MEDIA RELEASE - 4 May 2007

Regulator Extends the Suspension of
High Volatile Forms of 2,4-D

ref: mr02/07

The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA), the independent national regulator of agricultural and veterinary chemicals, has extended the suspension of the registration of high volatile (short chain) ester forms of the herbicide 2,4-D.

“The suspension applies to the registrations and label approvals of some 24 products containing high volatile ester (HVE) forms of 2,4-D,” Dr Eva Bennet-Jenkins, Program Manager (Pesticides), said today.

“This extension of suspension will be in effect from 29 April 2007 until 29 April 2009.”

This new regulatory action extends a suspension originally put in place in October 2006.

“This action was the outcome of a review which identified that risks of off-target damage to the environment and crops from high volatile esters (HVE) forms of 2,4-D could not be effectively mitigated,” Dr Bennett-Jenkins said.

“Rather than withdraw the HVE forms of 2,4-D from the market, the APVMA gave manufacturers the opportunity to generate new data to better model the likely risks to the environment and off-target crops.”

“While the first package of data on the properties of the HVEs was provided in February 2007, manufacturers are now required to generate additional environmental fate and environmental effects data for further assessment,” she said.

“For this reason the suspension has been extended.”

ENDS

Contact: , Simon Cubit, Public Affairs Manager
Ph: 6210 4869 m: 0417 342 251

Download a PDF version of this release

Documentation relating to the 2,4-D review and media backgrounders can be found on the APVMA website.