UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20460

 OFFICE OF

PREVENTION, PESTICIDES

AND TOXIC SUBSTANCES

MEMORANDUM

Date/Time: January 6, 2016 / 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

Subject: Paraquat Dichloride Meeting Minutes. OPP Meets with Technical 

Registrants of Paraquat Dichloride to Propose Mitigation Measures to 

Address Incidents Associated with Paraquat Dichloride.

From: Marianne A. Mannix, Chemical Review Manager

Re-evaluation Management and Implementation Branch III

Pesticide Re-evaluation Division (7508P)

Participants: Kelly Sherman (EPA), Tracy Perry (EPA), Marianne Mannix (EPA), 

Nancy Fitz (EPA), Jonathan Becker (EPA), Bill Chism (EPA), Elizabeth 

Evans (EPA), Monty Dixon (Syngenta), Jerry Wells (Syngenta), K.C. Lin 

(Sinon), John Abbott (Syngenta), Todd Denofreo (ADAMA), Jan 

Stechmann (Helm Agro), Bert Volger (Helm Agro), Robert Hawk (Source 

Dynamics), Cheryl Wagner (Sharda and Willowood), Larry Miller (Sinon

and US Raymat)

Meeting Minutes:

The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) met 

with the technical registrants of paraquat dichloride to discuss research and analysis the 

EPA has conducted on paraquat incidents since the December 17, 2014 EPA-Registrant 

meeting and to revisit the mitigation discussion. Technical registrants of paraquat 

dichloride include: Syngenta Crop Protection LLC, Celcius Property B.V., Amsterdam 

(NL), Helm Agro US Inc., Sharda Cropchem Limited, Sinon Corporation, Source 

Dynamics, US Raymat, and Willowood Paraquat LLC. Monty Dixon (Syngenta), Jerry 

Wells (Syngenta), and K.C. Lin (Sinon) attended the meeting in person, and 

representatives for the other technical registrants participated in the meeting through a 

conference line. Technical difficulties prevented Cheryl Wagner and Larry Miller from 

participating on the call, but the information was disseminated to them by EPA via 

telephone immediately after. 

In previous mitigation discussions between EPA and the technical registrants, the focus 

has been on mitigating ingestion incidents, however, EPA’s most recent review of 

paraquat incident reports revealed a high number of occupational incidents of concern, 

shifting the Agency’s approach to address all paraquat dichloride human incidents. 

During the 1/6/16 meeting, EPA reviewed its recent research/analysis of paraquat 

incidents and presented results of a Health Effects Division incident rate analysis 
summarized in the memo entitled Paraquat & Herbicide Alternatives: Incident Rate 

Analysis. According to the incident rate analysis, the likelihood of an incident associated 

with paraquat use occurring is significantly and substantially higher than that of two 

potential herbicide alternatives, glufosinate (7 times higher) and glyphosate (13 times 

higher). The likelihood of an incident of moderate or high severity (typically an incident 

necessitating a doctor or hospital visit) occurring is 10 times higher with paraquat than 

glufosinate and 23 times higher with paraquat than glyphosate. EPA proposed a number 

of mitigation measures to include some previously agreed upon measures (label 

amendments to highlight ingestion risk and toxicity, supplemental warning materials, 

packaging changes for non-bulk containers, and the development of stewardship/training 

materials) as well as a closed system requirement, the prohibition of hand applications, 

In the meeting, Syngenta agreed to coordinate with the other technical registrants to 

discuss whether they will agree to voluntarily implement these measures. EPA and the 

technical registrants will meet again in two weeks.