Introduction
2,4-D is the most widely used herbicide in the world, and as such, it has been extensively reviewed by a variety of government regulatory organizations throughout countries spanning the globe. Some of the key government reviews and labeling decisions regarding the registration and continued use of products containing 2,4-D are listed here. If you do not find the information you are looking for below, please contact the Task Force at info@24d.org.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Reregistration Eligibility Decision
Concluded in 2005, this 17-year comprehensive review and assessment of 2,4-D under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) reregistration program for older pesticides found that the short and long-term effects of using 2,4-D were “not of concern” when users followed product label instructions. These findings were part of the Reregistration Eligibility Decision (RED) for 2,4-D, an evaluative process that all pesticides registered in the U.S. must undergo periodically to ensure that they do not pose health or environmental risks when used as directed. The complete RED can be found here: 24d_red.pdf. More information about the EPA’s RED can be found in this Backgrounder.
Health Canada Pest Management Regulatory Agency Re-evaluation Decision
In May 2008, the Health Canada Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) issued its Re-evaluation Decision regarding the continued registration of 2,4-D for use in Canadian provinces. 2,4-D has been registered and labeled for use in Canada for decades and similar to the U.S. EPA, the PMRA requires periodic reviews of all pesticides and herbicides to ensure that they continue to meet evolving health and environmental standards for safe use. This most recent review of 2,4-D concluded that the herbicide can continue to be used safely as labeled for a variety of applications. The complete text of the PMRA decision can be found here: CANADA-PMRA-RVD-2008-11-May-2008.pdf. More information about the PMRA 2008 Re-evaluation Decision can be found in this Backgrounder.
Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) of the California Environmental Protection Agency announces publication of the final health goal for 2,4-D Acid in drinking water
The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) of the California Environmental Protection Agency announces the publication of the final technical support document and responses to comments for the Public Health Goal (PHG) for the herbicide 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) in drinking water. The initial draft document was posted on the OEHHA Web site (www.oehha.ca.gov) on June 22, 2007, and a public workshop was held on July 16, 2007 to discuss the scientific basis and recommendations in the draft technical support document. OEHHA follows the requirements set forth in Health and Safety Code, Sections 57003(a) and 116365, for conducting the workshop and obtaining public input. Following the workshop, OEHHA revised the document and made it available on July 4, 2008 for a 30-day public review and scientific comment period. After further revisions in response to comments, OEHHA is posting the final version and responses to the major comments on the OEHHA Web site (www.oehha.ca.gov/water/phg/index.html).
Follow this link to download the final technical support document for 2.4-D in drinking water.
Follow this link to download the responses to comments on the draft technical support document for 2,4-D in drinking water.