The American Horse Council has been following potential changes by the US EPA to regulations concerning the application of rodenticides. The EPA is intending to complete a registration review of several substances used as commercially applied rodenticides. The registration review of rodenticides is completed on a routine basis every 15 years.
Reviews are intended to assess potential risk to humans or the environment during common use application. Potential impact from reviews are increased label restrictions, changes to product availability, and updates to recommended use. A full table of rodenticides with proposed decisions can be found in the EPA Notice of Availability.
The AHC does not perceive our industry significantly uses professional and commercially applied rodenticides. However, we are working with the Ag Coalition, comprised of feed associations and retailers like Tractor Supply…. We are going to submit a letter requesting a 60-day extension. We think we have till the end of January to submit comments on EPA proposal, but several of the documents they mention are missing, so, it’s unknown what all points we need to comment on.
While we may not use a lot of commercial professionally applied rodenticides, the proposal will reclassify anything that is not consumer size (<4lbs) to ‘restricted use” – meaning they must be applied by state certified licensed applicators. Consumers will only be able to purchase small bait single use products.
This may not be a big deal for most horse farms but could be a bigger impact to show grounds/fair grounds, or other event venues. The League of Ag & Equine Center members are being asked for input as well. Working farms that are also growing hay, crops or have other livestock and some horses too could be impacted.
What do state horse councils think? Please reply by email no later than December 21st.
Email to jbroadway@horsecouncil.org or info@coalitionofstatehorsecouncils.org