WASHINGTON—The EPA is registering the herbicide, Enlist Duo with new restrictions to manage the problem of resistant weeds.
The pesticide is used in controlling weeds in corn and soybeans genetically-engineered to tolerate 2,4-D and glyphosate.
The agency’s decision reflects a large body of science and an understanding of the risk of pesticides to human health and the environment.
Widespread approval
The herbicides 2,4-D and glyphosate are two of the most widely used herbicides in the world for controlling weeds. Dozens of other countries including Canada, Mexico, Japan and 26 European Union members have approved these pesticides for use on numerous crops and residential lawns.
Last year, Canada approved the use of Enlist Duo for the same uses that EPA is authorizing.
EPA scientists used highly conservative and protective assumptions to evaluate human health and ecological risks for the new uses of 2,4-D in Enlist Duo. The assessments confirm that these uses meet the safety standards for pesticide registration and, as approved, will be protective of the public, agricultural workers, and non-target species, including endangered species.
Risks assessed
The agency evaluated the risks to all age groups, from infants to the elderly, and took into account exposures through food, water, pesticide drift, and as a result of use around homes. The decision meets the rigorous Food Quality Protection Act standard of “reasonable certainty of no harm” to human health.
The approved formulation contains the choline salt of 2,4-D which is less prone to drift than the other forms of 2,4-D. The agency has also put in place restrictions to avoid pesticide drift, including a 30-foot in-field “no spray” buffer zone around the application area, no pesticide application when the wind speed is over 15 mph, and only ground applications are permitted.
New registration rules
To ensure that weeds will not become resistant to 2,4-D and continue increased herbicide use, EPA is imposing a new set of requirements on the registrant, including extensive surveying and reporting to EPA, grower education and remediation plans.
Registrations expire in six years, allowing the EPA to revisit the issue of resistance.
In the future, the agency intends to apply this approach to weed resistance management for all existing and new herbicides used on herbicide tolerant crops.
Registered states
This assessment is the third time since 2005 that EPA has evaluated the safety of 2,4-D and the safety finding is consistent with past assessments that the EPA has performed for 2,4-D.
The pesticide is being registered in six states —Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
The agency is accepting comments until Nov. 14 on whether to register Enlist Duo in Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and North Dakota.
