The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on July 15 that it will implement earlier protections for farmworkers, their families, and the general public from pesticide spray drift. The agency will now assess potential exposure to pesticides when they drift away from application sites earlier in its review process. This change applies to new active ingredient pesticide registrations and new use decisions, aiming to provide protections 15 years sooner than previously.
Pesticides can drift during and after application to unintended areas such as residential or recreational zones, potentially causing various symptoms depending on the pesticide involved. By evaluating the amount of pesticide that drifts beyond its intended target, the EPA aims to identify measures to protect people from unintended exposure. This update aligns with the agency’s commitment to address environmental justice concerns in farm communities and comply with the Endangered Species Act by improving risk evaluations for endangered species.
“People who live or work near farms can be unintentionally exposed to pesticides, and it’s our job to do as much as possible to prevent that from happening and to protect their health,” said Michal Freedhoff, Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. “Our new policy will ensure that vital public health protections are in place when a pesticide is initially approved – so people don’t have to wait years for the protections they deserve and need.”
Historically, the EPA conducted chemical-specific assessments of potential human exposure to pesticide spray drift during registration reviews every 15 years after a pesticide's approval. Now, these assessments will also occur during initial registration processes or reviews for new or amended uses of existing products. This ensures that necessary protections are established at the beginning of a pesticide's use rather than being delayed.
The EPA will employ chemical-specific human health spray drift analyses to determine label instructions aimed at reducing spray drift occurrences, such as specifying droplet sizes and buffer distances for each pesticide use. If risks are identified for nearby residents or non-target species, protective measures will be implemented.
As part of this action, going forward, the EPA will include chemical-specific human health spray drift analyses for:
- New active ingredients: Any new submissions for domestic uses.
- New uses and amended uses: Registration submissions where an active ingredient has previously received a chemical-specific spray drift analysis.
- Currently pending registrations: Actions currently under review by the agency when feasible.
Further details on implementing this change can be found in documents titled "Implementing Chemical Specific Human Health Spray Drift Analysis into Pesticide Registration Actions" (July 2024) and "Residential Exposure Assessment Standard Operating Procedures Addenda 1: Consideration of Spray Drift," available at docket ID EPA-HQ-OPP-2013-0676 on Regulations.gov.
