The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a notice
in today’s Federal Register (78 FR 3417-3418)
announcing that they had officially ordered the cancelation of the “product
registrations and to amend the technical/manufacturing use label” for
iodomethane products manufactured by Arysta. The action was taken at the
request of the manufacturer.
The EPA announced their intention to cancel the registration
back in November. I noted
at the time that this action was really a non-issue since Arysta had
already stopped selling the product in the United States. The EPA received only
one
comment on that earlier notice (a complaint that the action will still
allow Arysta to manufacture this product line for export use only) that had no
effect on this action.
Iodomethane fumigants had been touted as a replacement for
the more dangerous (and ozone depleting) methyl bromide fumigants that the EPA
has been trying to phase out since 2005 under requirement under the Montreal
Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. Long time readers will no
doubt recall that this phase-out was used as justification by DHS for not
listing this toxic inhalation hazard (TIH) chemical in the DHS list of
chemicals of concern.
Today’s action ensures that the ‘phase-out’ will continue
for some in determinant length of time and the continued manufacture, storage
and transportation of methyl bromide will continue to put communities at risk
of a potential terrorist attack. DHS needs to reconsider their non-listing of
methyl bromide.
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