The Environmental Protection Agency is removing 72 inert ingredients from the list of ingredients approved for use in pesticides. Any manufacturers who want to use those ingredients in the future will need to first demonstrate their safety to the EPA, either through studies or other information. The EPA will then decide whether or not to approve the request. EPA is taking this action in response to a petition filed by the Center for Environmental Health, Beyond Pesticides, and others. The groups initially asked the EPA to disclose up to 371 inert ingredients in pesticides. In response, the EPA then said it will evaluate the risks found in each inert ingredient and make changes as appropriate. Pesticide ingredients that directly control weeds or insects are called active ingredients. Those that don’t directly affect pests are called inert ingredients. Many of the 72 inert ingredients were included on the original list of 371.
From the National Association of Farm Broadcasting news service.