WASHINGTON – The National Pork Producers Council said last week that a final rule on chemicals used to control rodents won’t be as burdensome on the livestock industry as previously thought.

 

According to the NPPC, the Environmental Protection Agency on May 28 issued its “Risk Mitigation Decision for Ten Rodenticides,” which seeks to minimize children’s exposure to rodenticide products in the home and to reduce wildlife exposure to and ecological risks from rodenticides. EPA initially proposed that all second-generation rodenticides, which are lethal after a single ingestion of bait, be classified as “restricted use.” Such a classification would have required anyone wishing to use rodenticides to obtain a pesticide applicator’s license.

 

EPA found there was little risk of misuse of rodenticides by livestock producers, and under the final rule, producers will not need to obtain an applicator’s license, the industry group said. They will be limited to purchasing rodenticides in bulk – 8 pounds or more – from a farm store or directly from a manufacturer. The products, which will be labeled “For Agricultural Use Only,” must be used within 50 feet of an agricultural structure.

 

The final rule also allows livestock producers to use loose forms of bait indoors, the NPPC said. Rodenticides used outdoors must be contained in bait stations, although the type of station is left to the discretion of the producer.