It is extremely important that users of MSMA speak up and make the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) aware of the critical role MSMA plays in responsible and effective
weed management programs.
As part of its ongoing review of MSMA, EPA has agreed to consider input on the benefits of
MSMA and its importance for use on golf courses, sod farms, and highway rights-of-way, as
well as on health effects associated with its use, before the currently scheduled phase out of
MSMA for these use applications, which will take effect on December 31, 2012. Therefore,
your input may be instrumental in EPA’s final decision on this important herbicide. This is
particularly important due to the expanding problem of weed resistance to herbicides other than
MSMA, especially in the Southeastern U.S.
The MSMA registrants believe that there is sufficient scientific information to convince the
reviewers that there is no health concern at the doses of exposure resulting from the relevant
uses, and we believe EPA will extend the registration of MSMA for turf uses beyond 2013
pending sufficient pressure from users.
Concerted pressure from the cotton industry persuaded EPA to re-register MSMA for use on
cotton in 2009. It will take that kind of pressure from users of MSMA on turf — golf courses,
sod farms, and highway rights-of-way — for the product to be retained beyond 2012.
Input to EPA must be received no later than December 31, 2011.
You can find a template for submitting comments to EPA on the Organic Arsenical Products
Task Force (OAPTF) website (http://www.oaptf.com/).
Comments can be sent to Tom Myers at EPA:
Tom Myers
MSMA Product Manager
Pesticide Re-Evaluation Division (7508P)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20460
myers.tom@epa.gov