While the controversial pesticide lindane has received its death notice in the United States, the plug still hasn’t been completely pulled in Canada.
A review of the chemical’s future in Canada is expected to be completed by the end of 2006.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency this month announced it would not renew the registration of lindane, an insecticide used to treat seeds of barley, corn, wheat, oats, rye and sorghum.
The same chemical was once used extensively by Canadian canola growers to battle flea beetles before its registration was lifted by the federal Pest Management Review Agency in 2002.
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While most lindane manufacturers accepted and voluntarily complied with the ruling, the decision was challenged by Crompton Corp., a U.S. based firm.
The PMRA agreed to set up a special review board, which issued a report in August 2005 raising a number of critical questions about the agency’s 2002 decision, particularly its assessment of occupational risk.
The PMRA is reviewing that report and the 2002 decision, as well as conducting a complete re-evaluation of all pesticide-related uses of lindane in Canada.
“That review is still ongoing and they are still on track to finish by the end of this year,” said PMRA spokesperson Stephen Belliveau.
He said the agency would then issue a document outlining its proposals for the future of lindane and ask interested parties for comments.
Asked if the report could possibly recommend re-registration of lindane, he declined to answer directly.
“The report will tell us if our 2002 decision was correct or incorrect,” he said. “If it was incorrect there will be proposals on what to do next, but I can’t even begin to speculate on what those proposals might be.”
Belliveau said the EPA’s decision to permanently ban all uses of lindane could have an impact on the PMRA’s deliberations.
“The agency will certainly take a look at the EPA’s findings,” he said.
“We need to understand the basis for their decision to end registration.”
In its 20 page decision, the EPA outlined a long list of the harmful effects of lindane on human health, the environment and users of the product. It also concluded that eliminating it from the agricultural scene will have little practical effect on farmers.
“During the past several years, safer alternative pesticides have been developed and registered for lindane’s seed treatment uses,” it said.
“Further, it appears that use of lindane-treated seed is declining in this country.”
It’s estimated that U.S. farmers have been using around 103,500 kilograms of lindane in seed treatment products annually.
The EPA added it will allow use of lindane seed treatment products until existing stocks are used up.
Canadian canola growers have long encouraged the voluntary withdrawal of lindane products for fear that residues of the product could jeopardize sales of canola and canola products to the lucrative U.S. market.
With the EPA now banning all uses of lindane, that position is likely to be reinforced.
Environmental groups have also lobbied hard for a complete ban of lindane.
