Docket Number: EPA-HQ-OPP-2007-1084 

www.regulations.gov

Sodium Tetrathiocarbonate 

Proposed Registration Review Final Decision 

March 2011 

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

I. INTRODUCTION........................................................................................4

II. BACKGROUND INFORMATION ...........................................................5 

III. PROPOSED REGISTRATION REVIEW FINAL DECISION ..............6 

IV. NEXT STEPS AND TIMELINE ................................................................6

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I. INTRODUCTION 

This document is the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA or the Agency) 

Proposed Registration Review Final Decision for sodium tetrathiocarbonate and is being 

issued pursuant to 40 CFR § 155.57 and § 155.58. A registration review decision is the 

Agency’s determination whether a pesticide meets, or does not meet, the standard for 

registration in the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). 

 FIFRA, as amended by the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) of 1996, 

mandated the continuous review of existing pesticides. All pesticides distributed or sold 

in the United States must generally be registered by EPA, based on scientific data 

showing that they will not cause unreasonable risks to human health or the environment 

when used as directed on product labeling. The registration review program is intended 

to make sure that, as the ability to assess risk evolves and as policies and practices 

change, all registered pesticides continue to meet the statutory standard of no 

unreasonable adverse effects to human health or the environment. Through the 

registration review program, the Agency periodically reevaluates pesticides to make sure 

that as change occurs, products in the marketplace can be safely used. Information on 

this program is provided at: http://www.epa.gov/oppsrrd1/registration_review/. 

In 2006, the Agency implemented the Registration Review program pursuant to 

FIFRA Section 3(g), and will review each registered pesticide every 15 years to 

determine whether it continues to meet the FIFRA standard for registration. 

 Pursuant to 40 CFR § 155.50, the Agency formally initiated registration review 

for sodium tetrathiocarbonate (case 7009). The following timeline highlights significant 

events that have occurred during the registration review of sodium tetrathiocarbonate: 

• December 19, 2007 – Publication of the sodium tetrathiocarbonate Summary 

Document, Scoping Document, and Problem Formulation Document in the docket 

(EPA-HQ-OPP-2007-1084) for a 90-day public comment period. The Summary 

Document also included the preliminary work plan. 

• May 28, 2008 – Signature of the sodium tetrathiocarbonate Final Work Plan and 

the Agency’s response to the public comments received during the 90-day 

comment period on the sodium tetrathiocarbonate Summary Document. The one 

comment received did not change the work plan set out in the Preliminary Work 

Plan. The Sodium Tetrathiocarbonate Final Work Plan was modified slightly from 

the Sodium Tetrathiocarbonate Preliminary Work Plan to include additional human 

health data requirements. The document describing the updated human health data 

requirements is included in the public docket (EPA-HQ-OPP-2007-1084).

• November 10, 2010 – Publication of a Notice of Receipt of requests to voluntarily 

cancel all remaining pesticide registrations containing sodium tetrathiocarbonate 

in the Federal Register (75 FR 69073) (FRL-8851-5). The docket number for the 

receipt of the voluntary cancellation is EPA-HQ-OPP-2009-1017. No comments 

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were received regarding sodium tetrathiocarbonate during the 30-day comment 

period. 

• February 25, 2011 – Publication of the Product Cancellation Order for all 

remaining pesticide registrations containing sodium tetrathiocarbonate in the 

Federal Register (76 FR 10587) (FRL-8863-4). 

II. BACKGROUND INFORMATION 

Sodium tetrathiocarbonate is a soil fumigant which acts as a fungicide, 

insecticide, and nematicide. Sodium tetrathiocarbonate degrades to carbon disulfide, 

hydrogen sulfide, sodium hydrazide, and elemental sulfur upon contact with water. 

Carbon disulfide (PC code 016401) is the major biologically active degradate. 

Tolerances are established for carbon disulfide from the application of sodium 

tetrathiocarbonate. Carbon disulfide from the application of sodium tetrathiocarbonate is 

the residue of concern for risk assessment. 

Sodium tetrathiocarbonate is registered for pre-plant and post-plant soil 

applications on almonds, grapes, lemons, oranges, peaches, prunes, and plums. It 

provides control of soil nematodes (e.g., ring, root-knot), diseases (e.g., phytophthora, 

armillaria) and insects (e.g., grape phylloxera). It cannot be used in greenhouses and 

other enclosed areas. There are no registered residential uses. Sodium tetrathiocarbonate 

is currently labeled for use only in Arizona, California, Oregon, and Washington. The 

most recent environmental fate and ecological risk assessments for sodium 

tetrathiocarbonate were completed in 1995 and 1996 in support of the proposed new uses 

on almonds, peaches, and prunes. The most recent human health assessments were also 

completed in 1995 and 1996 in support of the same proposed new uses. 

 After the Final Work Plan was signed in May 2008 as part of the registration 

review process for sodium tetrathiocarbonate, the technical and end-use product 

registrant, Arysta Lifescience North America, LLC, informed the Agency that they were 

requesting to voluntarily cancel all of their sodium tetrathiocarbonate product 

registrations. These were the last remaining products registered in the U.S. containing 

sodium tetrathiocarbonate. A Notice of Receipt of requests to voluntarily cancel all 

pesticide registrations containing sodium tetrathiocarbonate published in the Federal 

Register on November 10, 2010. There were no comments submitted regarding sodium 

tetrathiocarbonate during the 30-day comment period. The Agency then issued the 

product cancellation order on February 25, 2011 for all remaining sodium 

tetrathiocarbonate product registrations. (Copies of those documents are included in the 

docket for this registration review.) As specified in the Cancellation Order, registrants 

are prohibited from selling or distributing end-use products containing sodium 

tetrathiocarbonate as of February 25, 2012. After February 25, 2012, persons other than 

the registrants may sell, distribute, or use existing stocks of products containing sodium 

tetrathiocarbonate until existing stocks are exhausted, provided that such sale, 

distribution, or use is consistent with the terms of the previously approved labeling on, or 

that accompanies, the cancelled products. 

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III. PROPOSED REGISTRATION REVIEW FINAL DECISION 

As stated in the Preliminary Work Plan for sodium tetrathiocarbonate, the Agency 

had intended to revise the existing risk assessments for sodium tetrathiocarbonate. 

However, due to the cancellation order issued affecting all sodium tetrathiocarbonate 

product registrations in the United States, the Agency has found that it is not necessary to 

conduct new risk assessments for sodium tetrathiocarbonate and is, therefore, issuing a 

proposed decision pursuant to 40 CFR Part 155.53(c)(2) and 40 CFR Part 155.58. The 

voluntary cancellation of all remaining U.S. sodium tetrathiocarbonate registrations will 

become effective prior to the previously planned completion dates for the revised sodium 

tetrathiocarbonate risk assessments. The Registration Review Timeline introduced in the 

Sodium Tetrathiocarbonate Preliminary Work Plan proposed that the Agency would issue 

the preliminary risk assessments by September 2012 and issue the revised risk 

assessments by March 2013, with a final registration review decision scheduled for 

completion by September 2013. 

The existing stocks sales and distribution deadlines included in the February 25, 

2011 cancellation order ensure that sodium tetrathiocarbonate sale, distribution, and use 

will decline and eventually cease entirely in the United States in the future. During this 

period, the Agency believes that existing stocks of sodium tetrathiocarbonate products 

may be used until depleted without causing unreasonable risk to human health and the 

environment. Pursuant to 40 CFR § 155.57 and 155.58, the Agency proposes that the 

registration review final decision be issued, thus concluding the sodium 

tetrathiocarbonate registration review for the reasons discussed above. The affected 

product registrations are subject to the terms and conditions of the February 25, 2011 

cancellation order. 

IV. NEXT STEPS AND TIMELINE 

Pursuant to 40 CFR § 155.58, this proposed registration review final decision 

document is being entered into the sodium tetrathiocarbonate docket (EPA-HQ-OPP2007-1084). A Federal Register notice will announce the availability of this proposed 

registration review final decision for sodium tetrathiocarbonate and allow a 60-day 

comment period. If there are no significant comments or additional information 

submitted to the docket during the comment period that leads the Agency to change its 

decision, EPA will issue a registration review final decision for sodium 

tetrathiocarbonate, Case 7009, which will be announced in the Federal Register. The 

Agency anticipates that the final decision will be issued by mid 2011.