Consultation on methyl bromide and its associated end-use products, Proposed Re-evaluation Decision PRVD2024-03

Notice to the reader:

The online consultation is now closed.

Health Canada is consulting Canadians on the continued registration of the following uses of methyl bromide: general space fumigant, enclosed space fumigant and gas tight (tarpaulin) fumigant to treat empty structures or stored food/feed and non-food/non-feed commodities listed on the label.

The use of methyl bromide as a pre-plant soil fumigant is proposed for cancellation since the value was not shown to be acceptable because these uses do not meet the criteria for an exemption under the Montreal Protocol and is no longer used as a pre-plant soil fumigant for the crops registered on the label.

Methyl bromide is a broad-spectrum fumigant, effective as an insecticide, acaricide, fungicide, animal toxicant, molluscicide, nematicide, and herbicide. It is registered as a general space fumigation of structures (for example, warehouses, grain elevators, food processing plants, restaurants), enclosed space fumigation (i.e., chamber/vault; vacuum chamber; containers; and transport vehicles and gas tight covering (tarpaulin) fumigation). For these uses, it may be applied to empty structures or used to treat stored food/feed and non-food/non-feed commodities as listed on the label. It is also registered as a pre-plant soil fumigant for ornamental plants, forest nurseries and tomatoes.

With the proposed risk mitigation measures and label amendments, potential risks to human health and the environment are considered to be acceptable for methyl bromide and its end-use products when used as a general space fumigant, enclosed space fumigant, and gas tight (tarpaulin) fumigant to treat empty structures or stored food/feed and non-food/feed commodities, as specified on the label. Proposed mitigation and label amendments are summarized below and in Appendices III and IV of the proposed re-evaluation decision.

For a full list of products containing methyl bromide, please consult Appendix I in the Proposed Re-evaluation Decision or visit the Pesticide Label Search database.

For more information on the proposed decision open the "Proposed Re-evaluation Decision".

How to get involved

This consultation is open for comment from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024 (90 calendar days).

To comment on PRVD2024-03:

• Step 1: Request the full consultation document to read the Science Evaluation that is the basis of this proposed regulatory decision.
• Step 2: Submit comments to the PMRA Publications Section.

Please be sure to include the title of the consultation document on which you are commenting (PRVD2024-03, Methyl Bromide and Its Associated End-use Products).

Health Canada will accept written comments on this proposal up to 90 days from the date of publication of this document before making a final decision on the proposed re-evaluation decision for methyl bromide.

Reporting to Canadians

Health Canada will make the results of this consultation available on this website. Once the decision is finalized, the PMRA will post a Re-evaluation Decision on the Pesticides and Pest Management Reports and Publications portion of Canada.ca.

If you have any questions, contact the Pest Management Information Service.

Interested in our other consultations? Sign up and stay informed about topics that matter to you.