Gretchen Schaefer
202.833.7311
EPA DECISION ON PESTICIDES HURTS THOSE WHO NEED IT MOST
WASHINGTON, DC (June 16, 2008) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Pesticide
Programs published on May 28 its final risk mitigation decision on ten rodenticides.
“This is a drastic mitigation measure by the Environmental Protection Agency that is not warranted,” said
Chris Cathcart, President, Consumer Specialty Products Association (CSPA). “The EPA’s decision flies
in the face of the conclusions made by a multi-stakeholder group that reviewed the issue of children’s
exposure to rodenticides and determined the risk was low.”
The EPA’s mitigation will hurt the people who may need rodenticides the most, according to CSPA and
RISE (Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment)®.
Measures in the EPA’s decision restrict consumer access to second generation rodenticides, which until
now have been widely used, especially in urban areas prone to rodent infestation.
“EPA’s mitigation will eliminate some of the most widely available, safe and currently affordable
rodenticide products, relied upon by millions of consumers to control rodents in their homes. The
agency’s final mitigation does not reflect the best available exposure data for rodenticide products
available to consumers,” added Allen James, President, RISE.
In its decision, the EPA failed to acknowledge the following:
• There has never been a recorded death in a child from any “blood thinning” rat and mouse
poisons.
• There has never been a reported case of a child getting seriously ill as a result of accidentally
ingesting any of these products.
• There are approximately 10,000 rat bites to humans per year in the United States; a large number
of these are children.
• During a 20 year period, there were more than 20,000 accidental exposures reported to poison
centers. None of the children exposed under the age of 6 years developed physical evidence of
toxicity.
• The chemicals that are being restricted are in EPA’s lowest hazard category.
• The chemicals that are being restricted from consumer use were developed to kill resistant
rodents. This action may actually result in the increase of populations of resistant rodents.
About CSPA
The Consumer Specialty Products Association is a non-profit national trade association representing
approximately 250 companies engaged in the manufacture, formulation, distribution and sale of
hundreds of familiar consumer products. It is organized into seven divisions: Aerosol Products, Air Care,
Antimicrobial Products, Cleaning Products, Pest Management Products, Industrial and Automotive
Specialty Chemicals, and Polishes and Floor Maintenance. For more information, please visit
www.cspa.org.
About RISE
RISE (Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment)® is the national trade association representing
manufacturers, formulators, distributors and other industry leaders involved with specialty pesticide and
fertilizer products. RISE members supply products to professionals and consumers. Learn more at
www.pestfacts.org.
