Bayer agrees to phase out aldicarb by 2018, but not with EPA's reasoning
By Jon H. Harsch
© Copyright Agri-Pulse Communications, Inc.
Washington, Aug. 17 – Under an agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Bayer CropScience is phasing out all uses of aldicarb, sold as Temik®, by 2018. According to EPA, “A new risk assessment conducted by EPA based on recently submitted toxicity data indicates that aldicarb, an N-methyl carbamate insecticide, no longer meets the agency’s rigorous food safety standards and may pose unacceptable dietary risks, especially to infants and young children.”
Under the terms of the agreement, “Bayer has agreed first to end aldicarb use on citrus and potatoes and will adopt risk mitigation measures for other uses to protect groundwater resources. New measures to protect shallow drinking water wells in vulnerable areas of the southeastern U.S. coastal plain and lower application rates will be immediately added to product labels for use on cotton, soybeans, and peanuts.” As the phase-out continues, Bayer will end all aldicarb sales Dec. 31, 2014; distributor sales will end Dec. 31, 2016; and all end-user applications will end Aug. 31, 2018.
Bayer points out that it is cooperating with EPA and that farmers can use existing stocks of Temik on citrus and potatoes until Dec. 31, 2011. But Bayer also insists that it “does not fully agree with” EPA's new risk assessment approach and that while “Bayer CropScience respects the oversight authority of the EPA and is cooperating with them,” the EPA decision “does not mean that aldicarb poses a food safety concern.”
Bayer CropScience President & CEO Bill Buckner commented that “For nearly 40 years, Temik has provided farmers with unsurpassed control of destructive pests, without compromising human health or environmental safety. We recognize the significant impact this decision will have on growers and the food industry, and will do everything possible to address their concerns during this transition.”
Buckner reassured producers that “Bayer CropScience is committed to bringing new innovation solutions from seed to harvest to growers to ensure we continue to have a safe, abundant and affordable food supply. We recognize the loss of this tool to growers, and we have and will continue to seek innovative solutions to fill this void.”
During the phase-out process, Temik customers can contact the Bayer CropScience Customer Interaction Center at 866-992-2937 for further information.
For EPA information on the phase-out agreement, go to: www.epa.gov/oppsrrd1/REDs/factsheets/aldicarb_fs.html
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