Registration of lindane pesticides canceled

February 05 2007;  American Veterinary Medical Association

The Environmental Protection Agency published a notice in the Dec. 13, 2006, Federal Register canceling the registrations of all products containing the pesticide lindane.

Existing stocks of the canceled manufacturing-use and end-use products may be legally distributed or sold until the last date on which the product can be used. Manufacturing-use product registrations were canceled effective Oct. 4, 2006, and their last date of use will be July 1, 2007. Manufacturing-use products are pesticides labeled for formulation or repackaging into other pesticide products.

End-use product registrations will be canceled effective July 1, 2007. The EPA expects that existing stocks of end-use products will be exhausted by Oct. 1, 2009, so it has established that as the last day they can be used. End-use products are pesticide formulations for field use. Their labeling bears instructions for using or applying the products as packaged and sold, or after dilatation by the applicator. Excluded are products with labeling that allows their use to formulate other pesticide products.

Lindane was used widely in veterinary medicine since it was first registered in 1947 to Franklin Laboratories Inc. to treat ear ticks in horses. Voluntary cancellation requests for all veterinary uses of lindane were made in the late 1990s. An extension was given to allow some production of mange treatment for dogs until Dec 31, 2001.

The Dec. 13 EPA notice can be accessed electronically on the EPA Web site under the Federal Register listings at www.epa.gov/fedrgstr. The docket number is EPA-HQ-OPP-2002-0202.

For more information, contact Mark T. Howard, Special Review and Reregistration Division (7508P), EPA Office of Pesticide Programs; phone, (703) 308-8172; fax, (703) 308-8005; howard.markt@epa.gov.