2012 First Quarter Report on US EPA Office of Pesticide Programs - ESA Liaison

ESA Liaison to US-EPA Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP)
2012 First Quarter Report to the Entomological Society
Thomas E. (Gene) Reagan
April 12, 2012

Interactions with EPA Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) representing the Entomological Society of America as Subject Matter Expert (SME) and Liaison during the first quarter of 2012 included one on-site visit (Jan 23–26), participation in conference calls, preparation of on-going assignments for two EPA OPP branches, participation in OPP training sessions, communication with several ESA members on ESA-EPA interactions, and delivery of an ESA joint branch meeting presentation on the status of ESA-SME activities.  Successful efforts also coordinated a trip involving two off-site Insecticide Branch - Registration Division presentations with academics and university students, agricultural consultants, and state department of agriculture pesticide officials (March 29–31). 

            Activities and meetings in Washington, DC at EPA offices during the first quarter involved the Insecticide-Rodenticide Branch, Insecticide Registration Branch, the Biological and Economics Analysis Division (BEAD), the Reduced Risk Program, the Environmental Fate and Effects Division (EFED), and the Biopesticides and Pollution Prevention Division (BPPD).  The monthly pesticide resistance management work group meeting with BEAD included joint participation with the WSSA liaison and has demonstrated considerable synergism.  ESA Central renewed open access publication use for non-ESA Office of Pesticide Program staff members (15 individuals in 2012).  These individuals are predominantly doing work involving entomology and insecticide labels, but are not members of ESA (trained in other areas of biology and agriculture including weed science and plant pathology).  All 13 scientists approved for 2011 were included with two additional names.  Participation in a multi-branch reduced risk registration meeting (Jan 24) involved an agrochemical industry presentation of new chemistry for field crop piercing-sucking insects.  ESA-SME input was provided on target insect habitats, and pollinator activity at the time when the proposed chemical might be used.  SME input was invited during the industry question and answer session and later during in-house deliberations.  OPP review of biological/toxicological information for five other insecticides included comparative discussions on acute, chronic, developmental, reproductive, neuro- and immunotoxicity; carcinogenicity and mutagenicity effects; as well as all physical, chemical, and environmental aspects of labeling.  Pesticide interactions with honey bees is of particular interest, in my opinion, at this time.  ESA-SME input seemed to facilitate this stage of data review during the registration process.  Another meeting during an earlier stage of labeling proposed a new use for established chemistry, and involved input from the USDA Office of Pest Management Policy. 

WSSA Herbicide Resistance Training Modules were introduced in a brown bag (lunch time Jan 25) seminar by Jill Schroeder.  WSSA and ESA-SME interactions during the week also included participation with BEAD in the monthly resistance management meeting with discussion of a planned PR notice on resistance management.  An additional workshop during this visit involved presentation of EPA and Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) residue chemistry test guidelines.  

            A conference call (March 2) coordinated by the EPA Office of Water and OPP addressed how EPA could improve decision making and further incorporate principles of sustainability into its on-going work.  A vision of on-going projects and programs was presented by the Associate Director of Biopesticides and Pollution Prevention Division (BPPD).  The focus includes state-of-the-art risk assessment approaches and streamlining product registration for reduced risk pesticide products (involving both conventional reduced risk pesticide and biopesticide registration programs).  The vision involving pesticide resistance management includes mode of action (MOA) labeling and insect resistance management requirements for plant incorporated protectants.  An additional, on-going focus includes allowing (encouraging) a special organic production mark for qualifying pesticide products. 

            During the first quarter, OPP work involving bed bugs was presented to the FIFRA Scientific Advisory Panel (March 6–7).  A major public release from the Registration Division during the meeting was the newly developed product performance test guidelines entitled “Laboratory Methods for Efficacy Testing of Bed Bug Pesticide Products” which is now available on the EPA OPP website.  

            The P-IE section invitational presentation by Registration Division Head Lois Rossi at the national ESA meeting further encouraged interactions between ESA and OPP.  Numerous efforts continued during the first quarter to foster better educational interactions and networking between ESA and US-EPA OPP. The reception for Dr. Steve Bradbury (OPP Director) at the recent IPM symposium in Memphis also strengthened these relationships.  Future on-site participation at OPP is scheduled for the week of April 16 and will include a formal presentation on “Selected Entomological Perspectives Toward Resistance Management”.     

Respectfully submitted,

Thomas E. Reagan

Austin C. Thompson Distinguished Professor of Entomology
Pest Management and Ecology, Sugarcane Insects
ESA Liaison and SME to EPA Pesticide Programs
Louisiana State University Agricultural Center
Office: (225)-578-1824
Cell: (225)-205-6344
Email: treagan@agcenter.lsu.edu