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INTRODUCTION

This is the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA or the Agency) Registration Review Case 

Closure for halofenozide (registration review docket EPA-HQ-OPP-2012-0231). Halofenozide 

is an insect growth regulator with an ecdysone agonist mode of action that causes premature 

lethal molts in susceptible insects. Ecdysone agonists belong to the bisacylhydrazine class of 

compounds. Halofenozide was registered for use against immature stages of beetle pests (soil 

dwelling "white grubs") on non-agricultural uses sites, including airports/landing fields, 

commercial/industrial lawns, golf course turf, ornamental lawns and turf, ornamental sod farm, 

recreation area lawns, and residential lawns. There are no established tolerances for 

halofenozide.

The Agency is implementing the registration review program pursuant to Section 3(g) of the 

Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), and will review each registered 

pesticide every 15 years to determine whether it continues to meet the FIFRA standard for 

registration. Changes in science, public policy, and pesticide use practices occur over time. 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. 

The public phase of registration review begins when the initial docket is opened for each case. 

Information on this program is provided on the Agency’s website1

.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION 

The following timeline highlights significant events that have occurred during the registration 

review of halofenozide. As is detailed below, prior to the halofenozide registration review 

docket opening, the Agency received requests to voluntarily cancel all halofenozide pesticide 

products (technical and end-use).

• June 25, 2012 - Dow AgroScience LLC (Dow) requested to voluntarily cancel the sole 

technical halofenozide registration as well as their eight end-use products. 

• August 6, 2012 - Helena Chemical Company (Helena) requested to voluntarily cancel its 

sole halofenozide end-use product.

• September 26, 2012 - The Halofenozide Preliminary Work Plan (PWP) published in 

registration review docket (EPA-HQ-OPP-2012-0231) for a 60-day public comment 

period. No comments were received.

• September 26, 2012 - Notice of Receipt of Requests to Voluntarily Cancel Pesticide 

Registrations and Terminate All Uses published in the Federal Register for a 30-day 

public comment period (77 FR 59190) (FRL-9362-9). No comments were received.

• December 21, 2012 - Cancellation Order for All Pesticide Registrations and Termination 

of All Uses for Halofenozide published in the Federal Register (77 FR 75631) (FRL9373-6). 

All U.S. halofenozide pesticide registrations were cancelled effective December 21, 2012.

Existing stocks provisions included in the Cancellation Order allow the registrants (Dow 

 1 http://www.epa.gov/oppsrrd1/registration_review/
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AgroSciences LLC and Helena Chemical Company) to sell and distribute halofenozide products 

until December 23, 2013 (EPA Registration Numbers 038167-0029; 062719-0470, -0471, -0472, 

-0473, -0474, -0475, -0476, -0498, -0490). Thereafter, the registrants are prohibited from selling 

or distributing products listed in Table 1 of Unit II. of the Cancellation Order, except for export

in accordance with FIFRA section 17 or for proper disposal. Persons other than the registrants 

may continue to sell, distribute, or use existing stocks of cancelled products until supplies are 

exhausted, provided that such sale, distribution, or use is consistent with the terms of the 

previously approved labeling on, or that accompanied, the canceled products.

Copies of the Notice of Receipt of Requests to Voluntary Cancel all Products and the 

Cancellation Order are in the halofenozide registration review docket. 

REGISTRATION REVIEW CASE CLOSURE

As stated in the halofenozide PWP, prior to the docket opening, the registrants for all of the thenregistered halofenozide products submitted voluntary requests to cancel all halofenozide product 

registrations. However, until the cancellation of all products was effective, the Agency 

anticipated that assessments and data identified in the PWP would be needed in support of 

registration review. 

Following the publication of and the comment period for the PWP, all U.S. halofenozide 

pesticide registrations were cancelled effective December 21, 2012. The existing stocks sales 

and distribution deadline included in the December 21, 2012 cancellation order ensure that 

halofenozide sale, distribution, and use will decline and then cease entirely in the United States 

in the future. Although a Reregistration Eligibility Decision (RED) was not conducted for 

halofenozide (because it was first registered after November 1984 and not subject to 

reregistration), the Agency believes that existing stocks of halofenozide products may be used 

until depleted without causing unreasonable risk to human health and the environment. Due to 

the cancellation of all halofenozide products in the U.S., updated human health and ecological 

risk assessments and additional data are no longer needed in support of registration review. 

Pursuant to 40 CFR 155.42 (c), which provides that the Agency “will close a registration review 

case if all products in the case are canceled,” the Agency is closing the registration review case 

for halofenozide; and thus, concluding registration review of halofenozide.