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Pesticides:  Reregistration
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Pesticide Tolerance Reassessment & Reregistration

EPA is reviewing older pesticides (those initially registered prior to November 1984) under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) to ensure that they meet current scientific and regulatory standards. This process, called reregistration, considers the human health and ecological effects of pesticides and results in actions to reduce risks that are of concern. EPA also is reassessing tolerances (pesticide residue limits in food) to ensure that they met the safety standard established by the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) of 1996. EPA has integrated reregistration and tolerance reassessment to most effectively accomplish the goals of both programs.

Performance Goals and Measures: 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 & 2001 (80 KB PDF) | 2002 | 2003 (80 KB PDF)

When EPA completes its review of a pesticide for reregistration or tolerance reassessment, the Agency issues a risk management decision document known as a RED, an IRED, or a TRED. EPA publishes Notices of Availability in the Federal Register.

REDs, IREDs, and TREDs

REDs (Reregistration Eligibility Decisions)

When EPA completes the review and risk management decision for a pesticide that is subject to reregistration (that is, one initially registered before November 1984), the Agency generally issues a Reregistration Eligibility Decision or RED document. The RED summarizes the risk assessment conclusions and outlines any risk reduction measures necessary for the pesticide to continue to be registered in the U.S.

IREDs (Interim Reregistration Eligibility Decisions)

EPA issues an IRED for a pesticide that is undergoing reregistration, requires a reregistration eligibility decision, and also needs a cumulative assessment as a result of FQPA because it is part of a group of pesticides that share a common mechanism of toxicity. The IRED, issued after EPA completes the individual pesticide's aggregate risk assessment, may initiate risk reduction measures -- for example, reducing risks to workers or eliminating uses that the registrant no longer wishes to maintain -- to gain the benefits of these changes before the final RED can be issued, following the Agency's consideration of cumulative risks.

TREDs (Reports on FQPA Tolerance Reassessment Progress and [Interim] Risk Management Decisions)

A TRED may be issued as a document if no changes in the tolerances for a pesticide are required as a result of EPA's review. If tolerance revisions are required, then the TRED may be issued as a Federal Register Notice.

EPA issues a TRED for a pesticide that requires tolerance reassessment decisions, but does not require a reregistration eligibility decision at present because:

  • the pesticide was initially registered after November 1, 1984, and by law is not included within the scope of the reregistration program;
  • EPA completed a RED for the pesticide before FQPA was enacted on August 3, 1996; or
  • the pesticide is not registered for use in the U.S. but tolerances are established that allow crops treated with the pesticide to be imported from other countries.

Like IREDs, some TREDs will not become final until EPA considers the cumulative risks of all the pesticides in the cumulative group.

Organophosphates, a group of closely-related pesticides that affect the functioning of the nervous system, are the first priority group of pesticides to be reviewed under FQPA.

The Rodenticide Cluster is a group of pesticides which are used for rodent control.  The Agency is considering these pesticides collectively in making reregistration decisions about their use as rodent control agents. 

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