Given the incident information obtained from recent growing seasons, EPA is reviewing whether dicamba products registered for over-the-top use pose unreasonable risks to non-target crops and other plants or to federally listed species and their designated critical habitats. EPA is also evaluating all of its options for addressing future dicamba-related incidents.
Currently, EPA is working to understand the geographic variability of dicamba-related incidents. Additionally, EPA is analyzing how these incidents may relate to dicamba’s chemical properties. As the Agency progresses in its review, it will continue to consider if additional information could be provided to assist in EPA’s evaluation.
Moreover, all uses of dicamba, including pre-emergent and over-the-top applications of the pesticide, are being assessed in registration review. Registration review is a statutory program in which EPA reviews and updates, as necessary, older pesticide registrations based on current scientific standards to ensure that they continue to meet FIFRA’s registration standard.
As part of the registration review process, EPA recently accepted public comment on the second addendum to the 2016 draft human health risk assessment and a draft ecological risk assessment for dicamba. EPA will continue the registration review process by publishing the proposed interim decision (PID). The PID will address public comments on the risk assessments and may propose risk mitigation to address any potential risks of concern identified in the dicamba draft risk assessments. The public will have an opportunity to comment on the PID.
For more information on dicamba, see: https://www.epa.gov/pesticides/dicamba or https://www.epa.gov/ingredients-used-pesticide-products/registration-dicamba-use-dicamba-tolerant-crops.
