD2020-14, Chlorpyrifos and Its Associated End-use Products (Environment)

Pest Management Regulatory Agency
10 December 2020
ISSN: 1925-1025 (PDF version)
Catalogue number: H113-28/2020-14-PDF (PDF version)

Summary

Table of contents

• Re-evaluation decision for chlorpyrifos and associated end-use products (environment)
• Re-evaluation decision for chlorpyrifos on the environment
• Next steps
• Other information
• Appendix I Registered pest control products containing chlorpyrifos in Canada

Re-evaluation decision for chlorpyrifos and associated end-use products (environment)

Under the authority of the Pest Control Products Act, all registered pesticides must be re-evaluated by Health Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) to ensure that they continue to meet current health and environmental standards and continue to have value. The re-evaluation considers data and information from pesticide manufacturers, published scientific reports and other regulatory agencies, as well as comments received during public consultations. Health Canada applies internationally accepted risk assessment methods as well as current risk management approaches and policies.

Chlorpyrifos is a non-systemic group 1B organophosphate insecticide. It is registered for non-residential use and commercial production of cereals, grains (corn), oilseeds, pulses (lentil), nuts, stone fruits, strawberry, tobacco, turf and vegetables (bulb, cole, cucurbit, fruiting, root and stem/petiole). It is also registered for use on elms to control elm bark beetle (for Dutch elm disease control), lodge pole pine for mountain pine beetle control, ornamentals (greenhouse and outdoor), standing water to control mosquito larvae, outdoors for adult mosquitoes and to control non-residential structural pests (indoor and outdoor). Currently registered products containing chlorpyrifos can be found in the Pesticide Label Search and are in Appendix I.

The re-evaluation of chlorpyrifos in Canada is ongoing, and Health Canada has implemented several risk reduction measures over the years. In 2000, Health Canada concluded a re-evaluation of chlorpyrifos, focused on non-agricultural uses including uses in and around residential areas (REV2000-05). As a result, residential uses were removed from chlorpyrifos labels. The re-evaluation of chlorpyrifos continued with the examination of agricultural and forestry uses. A proposed re-evaluation decision was published for consultation in 2003 (PACR2003-03) based on the assessment on human health and the environment. Following the consultation, Health Canada implemented measures in 2007 (REV2007-01) to further protect human health, including new engineering controls, personal protective equipment, and restricted-entry intervals. In addition, the environment was further protected by implementing environmental precautions and spray buffer zones to the chlorpyrifos product labels. Health Canada also committed to update the environmental risk assessment.

On 31 May 2019, the Proposed Re-evaluation Decision PRVD2019-05, Chlorpyrifos and Its Associated End-use Products: Updated Environmental Risk Assessment,^{Footnote 1} containing the evaluation on the environment, value, and proposed decision, underwent a 90-day consultation period. In this PRVD, Health Canada also informed the public that new studies related to human health assessment have been generated, which, as indicated by various international jurisdictions, may inform the re-evaluation of chlorpyrifos. Based on the relevant new information, Health Canada will be updating the human health assessment, and it will be presented in a future publication.

PRVD2019-05 proposed to cancel most outdoor uses of chlorpyrifos due to environmental risks of concern (risks to beneficial arthropods, birds, mammals and all aquatic biota). The following uses were proposed for continued registration with required label changes:

• Standing water – temporary pools for larval mosquito control
• Outdoor adult mosquito control
• Structural indoor and outdoor (non-residential)
• Outdoor ornamentals (container stock only) for control of Japanese beetle larvae
• Greenhouse ornamentals

Health Canada received comments and additional information relating to the environmental and value assessments. Commenters are listed in Appendix II of RVD2020-14. These comments are summarized in Appendix III of RVD2020-14 along with the responses by Health Canada. These comments and new data/information resulted in revisions to the environmental risk assessment (see Science evaluation update), but did not result in significant changes to the proposed re-evaluation decision as described in PRVD2019-05.

A reference list of information used as the basis for the proposed re-evaluation decision was included in PRVD2019-05, and additional information used in the re-evaluation decision is listed in Appendix VI of RVD2020-14. Therefore, the complete reference list of all information used in this re-evaluation decision (related to the environmental assessment) includes both the information set out in PRVD2019-05 and the information set out in Appendix VI of RVD2020-14.

This document (Re-evaluation Decision RVD2020-12, Chlorpyrifos and Its Associated End-use Products (Environment) presents the re-evaluation decision^{Footnote 2} on the environment for chlorpyrifos, including the required amendments (risk mitigation measures) to protect the environment, and any label amendments required to bring labels to current standards. All products containing chlorpyrifos that are registered in Canada are subject to this re-evaluation decision.

Re-evaluation decision for chlorpyrifos on the environment

Under the authority of the Pest Control Products Act and based on the evaluation of currently available scientific information, Health Canada is cancelling outdoor uses of chlorpyrifos except those listed below, due to risks to the environment that have not been shown to be acceptable.

The following uses are acceptable from an environmental perspective with required mitigation measures:

• Standing water – temporary pools for larval mosquito control.
• Outdoor adult mosquito control.
• Structural indoor and outdoor (non-residential).
• Outdoor ornamentals (container stock root immersion only) for control of Japanese beetle larvae.
• Elm bark beetle and mountain pine beetle control.
• Greenhouse ornamentals^{Footnote *}

Risk mitigation measures

Registered pesticide product labels include specific directions for use. Directions include risk mitigation measures to protect human health and the environment and must be followed by law. The required amendments, including any revised/updated label statements and/or mitigation measures as a result of this re-evaluation decision, are summarized below. Refer to Appendix V of RVD2020-14 for details.

Environment

Cancellation of outdoor uses except those acceptable uses listed above.

To protect the environment, the following risk-reduction measures are required for the remaining uses on the label:

• Standard label statements to inform users of the potential toxic effects to sensitive biota.
• A label statement restricting the timing of application (air temperature ≤ 15°C) to reduce volatilization.
• Updated discharge of effluent statements.
• Updated storage statements.

Cancelled uses with an extended phase out schedule:

The following two cancelled uses were found to lack suitable alternatives:

• canola – for alfalfa looper control
• garlic – for darksided and redbacked cutworm

The implementation of this re-evaluation decision for these two cancelled uses will be delayed for an additional two years to allow growers to find pest management solutions. With the additional interim risk mitigation measures in place (outlined below), the risks to the environment can be reduced to a level that is considered acceptable over the two-year period of use extension.

Interim Mitigation Measures

• Canola for alfalfa looper control:
  • Buffer zones to protect sensitive aquatic biota.
  • Prohibition of application during bloom to protect pollinators.
• Garlic for darksided and redbacked cutworm control:
  • Reduce applications to one per season at the lower label rate of 576 g a.i./ha.
  • Buffer zones to protect sensitive aquatic biota.

Value

• Update structural claims as per the PMRA Guidance Document Structural Pest Control Products: label updates.
• Update tank mix statements.

Next steps

To comply with this decision, the required amendments (mitigation measures and label updates) must be implemented on all product labels no later than 24 months after the publication date of RVD2020-14. Accordingly, both registrants and retailers will have up to 24 months from the date of this decision document to transition to selling the product with the newly amended labels. Similarly, users will also have the same 24-month period from the date of RVD2020-14 to transition to using the newly amended labels, which will be available on the Public Registry.

Certain chlorpyrifos products are to be cancelled since these product labels have no uses that are acceptable for continued registration as a result of this aspect of the re-evaluation. Products that are cancelled will be phased out following the implementation timeline outlined below:

• One (1) year of sale by registrant from the publication date of this decision document, followed by;
• One (1) year of sale by retailer from the last date of sale by registrant, followed by;
• One (1) year of permitted use from the last date of sale by retailer.

Refer to Appendix I for details on specific products impacted by this decision.

Other information

Any person may file a notice of objection^{Footnote 3} regarding this decision on chlorpyrifos and its associated end-use products within 60 days from the date of publication of RVD2020-14 related to the environmental assessment and value. For more information regarding the basis for objecting (which must be based on scientific grounds), please refer to the Pesticides section of the Canada.ca website (Request a Reconsideration of Decision) or contact the PMRA's Pest Management Information Service by phone (1-800-267-6315) or by e-mail (hc.pmra-info-arla.sc@canada.ca).

The relevant confidential test data on which the decision is based (as referenced in PRVD2019-05) are available for public inspection, upon application, in PMRA's Reading Room (located in Ottawa). For more information, please contact the PMRA's Pest Management Information Service.

Appendix I Registered pest control products containing chlorpyrifos in Canada