For Release: May 15, 2015

EPA is responding to the Citizen Petition for a Ban on Triclosan filed by Food & Water Watch and Beyond Pesticides by granting one request and denying others. The petition requested that EPA take a variety of actions – including cancelling registered pesticide products containing triclosan and assessing risks – under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act; Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act; Clean Water Act; Safe Drinking Water Act; and Endangered Species Act (ESA).

EPA has determined that the currently available information does not support cancelling registered pesticide products containing triclosan. EPA will however evaluate and conduct a biological assessment of the potential for effects on listed species under the ESA in the ongoing triclosan registration review, the process to review pesticide registrations to ensure each pesticide continues to satisfy the statutory standard for registration.

As an antimicrobial pesticide, triclosan is used as a preservative in industrial, institutional, and residential settings to protect items from odor and stain-causing bacteria, fungi, mold, and mildew.  The agency has previously determined that pesticide products containing triclosan will not cause unreasonable adverse effects on human health or the environment and is currently engaged in reevaluating the risks posed by triclosan including a review of the human health and ecological risks, endangered species assessment, and risk assessment process for biosolids. Depending on the results of these assessments, the agency may consider new regulatory action if warranted.

The petition, supporting documents, comments, EPA’s decisions with respect to the petition, and response to significant public comments can be found in the docket for this action at www.regulations.gov, Docket ID # EPA-HQ-OPP-2010-0548.