Re-evaluation Decision RVD2019-02, Chlorimuron-ethyl and Its Associated End-use Products

Pest Management Regulatory Agency
22 February 2019
ISSN: 1925-0886 (PDF version)
Catalogue number: H113-9/2019-2E-PDF (PDF version)

Table of Contents

• Re-evaluation Decision
• Outcome of Science Evaluation
• Regulatory Decision for Chlorimuron-ethyl
• Risk Mitigation Measures
• Next Steps
• Other Information
• Appendix I  Registered Chlorimuron-ethyl Products in Canada
• Appendix II  Label Amendments for Products Containing Chlorimuron-ethyl

Re-evaluation Decision

Under the authority of the Pest Control Products Act, all registered pesticides must be regularly re-evaluated by Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) to ensure that they continue to meet current health and environmental safety standards and continue to have value. The re-evaluation considers data and information from pesticide manufacturers, published scientific reports and other regulatory agencies. Health Canada applies internationally accepted risk assessment methods as well as current risk management approaches and policies.

Chlorimuron-ethyl is a commercial herbicide registered for use on soybeans in Eastern Canada for the control of broadleaf weeds. Currently registered products containing chlorimuron-ethyl are listed in Appendix I.

The regulatory approach for the re-evaluation of chlorimuron-ethyl was first presented in the Proposed Re-evaluation Decision PRVD2018-14, Chlorimuron-ethyl and Its Associated End-use Products.^{Footnote 1} PRVD2018-14 proposed continued registration provided that proposed risk mitigation measures are implemented. Health Canada did not receive any comments during the consultation period.

This document presents the final regulatory decision^{Footnote 2} for the re-evaluation of chlorimuron-ethyl, including the required risk mitigation measures to protect human health and the environment. All products containing chlorimuron-ethyl that are registered in Canada are subject to this re-evaluation decision.

Outcome of Science Evaluation

Dietary risks from food and drinking water have been shown to be acceptable when products containing chlorimuron-ethyl are used according to label directions. Canadian maximum residue limits for chlorimuron-ethyl are currently specified for soybeans and no changes are required.

Occupational risks to handlers and postapplication risks have been shown to be acceptable when chlorimuron-ethyl is used according to label directions. To protect workers entering treated sites a restricted-entry interval of 12 hours is required for agricultural uses.

The environmental risks associated with the use of chlorimuron-ethyl and its related end-use products are acceptable when products are used according to the revised label directions, which include advisory statements and spray buffer zones.

Regulatory Decision for Chlorimuron-ethyl

Health Canada has completed the re-evaluation of chlorimuron-ethyl. Under the authority of the Pest Control Products Act, Health Canada has determined that continued registration of products containing chlorimuron-ethyl is acceptable. An evaluation of available scientific information found that uses of chlorimuron-ethyl products meet current standards for protection of human health and the environment when used according to the conditions of registration, which include required amendments to label directions. Label amendments, as summarized below and listed in Appendix II, are required for all technical and end-use product(s). No additional data are requested.

Risk Mitigation Measures

Registered pesticide product labels include specific directions for use. Directions include risk mitigation measures to protect human health and the environment and must be followed by law.

Human Health

To protect workers, those entering treated areas and bystanders from occupational exposure, the following risk-reduction measures are required for continued registration of chlorimuron-ethyl in Canada:

• To protect workers entering treated sites a standard restricted-entry interval (REI) of 12 hours is required for agricultural uses.
• To protect bystanders, a standard statement is proposed indicating to apply only when the potential for drift is minimal to areas of human habitation or areas of human activity such as houses, cottages, schools and recreational areas.

Environment

• Updated spray buffer zones ranging from 1 to 20 meters to mitigate the impact on sensitive non-target terrestrial and aquatic habitats.
• Standard environmental precautionary label statements to protect non-target terrestrial plants and freshwater plants and algae.
• An advisory label statement regarding run-off.

Next Steps

To comply with this decision, the required mitigation measures must be implemented on all product labels sold by registrants no later than 24 months after the publication date of this decision document.

Other Information

Any person may file a notice of objection^{Footnote 3} regarding this decision on chlorimuron-ethyl within 60 days from the date of publication of this Re-evaluation Decision. For more information regarding the basis for objecting (which must be based on scientific grounds), please refer to the Pesticides section of the Canada.ca website (Request a Reconsideration of Decision) or contact the PMRA’s Pest Management Information Service.

Appendix I  Registered Chlorimuron-ethyl Products in Canada

Table 1  Registered Chlorimuron-ethyl Products in Canada^{Table 1 footnote 1}

Registation Number	Marketing Class	Registrant	Product Name	Formulation Type	Active Ingredient
25433	Commercial	Production Agriscience Canada Company	Classic 25 DF Herbicide	Wettable Granules	Chlorimuron-ethyl 25%
25784			Reliance STS Toss-N-Go Herbicide		Chlorimuron-ethyl: 21% Thifensulfuron methyl: 12%
29416			Classic Grande Herbicide		25%
30803			SB-01 Herbicide		Chlorimuron-ethyl: 5.14% Flumioxazin: 40.59%
31494			Guardian plus WDG Herbicide		Chlorimuron-ethyl: 5.14% Flumioxazin: 40.59%
32086			DuPont SB-02 Herbicide		Chlorimuron-ethyl: 1.54% Metribuzin 70.4%
32649			SB-03 Herbicide		Chlorimuron-ethyl: 6.62% Imazethapyr 55.15%
30475		Nufarm Agriculture Inc.	Nufarm Chaperone Herbicide	Water Dispersible Granules	Chlorimuron-ethyl 25%
25539	Manufacturing Concentrate	Production Agriscience Canada Company	Chlorimuron Ethyl 25 DF Manufacturing Concentrate	Wettable Granules	Chlorimuron-ethyl 25%
25432	Technical Grade Active		Chlorimuron Ethyl Technical Herbicide	Solid	Chlorimuron-ethyl 97.80%
29924		Nufarm Agriculture Inc.	Nufarm Chlorimuron-Ethyl Technical	Solid	Chlorimuron-ethyl 96%

Table 1 footnote 1

as of 7 January 2019, excluding discontinued products or products with a submission for discontinuation

Return to Table 1 footnote 1 referrer

Appendix II  Label Amendments for Products Containing Chlorimuron-ethyl

The label amendments presented below do not include all label requirements for individual end-use products, such as first aid statements, disposal statements, precautionary statements and supplementary protective equipment. Information on labels of currently registered products should not be removed unless it contradicts the label statements provided below.

1. Front Panel of all Chlorimuron-ethyl Products:

2. Technical Grade Products

Remove the following statement under the PRECAUTIONS:

and add the following statement:

Before the section entitled STORAGE, remove:

and add the following title and the following statements:

Remove the following statement under the “DISPOSAL AND DECONTAMINATION”

and add the following statement:

3. Commercial Class Products

Add to PRECAUTIONS section:

The following statements are required for all agricultural and commercial pesticide products:

Add to ENVIRONMENTAL PRECAUTIONS:

Add to GENERAL DIRECTIONS FOR USE:

The following statements are required for all agricultural and commercial pesticide products.

For field applications using conventional boom sprayers (agricultural or commercial products), the following statements are required:

Add to DIRECTIONS FOR USE:

Buffer zones:

Spot treatments using hand-held equipment DO NOT require a buffer zone.

The buffer zones specified in the table below are required between the point of direct application and the closest downwind edge of sensitive terrestrial habitats (such as grasslands, forested areas, shelter belts, woodlots, hedgerows, riparian areas and shrublands) and sensitive freshwater habitats (such as lakes, rivers, sloughs, ponds, prairie potholes, creeks, marshes, streams, reservoirs and wetlands).

Buffer zones required:

Method of application	Crop	Buffer Zones (metres) Required for the Protection of:
		Freshwater Habitat of Depths:		Terrestrial Habitat:
		Less than 1 m	Greater than 1 m
Field sprayer	Soybean	1	1	20

For tank mixes, consult the labels of the tank-mix partners and observe the largest (most restrictive) buffer zone of the products involved in the tank mixture and apply using the coarsest spray (ASAE) category indicated on the labels for those tank mix partners.

The buffer zones for this product, with the exception of the freshwater habitat, can be modified based on weather conditions and spray equipment configuration by accessing the Buffer Zone Calculator found on the Drift Mitigation page of the Pesticides section of Canada.ca.