Cumuli catl o« ad; pifclic Affairs (A-107) »ERA Environmental News FOR RELEASE: WEDNESDAY, KAY 22, 1991 MERCURY USE IN EXTERIOR PAINTS AND COATINGS CANCELLED Al Heier 202-382-4374 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today that it has received requests for the voluntary cancellation of the only two remaining pesticide registrations which permit the use of mercury in the production of exterior paint and coatings. The cancellation • requests vera...made. . by - Cosan -Chemical- Corp. of Carlstadt, N.J. and Troy Chemical Corp. of Newark, N.J., and go into effect 31 days after publication in the Federal Register. After the cancellations take effect, all registrations for the use of mercury in paints and coatings both interior and exterior, will be cancelled. Mercury has not been allowed in the manufacturing of interior paint since Aug. 20, 1990. EPA's current review of the use of mercury compounds in paint began in 1990 after a report of acrodynia (a rare form of childhood mercury poisoning) and an investigation of the incident by the Centers for Disease Control and the state of Michigan. in that incident, the paint which had been used contained three times the amount of mercury normally used to preserve interior paint. As part of 1990 actions on the continued registration of mercury in exterior paints, Cosan Chemical Corp. and Troy Chemical Corp. were required to conduct studies needed by EPA to better assess the risks associated with continued use of mercury in exterior paints. The registrants subsequently failed to meet many of the mandatory deadlines for data development, which ultimately led to the requests for voluntary cancellation. In July, 1990, EPA estimated that 20 to 30 percent of outdoor paint products contained mercury. Since that time, industry United States Etwi rcrwentil. •Protecci ai Agency" R—92 (more) ------- i' i\L - J - J *¦ -Vj i; l.i... 11 i i -2- sources indicate that the use of mercury in exterior paints has declined. Cosan Chemical Corp. will be permitted to sell existing stocks of its product until Sept. 30, 1991. Troy Chemical Corp., which first requested voluntarily cancellation in Nov., 1990, will be permitted to sell its product until June 27, 1991. Manu- facturers of exterior paints and coatings who are holding stocks of the two products to be cancelled will be permitted to use up those stocks. Since Aug., 1990, EPA has required exterior paints containing mercury to be so labeled and to carry a warning statement to alert persons using these paints. Mercury products previously registered for use in miscellaneous interior products such as spackling and joint compounds, adhesives and acoustical plaster were also cancelled in 1990. Mercury has been added to paints and coatings to preserve the paint in the can by controlling microbial growth, principally bacteria, and to protect the paint film from mildew attack after.it isr applied to "an "outdoor-surface... Most pesticidal uses of mercury were cancelled in 1976. The use of mercury in paint was allowed to continue because it was determined that effective alternatives were not readily available. Alternative pesticides to preserve paint and to control mildew-are available today and are in common use. R-92 # # # US EPA Headquarters and Chemical Libraries EPA West Bldg Room 3340 Maiicode 3404T 1301 Constitution Ave NW Washington DC 20004 202-566-0556 ------- |