Over the last four years, one of the most widely used pesticides in the green industry has become a memory for many lawn care contractors. In December 2000, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a phase-out of diazinon for home and garden use and some agricultural uses as part of the Food Quality Protection Act. As of Dec. 31 it will be unlawful to sell diazinon outdoor, non-agricultural use products in the United States.
Lawn care operators and homeowners who purchased diazinon products before the Dec. 31 stop date may continue to use those products until their supplies are depleted.
Companies with diazinon products for retail sale, such as nurseries or garden centers, must remove any unsold product from their shelves and dispose of them. The EPA provided a question-and-answer sheet for retailers on how the diazinon stop-sale will effect them:
| EPA Notice to Diazinon Retailers |
Diazinon Consumer Products Phase-out and Stop Sale Q.: What’s happening with diazinon outdoor use products? A.: As part of an agreement between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and diazinon manufacturers to phase out and eliminate all residential uses of the insecticide diazinon, retailers can longer sell diazinon outdoor non-agricultural use products, including home lawn and garden products, after Dec. 31, 2004. It will be illegal for retailers to sell these products after that date. However, consumers may continue to use diazinon products purchased before that date, provided that they follow all label directions and precautions. Q: How can I promote product stewardship? A: Retailers can play an important part in responsible stewardship of diazinon products. - Sell current inventories of diazinon lawn and garden products by Dec. 31, 2004. - Understand product recovery and disposal options for diazinon products not sold by that date. Q: What are my options as a retailer? A: - Buy-Back Program—Diazinon manufacturers will repurchase from retailers or formulators any unopened, unused supplies of diazinon outdoor non-agricultural use products after Dec. 31, 2004, and before March 31, 2005. If you have questions or need additional information, contact your distributor. - Disposal – Retailers will be responsible for safe storage and disposal of any diazinon products not sold or managed under the buy-back program. Be prepared to pay disposal costs. - Contact your local solid waste agency and state pesticide disposal program to determine if a waste or pesticide collection program, such as a Clean Sweep program, is available to you. - If no collection program is available, ask your state solid or hazardous waste agency about your disposal options. Disposal Contacts for Retailers and Consumers - To identify your local solid waste agency, look in the government section of your phone book under categories such as “solid waste,” “public works” or “garbage, trash or refuse collection.” - To identify your state pesticide disposal program coordinator, see http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/regulating/disposal_contacts.htm. - To identify your state solid or hazardous waste agency, see http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/osw/stateweb.htm. Additional EPA Information on the Web - EPA office of Pesticide Programs: http://www.epa.gov/pesticides - EPA & Diazinon: www.epa.gov/oppsrrd1/op/diazinon.htm - EPA Pesticide Storage & Disposal: www.epa.gov/pesticides/regulating/storage.htm - National Pesticide Stewardship Alliance: www.npsalliance.org - Earth 911: www.earth911.org or call 800/CLEANUP Source: EPA |