Register now for the American Bar Association (ABA) webinar “Navigating the Jurisdictional Tightrope Between Biopesticides, Biostimulants, and Related Emerging Technologies” with Bergeson & Campbell P.C. (B&C^®) professionals deconstructing the jurisdictional boundaries distinguishing pesticides, biopesticides, plant regulators, biostimulants, and related technologies. The webinar will focus on draft EPA guidance intended to clarify the lines between and among those products that are subject to FIFRA registration as plant regulators and those biostimulant products not subject to FIFRA registration. The webinar also will focus on new and evolving chemistry and technology issues that may blur some jurisdictional lines or potentially move products from one category to another.  Lynn L. Bergeson, Managing Partner, B&C; Lisa R. Burchi, Of Counsel, B&C; and Sheryl Dolan, Senior Regulatory Consultant, B&C, will present.

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By Margaret R. Graham

On October 10, 2018, EPA’s Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) announced that it will be holding a public meeting of the Pesticide Program Dialogue Committee (PPDC) on October 31, 2018, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and that on November 1, 2018, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., it will be hosting an informational seminar on biotechnology-pesticide issues for stakeholders.  83 Fed. Reg. 50921.  The PPDC meeting and informational seminar will be held at 1 Potomac Yard South, 2777 S. Crystal Dr., Arlington, Virginia, in the lobby-level Conference Center.  EPA’s draft agenda for the PPDC meeting has been posted to the PPDC website.

The PPDC meeting agenda lists the following seven sessions: 

1. Pesticide Registration Improvement Act (PRIA) -- session goal is to “provide the PPDC with an update on EPA’s progress in implementing PRIA”;
2. Smart Label Project/e-CSF -- session goal is to “provide the PPDC with an overview the electronic pesticide label, the benefits to EPA and stakeholders, and next steps”;
3. Emerging Application Technologies -- session goal is “to inform the PPDC about how new unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology is working in the field for pesticide applications and how this new technology may benefit the agricultural sector”;
4. Benefits of Biological Products: Industry Perspective -- session goal is to explain “BPPD’s focus on low risk products and biopesticides, how EPA encourages low risk products by having a different division and registration timelines and costs” and “how pesticides, whether conventional or biological, are reviewed with rigor and held to the same safety standard”;
5. Integrated Mosquito Management Training -- session goal is to “provide awareness of on-line training and manual (in English and Spanish) focusing on Integrated Mosquito Management created by AMCA with funding by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention”;
6. Public Health Workgroup -- session goal is to “report on the progress of the group’s Emergency Preparedness Plan and solicit feedback”; and
7. 21st Century Toxicology: OPP’s Efforts on Non-Animal Alternative Testing for the Acute 6-Pack -- session goal is to “update the PPDC on OPP’s recent progress toward the reduction of animal use in testing, and the implementation of alternative methods.”

Nancy Beck, Ph.D., Deputy Assistant Administrator of the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention and Richard Keigwin, OPP Director, will make the opening remarks.  After the sessions, EPA is providing a 15-minute window for public comments.  PPDC meetings are free, open to the public, and no advance registration is required.

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By Lisa M. Campbell and Margaret R. Graham

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has launched a new pesticides website:  http://www2.epa.gov/pesticides, and a new biopesticides website:  http://www2.epa.gov/pesticides/biopesticides, among others.  EPA states that this gradual move to new versions of its content is part of a larger EPA effort to build a more user-friendly website. 

The updated biopesticides website focuses on providing general information on biopesticides, as well as tools to assist applicants for registration, and is organized into the following areas:

• What are biopesticides?;
• Biopesticide registration information;
• Plant incorporated protectants (PIPs); and
• Where can I find more information on biopesticides?

With this transition, web page addresses will be different which may cause links and bookmarks to break.  EPA states that it is working to fix any broken links.  The majority of the old pesticide pages will redirect to the new web areas, but bookmarks will still need to be updated.  EPA’s new “Page Not Found” notification will help website users find what they are looking for by providing suggested search terms, links to the A-Z index, and other helpful links.  The search feature available on every EPA web page and in the archive (archive.epa.gov) can also be useful in finding content. 

Other updated pesticide related links are:

• Pesticide Registration:  http://www2.epa.gov/pesticide-registration;
• Bed Bugs:  http://www2.epa.gov/bedbugs;
• Occupational Pesticide Safety and Health:  http://www2.epa.gov/pesticide-worker-safety;
• Protecting Bees and Other Pollinators from Pesticides:  http://www2.epa.gov/pollinator-protection;
• Protecting Endangered Species from Pesticides:  http://www2.epa.gov/endangered-species;
• Reporting Unintended Exposure and Harm from Pesticides:  http://www2.epa.gov/pesticide-incidents;
• Pesticide Labels:  http://www2.epa.gov/pesticide-labels;
• Managing Pests in Schools:  http://www2.epa.gov/managing-pests-schools; and
• Pest Control and Pesticide Safety for Consumers:  http://www2.epa.gov/safepestcontrol. 

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