The EPA Enacts New Protection Strategies for Insecticide Malathion to Safeguard Endangered Creatures
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) have issued "no jeopardy" Biological Opinions (BiOps) for the insecticide malathion on February 28, 2022, and June 30, 2022, respectively. These decisions mark a significant step towards protecting endangered species and the environment from potential harm caused by malathion use in mosquito control.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's (FWS) nationwide final BiOp for malathion outlines key mitigation measures aimed at minimising harm to endangered and non-target species. Although the search results do not provide an exhaustive list of these measures, several important points have emerged.
One of the primary recommendations is the expansion of no-spray buffer zones around critical habitats. This is particularly important for protecting vulnerable butterfly species like the Florida leafwing and Bartram’s scrub-hairstreak from drift of mosquito control pesticides, including malathion.
Another crucial measure is the timing of applications. Mosquito adulticide applications using malathion and other pesticides are typically conducted during early evening fogging to target mosquitoes while potentially reducing impacts on non-target organisms.
Pesticides such as malathion are to be used strictly according to label directions and state/local regulations to ensure legality and to minimise environmental harm. Use is often limited to public health agencies for mosquito control.
Emphasis is also placed on an integrated mosquito management approach, which combines source reduction, mechanical controls (screens, traps), and chemical/biological pesticides used judiciously to reduce larval and adult mosquito populations, thereby reducing the volume and frequency of chemical use.
To protect aquatic and beneficial insects, careful application methods are required to prevent runoff and drift into aquatic habitats and avoid treatment during pollinator activity, given malathion’s high toxicity to bees, aquatic invertebrates, and some fish species.
While the exact text or additional measures from the FWS final BiOp may not be fully detailed in the search results, these practices encompass the major approaches to reduce impacts on endangered species and the environment described in related regulatory contexts. For full details, consulting the official FWS or EPA documents directly is recommended.
The implementation of the malathion BiOp by EPA involves the issuance of Endangered Species Protection Bulletins and the approval of malathion label amendments to incorporate measures to protect listed species. Registrants involved in the consultation have agreed to implement these measures by modifying their product labels, which now contain directions on how to apply the pesticide in accordance with the FWS BiOp.
The malathion BiOp is the first nationwide BiOp issued by FWS to cover all registered uses of a pesticide across the United States and its territories. The EPA is currently working to implement the NMFS nationwide final BiOp for malathion, chlorpyrifos, and diazinon by December 30, 2023.
The newly approved amended malathion labels include changes necessary to comply with both BiOps. The registration review process for malathion is ongoing, with the Proposed Interim Decision expected to be completed by the end of the year.
The EPA's Bulletins Live! Two online system now includes geographically specific pesticide use limitations to protect listed species and their designated critical habitats. However, only the FWS Bulletins are currently available in Bulletins Live! Two, while the NMFS BiOp for malathion, chlorpyrifos, and diazinon is yet to be implemented.
In January 2017, EPA released a biological evaluation (BE) for malathion, which determined that the registered uses of malathion have the potential to adversely affect one or more individuals of most federally threatened or endangered species. Under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), EPA is responsible for ensuring that its actions do not jeopardise listed species or destroy or adversely modify their designated critical habitats.
This news marks a significant step in the protection of our environment and endangered species, ensuring the safe and responsible use of malathion in mosquito control programs.
- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) stresses the need for an integrated mosquito management approach, combining source reduction, mechanical controls, and judicious use of pesticides to reduce mosquito populations.
- Registrants involved in the consultation of the malathion BiOp have agreed to implement protective measures by modifying product labels to incorporate directions for legal and environmentally-friendly pesticide application.
- The EPA's implementation of the malathion BiOp includes the issuance of Endangered Species Protection Bulletins and the approval of amended malathion labels to ensure compliance with regulations protecting endangered species and the environment.
- The FWS biops for pesticides like malathion recommend the establishment of no-spray buffer zones around critical habitats to protect endangered and non-target species, such as the Florida leafwing and Bartram’s scrub-hairstreak.
- To minimize harm to aquatic and beneficial insects, care must be taken to prevent runoff and drift into aquatic habitats, and to avoid treatment during pollinator activity, given malathion’s high toxicity to bees, aquatic invertebrates, and many fish species.
- The FWS malathion BiOp is the first nationwide BiOp to cover all registered uses of a pesticide across the United States and its territories, and serves as a model for future protective measures in the health-and-wellness and environmental-science sectors.
- The newly approved amended malathion labels now include changes necessary to comply with both FWS and National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) BiOps, which will guide the responsible use of the insecticide in mosquito control.
- The registration review process for malathion is ongoing, with the EPA working to complete the Proposed Interim Decision by the end of the year, as part of a broader effort to address climate change and protect the environment through science and technology.
- For those interested in understanding the specific details of the malathion BiOps and their implications for finance, real-estate, lifestyle, food-and-drink, books, entertainment, sports, sports-betting, data-and-cloud-computing, and other aspects of modern life, consulting the official FWS or EPA documents directly is highly recommended.
