Amy E. Brown, Professor Emerita
University of Maryland, Pesticide Safety Education Coordinator
US EPA has announced that after a thorough review of the best available science and carefully considering scientific peer review and public comments, the Agency has determined that certain mitigation measures are warranted for these three herbicides in order to address potential human health and ecological risk. Specifically, EPA is requiring the following
mitigation measures:
- Reducing the maximum application rate for atrazine and simazine when used on residential turf in order to protect children who crawl or play on treated grass;
- Adding a requirement for irrigation immediately after simazine application to residential turf;
- Requiring additional personal protective equipment for workers who apply atrazine and simazine to reduce occupational risks associated with certain uses;
- Finalizing label requirements for all three triazines to include mandatory spray drift control measures, to minimize pesticide drift into non-target areas, including water bodies;
- Finalizing label directions for herbicide resistance to reduce the problem of weeds becoming resistant to atrazine.
Atrazine, propazine and simazine are widely used in the United States to control a variety of grasses and broadleaf weeds. Atrazine is an especially effective, affordable, and well-studied herbicide. Twelve meetings of the FIFRA Scientific Advisory Panel (SAP) were held to discuss various aspects of atrazine, including cancer and non-cancer effects, potential effects on amphibians, the aquatic plant community level of concern, and surface water monitoring methods. As the second most widely used herbicide in the United States, atrazine is used on about 75 million acres of agricultural crop land every year, including more than half of the Nation’s corn crops. Atrazine is also used on residential lawns and golf courses, particularly in the Southeast.
More information on atrazine and today’s interim decisions is available at: www.epa.gov/ingredients-used-pesticide-products/atrazine
Background: EPA completes interim registration review decisions to impose interim risk mitigation measures necessary to protect human health and the environment, while the agency conducts additional assessments, typically an endangered
species assessment. For the triazines, EPA will next complete draft biological evaluations for atrazine, simazine, and propazine which are anticipated to be available for public comment in late Fall 2020. These evaluations are the first step in the interagency consultation process to protect listed species and their habitats under the Endangered Species Act. Final Endangered Species Determinations for each of the triazines are anticipated in 2021.
