For Release: January 19, 2021

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is issuing an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) to solicit information on the current pesticide exemption provision process.

EPA is considering whether regulatory and policy changes are needed to improve the exemption provisions for pesticides that may be considered minimum risk under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). Changes to the current process could make the implementation and evaluation of the exemption provisions more efficient.

Specifically, EPA is seeking public input on:

• Whether programmatic changes are necessary to ease state regulation of federally exempt products; and
• Whether the agency should consider adding any new classes of pesticidal substances for exemption.

EPA is not yet proposing specific changes to FIFRA exemptions. The agency is only soliciting information that will help to determine if any changes in the regulations should be made.

Upon publication of the Federal Register notice, public comments will be accepted for 90 days in docket ID number EPA-HQ-OPP-2020-0537 at www.regulations.gov.

Background

EPA created the exemption for minimum risk pesticides in 1996 to reduce the cost and regulatory burdens on businesses and the public for pesticides posing little or no risk to human health and the environment.

For more information, view minimum risk pesticides exempted from FIFRA registration.

For more information, view minimum risk pesticide criteria.