Federal Environmental Agency Suggests Premature Actions to Safeguard Endangered Creatures from Methomyl Exposure
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Proposes Additional Mitigation Measures for Methomyl
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed revisions to the 2020 Proposed Interim Decision (PID) for methomyl, an insecticide. The revised PID is a continuation of the registration review process, which occurs every 15 years to ensure risk assessments and decisions reflect the best available science.
Methomyl is a carbamate insecticide used for controlling pests on food and feed crops, and in a fly bait product. However, the EPA has identified potential risks to endangered species due to its use. To mitigate these risks, the EPA developed mitigation measures aimed at improving protection for listed species.
The EPA used its Biological Evaluation (BE) to identify three "pilot" species that are likely to be adversely affected (LAA) by methomyl use: the Valley Elderberry Longhorn Beetle, the Vernal Pool Tadpole Shrimp, and the California Tiger Salamander. These pilot species are generally found in Northern California, specifically the Sacramento and San Joaquin River valleys.
The proposed mitigation measures include prohibition of methomyl use in some areas, and measures that minimize methomyl spray drift and runoff in areas that extend over the pilot species' range and critical habitat. The objective is to reduce runoff and establish a maximum annual application rate of methomyl.
The EPA's proposed mitigations are aimed at protecting listed salmon species, as per the 2009 Biological Opinion. These new measures are a pilot case for identifying and proposing early mitigation for vulnerable endangered species.
Following the release of the PID, the Agency also released the BE for methomyl, which contains EPA's effects determinations and analysis of potential exposure to listed species and their critical habitats. Consultation with the Services regarding potential additional measures is still ongoing, as the Services may determine that additional measures are needed to avoid jeopardy to listed species and adverse modification of critical habitats from the use of methomyl.
The public can comment on the revised PID for 60 days through the methomyl registration review docket EPA-HQ-OPP-2010-0751 at www.regulations.gov. For detailed information on specific species involved in the mitigations for methomyl, it would be necessary to consult the EPA's official documents or announcements related to the ESA workplan for methomyl.
The ESA workplan is designed to enhance the efficiency of the EPA in meeting its obligations under the ESA. This involves conducting thorough evaluations of pesticides to assess their potential impact on endangered species. The workplan includes biological evaluations (BEs) of pesticides to determine risks to listed species and their habitats. These evaluations are conducted in collaboration with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). The FWS and NMFS issue Biological Opinions (BiOps) based on the BEs, which further examine the impact on endangered species and their habitats. The EPA consults with the FWS and NMFS to develop mitigation strategies, such as pesticide use limitation areas (PULAs), to protect endangered species. The EPA encourages registrants to include additional application restrictions on pesticide labels to ease the consultation process and reduce risks to endangered species.
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