FMC says EPA wrong about carbofuran

Date:05-20-2009

FMC Corp. is taking a stand against a move by the Environmental Protection Agency to revoke all U.S. food tolerances for the pesticide carbofuran.

Based in Philadelphia, FMC is one of the main makers of the controversial pesticide, which is used to control insects on a range of variety of field, fruit, and vegetable crops. Carbofuran is absorbed through the roots of a plant and can be fatal once ingested by birds and other animals and has been determined by the EPA to have deleterious effects on humans.

“EPA has concluded that dietary, worker, and ecological risks are unacceptable for all uses of carbofuran,” the EPA said in a statement.

FMC said it “strongly disagrees” with the EPA and plans to file objections to this action by the EPA and to seek an administrative hearing. The chemical company said it has made voluntary changes to the pesticide’s label to meet the EPA’s dietary safety standards.
Under the EPA action, FMC will continue to sell and growers can use carbofuran until Dec. 31.