EPA to Clarify Labeling Requirements for Pesticides and Devices Intended for Export
(World Trade Interactive)
The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing to revise its regulations on the labeling of pesticides and devices intended for export in order to increase their understandability and ease of use. Comments on this proposed rule are due no later than June 6.
The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act requires that unregistered pesticides and devices intended for export be subject to several provisions that include labeling, production reports, inspection of establishments, and reporting and recordkeeping. FIFRA further requires that exporters obtain a purchaser acknowledgement statement before exporting an unregistered pesticide (but not a device).
Regulations interpreting these requirements were published in 1993 and have not been amended since. EPA states that a recent internal review determined that these regulations are not as clear as intended and that the resulting ambiguity might have led to uncertainty in compliance. EPA is therefore proposing to add a more specific labeling requirement to clarify that these requirements pertain to unregistered export pesticide products and devices not only once they are exported from the U.S. but also as they move between registered establishments operated by the same producer in the U.S. EPA anticipates that this requirement would take effect one year after a final rule is published in the Federal Register.
Date: April 6, 2011
