United States
                     Environmental Protection
                     Agency
Prevention, Pesticides
and Toxic Substances
(7508C)
EPA 738-F-00-003
June 2000
&EFW   Chlorethoxyfos  Facts
              EPA has assessed the dietary risk of chlorethoxyfos and prepared a "Report on FQPA
       Tolerance Reassessment Progress and Interim Risk Management Decision" for this organophosphate
       (OP) pesticide. Chlorethoxyfos fits into its own "risk cup"-- its individual risks are within acceptable
       levels.
              Because chlorethoxyfos was initially
       registered after 1984, it is not subject to
       reregistration. Its use on corn does not pose risk
       concerns and risk mitigation is not necessary at
       this time.

              EPA's next step under the Food Quality
       Protection Act (FQPA) is to complete a
       cumulative risk assessment and risk
       management decision encompassing all the OP
       pesticides, which share a common mechanism of
       toxicity.  The interim decision on chlorethoxyfos
       cannot be considered final until this cumulative
       assessment is complete.  Further risk mitigation
       may be required at that time.

              EPA is reviewing the OP pesticides to
       determine whether they meet current health and
       safety standards. Older OPs need decisions
       about their eligibility for reregistration under
       FIFRA.  OPs with residue limits in food
       (tolerances) and other non-occupational
       exposures also must be reassessed to make sure
       they meet the new FQPA safety standard.
       The OP Pilot Public Participation Process

           The organophosphates are a group of
     related pesticides that affect the functioning of the
     nervous system. They are among EPA's highest
     priority for review under the Food Quality
     Protection Act.
           EPA is encouraging the public to
     participate in the review of the OP pesticides.
     Through a six-phased pilot public participation
     process, the Agency is releasing for review and
     comment its preliminary and revised scientific risk
     assessments for individual OPs.  (Please contact
     the OP Docket, telephone 703-305-5805, or see
     EPA's web site,                        .)
           EPA is exchanging information with
     stakeholders and the public about the OPs, their
     uses, and  risks through Technical Briefings,
     stakeholder meetings, and other fora. USDA is
     coordinating input from growers and other OP
     pesticide users.
           Based on current information from
     interested  stakeholders and the public, EPA is
     making risk management decisions for individual
     OP pesticides, and will make final decisions
     through a cumulative OP  assessment.
              The chlorethoxyfos interim decision was made through the OP pilot public participation
       process, which increases transparency and maximizes stakeholder involvement in EPA's development
       of risk assessments and risk management decisions.  EPA worked with affected parties to reach the
       decisions presented in this interim decision document, which concludes the OP pilot process for
       chlorethoxyfos.

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Uses

       Chlorethoxyfos is a restricted use organophosphate insecticide registered for use on field corn,
       seed corn, sweet corn, and popcorn for the control of corn rootworms, wireworms, cutworms,
       seed corn maggots, white grubs, and symphylans.

       Annual domestic use is low-37,000 to 122,000 pounds of active ingredient per year.

Health Effects

       Chlorethoxyfos can cause cholinesterase inhibition in humans; that is, it can overstimulate the
       nervous system causing nausea, dizziness, confusion, and at very high exposures (e.g.,
       accidents or major spills), respiratory paralysis and death.

Risks

•      Dietary risks from food and drinking water are not of concern.

       Handler risk is not of concern when the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) and
       engineering controls are utilized during the loading and application processes.

•      EPA did not quantitatively assess the risks to post application workers.  Since Chlorethoxyfos
       is mainly incorporated into the soil at planting, minimal post application exposure is
       anticipated.

Risk Mitigation

•      The Agency is requiring five label changes which are intended to mitigate potential
       occupational risk and/or better characterize risk from occupational exposure to Chlorethoxyfos
       products. The changes include emergency PPE requirements, a reduction in PPE in some
       circumstances, and the addition of a double notification statement.

Next Steps

       Numerous opportunities for public comment were offered as this decision was being
       developed.  The Chlorethoxyfos interim decision document is therefore issued in final  (see
       www.epa.         ci       ), without a formal public comment period. The docket remains
       open, however, and any comments submitted in the future will be placed in this public docket.

•      To effect the label amendments as quickly as possible, time frames for making the changes
       required by the Chlorethoxyfos interim decision document are shorter than those in a usual
       RED.  The Agency is requiring that all labels must be amended to include the above mitigation
       and submitted to the Agency within 90  days after issuance of this document.

       When the cumulative risk assessment for all organophosphate pesticides is completed, EPA
       will issue its final tolerance reassessment decision for Chlorethoxyfos and may require further
       risk mitigation measures.

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