Pesticide Program Dialogue Committee Azinphos-Methyl (AZM) Transition Issues Workgroup

February 2007

Quick Resources

Azinphos-Methyl
Specific Chemicals
Draft WA State Apple Transition Strategy (PDF)(9 pp, 1.45 MB, about PDF)
MI Blueberry Transition Plan (PDF) (11 pp, 255K, about PDF)
Tart Cherry Azinphos-Methyl Transition Strategy(31 pp, 457K, about PDF)

Meetings

Mission Statement

EPA and USDA are committed to working towards a reasonable transition for pesticide uses which have been cancelled or phased-out under FIFRA and FQPA. To that end, EPA and USDA are co-sponsoring a workgroup on transition issues under the auspices of the EPA Pesticide Program Dialogue Committee (PPDC) -- an advisory committee chartered under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA). This AZM Transition Issues Workgroup’s focus will be to provide advice (through the PPDC) to EPA and USDA on the implementation of EPA’s decision to phase out the remaining uses of the organophosphate, azinphos-methyl (AZM), over the next few years. EPA expects that this phase-out will encourage and facilitate transition to safer alternatives and reduce risks to farmworkers, pesticide applicators, and aquatic ecosystems. EPA and USDA want this workgroup to help focus our efforts on the key activities needed for the successful transition.
The objectives and goals of this PPDC workgroup include:

Identifying a framework for reasonable transition towards lower risk strategies, taking into account grower concerns over economic, trade and regulatory barriers to adoption of alternatives;
Identifying ways to improve understanding of the critical grower needs and perspectives of all stakeholders regarding the transition;
Identifying programs/mechanisms to provide reduced-risk pest management strategies and techniques to growers – including chemical and non-chemical alternatives to AZM;
Recommending ways to assist growers in their good faith efforts as they try AZM alternatives and feasible, cost-effective techniques;
Fostering transparency and public participation in decision-making; and,
Providing process recommendations to ensure that AZM transition progress is tracked and assessed and reported back to the PPDC.

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Workgroup Members

Agriculture/Farmer Representatives
Lori Berger, CA Specialty Crops Council
Bob McClain, CA Pear Advisory Board
Mike Willett, NW Horticultural Council
[Roberta] Robin Spitko, New England Fruit Consultants
Jeff Zellers, Ohio Parsley Producer
Ann Pingitore, Schramm, Williams & Assoc [for CA Pistachio Commission]
Phil Korson, Cherry Marketing Institute (Lansing, MI)
Dave Trinka, MBG Marketing (blueberries)
Gabriele Ludwig, Almond Board of CA

Environmental/Consumer/Farmerworker Representatives

Shelley Davis, Farmworker Justice Fund, Inc.
Daniel Sonke, Protected Harvest
Carol Dansereau, Farm Worker Pesticide Project
Michael Fry, American Bird Conservancy

Academia/Public Health/Public Foundation Representatives

Larry Elworth, Center for Agricultural Partnerships
Mark Whalon, MI State University
Rufus Isaacs, MI State University
Jay Brunner, WA State University
Jerry Baron, IR-4
Larry Olsen, North Central Regional IPM Center

Pesticide Companies/Trade Association Representatives

Janis McFarland, Syngenta
Paula Paul, DuPont Crop Protection
Mike Shaw, Dow AgroSciences
Ephi Gur, MANA Crop Protection [or Scott Rawlins]
Larry Hodges, Bayer CropScience

Tribal/State/Local Government Representatives

Bob Elliott, California Department of Pesticide Regulation

Food Processor/Distributor Representatives

Steve Balling, Del Monte Foods

Observers

Canada’s PMRA [our PMRA contact: Kit Nelson]
Hang Tang, Section Head, Re-evaluation Coordination Section II, Reevaluation Management Division
Andrew Beyak, Senior Evaluation Officer, Re-evaluation Coordination Section, Re-evaluation Management Division
Stephen Goodacre, Evaluation Officer, Re-evaluation and Use Analysis Section, Efficacy and Sustainability Assessment Division

USDA Workgroup Member

Allen Jennings, PPDC AZM Transition Issues Workgroup Co-Chair
Diane Gelburd, NCRS
Mike Fitzner, CSREES

EPA Workgroup Members

Rick Keigwin, PPDC AZM Transition Issues Workgroup Co-Chair
Pat Cimino, BEAD
Margaret Rice, SRRD
Meredith Laws, RD
Steve Morrill, BPPD

EPA Workgroup Participants

Lois Rossi, Director, RD
Steve Smearman, BEAD
Colwell Cook, BEAD
Steve Jarboe, BEAD
Tom Myers, SRRD
Katie Hall, SRRD
Tom Brennan, BPPD