EPA Seeking Information on Soil and Non-Soil Fumigant Risk Mitigation

Federal EPA has announced they are specifically soliciting comments and information related to soil and non-soil risk mitigation. Pursuant to the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) determined that several soil and non-soil fumigants are eligible for continuing registration only if specific risk mitigation measures, are adopted and adequately implemented. The information collected under this Information Collection Request (ICR) documents the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) activities that users, registrants, and participating states must conduct to implement fumigant risk mitigation measures for the chemicals identified in this document.  The information collection activities discussed in this ICR include registrant activities to develop and implement training for fumigators in charge of fumigations, develop and disseminate safety information for handlers, develop and implement community outreach and education programs, and develop and implement first responder training; and labeling activities for fumigant products; including user posting requirements concerning fumigant applications around the use site, providing notice of soil fumigant applications to applicable states, preparing a Fumigant Management Plan (“FMP”) and Post-Application Summary (“PAS”) as needed, participating in an EPA-approved fumigant training program, and disseminating fumigant safe handling information to handlers. The ICR, which is available in the docket along with other related materials, provides a detailed explanation of the collection activities and the burden estimate that is only briefly summarized here:

• Total estimated costs: $66,065,591 (per year), includes $4,865,009 annualized capital investment or maintenance and operational costs.

There is an increase of 333,720 hours in the total estimated respondent burden compared with that identified in the ICR currently approved by OMB. The change in burden hours for soil fumigants is a result of an adjustment due to the changes in the estimated number of fumigant management plans and in the number of certified applicators and handler training. The change in burden hours for non-soil fumigants and capital and/or maintenance costs is due to an increase in the number of non-soil certified applicators and handlers, and the addition of Ethylene Oxide-using facilities ( e.g., commercial sterilization, healthcare, labs, veterinary clinics, etc). Comments are due on November 10, 2026.