# APPENDIX I. Endosulfan Incident Database Review

A review of the Ecological Incident Information System (EIIS) database for ecological

incidents involving endosulfan was completed on March 25, 2009. This database consists of

exposure incident reports submitted to the EPA from 1994 to present. A summary of

ecological incidents involvi ng endosulfan are listed in Table I-1 below. This table is divided

into incidents involving aquatic organisms onl y, terrestrial organisms only, and both aquatic

and terrestrial organisms. Within each of these sections of the table, incidents are ordered by

date beginning with the earliest incident.

Incidents listed in EIIS are categorized by the likelihood that a particular pesticide is

associated with that particular incident. Th ese classifications incl ude highly probable,

probable, possible, unlikely or unrelated. “Highly probable” in cidents usually require carcass

residues or clear circumstances regarding the exposure. “Pro bable” incidents include those

where residue information was not available or circumstances were less clear than those for

“highly probable.” “Possible” incidents occu r when multiple chemicals may have been

involved and the contribution of an individual ch emical is not obvious. An “unlikely” incident

classification is given when a given chemical is considered nontoxic to the type of organism

involved or the chemical was analyzed and not detected in samples. The “unrelated” category

is used for incidents confirmed not to involve pesticides. No unrelated incidents were listed

for permethrin.

The number of reports listed in the EIIS database is believed to be only a small fraction of the

total incidents involving orga nismal mortality and damage caused by pesticides. Few

resources are assigned to incident reporting. Reporting by states is only voluntary, and

individuals discovering incident s may not be informed on the procedure of reporting these

occurrences. Additionally, much of the databa se is generated from registrant-submitted

incident reports. Registrants ar e legally required to provide de tailed reports of only “major”

ecological incidents involving pe sticides, while “minor” incidents are reported aggregately.

Because of these logistical diffi culties, EIIS is most likely a minimal representation of all

pesticide-related eco logical incidents.

Summary of Endosulfan Incident Review

The EIIS database contained 83 incident repo rts involving endosulfan. Mo st of the incidents

involve aquatic ecosystems (75 or 90% of the to tal incidents). Seven incident reports involve

terrestrial ecosystems and one involves a combin ed aquatic/terrestrial ecosystem. California

was most represented among all 50 states ( 26 reports) followed by North Carolina (9),

Louisiana and South Carolina (5 each) and Washi ngton State (4). Additi onal characterization

of these incidents is provided below.

I-1

# I-2 Incident Certainty and Legality

Of the 83 incidents reported, 23 (28%) are categorized as ‘hi ghly probable’ and 40 (48%) are

categorized as ‘probable.’ Collectively the ‘highly probable’ and ‘probable’ categories

represent 76% of the reported incidents. Regarding the legal status, the ‘unknown’ and

‘misuse accidental’ represent the largest legality categories with 36% and 35% of the incident

reports, respectively. Approximately 25% of the reports consist of registered uses. Lastly,

only three of the incident reports involved intentional misuse.

Of the 15 ‘highly probable’ and ‘probable’ incident reports th at involved only ‘registered

uses,’ most described pesticide runoff following periods of heavy rainfall as the likely event

that led to the reported incident. The major ity of the ‘highly probable’ and ‘probable’

incidents classified as ‘accidental misuse’ involved aerial application too cl ose to bodies of

water as stipulated by the label, spills and equipment washing.

Aquatic Incidents

The vast majority of the aquatic incident repo rts involved mortality to fish (67), a highly

sensitive taxonomic group. On ly aquatic three incidents reportedly involved aquatic

invertebrates, but the likelihood of observing impacts to aquatic invertebrates is low compared

to fish. Of the 67 aquatic inci dents involving fish, 53 (80%) are classified as either ‘highly

probable’ or ‘probable’ in th e context of endosulfan use. A wide variety of fresh and

estuarine species were reportedly affected (e.g., carp, catfish, largemouth bass, shad,

menhaden, mullet, spot, bluegill sunfish, gar and trout).

Terrestrial Incidents

Of the seven terrestrial incide nts, none are classified as ‘highly probable’ and two are

classified as ‘probable.’ The two ‘probable’ incidents involve birds (blue jay, crow, owl),

mammals (squirrel, opossum, red fox) and an amphibian (unidentified frog).

Plant Incidents

Only one reported incident involv ed plants and this was classifi ed as ‘possible,’ but the plant

species was not identified.Table I-1. Summary of Ecological Incident Reports in the Ecological IncidentInformation System for Endosulfan(1).IncidentIDUse SiteDate(1)State(2)County(3)Cert.Code(4)Legal.Code(5)SpeciesMagnitudeEffect(6)Summary DescriptionAQUATIC INCIDENTSB0000-233Potato7/30/1970WAStevens3MAunknown fishthousandsMA large fish kill occurred nearChewelah that resulted, evidently, from an aerialapplication of a mixture of Mag-6 flowable sulfur, dithane m-45, and thiodan.Witnesses reported seeing the aircraft continue its spraying even when it wasover the river.B0000-228-01Agr.Area8/25/1970NCHyde3MAunknown fish5000MThis large fish kill occurred in a drainage canal at the intersection of SR-1139and SR-1152, approximately 2.5 miles east of Sladesville, NC. It was the resultof aerial spraying of a mixture containing parathion (13,000 ppm), thiodan(63,000 ppm), DDT (18,000 ppm), DDE(14,000 ppm), and DDD (38,000 ppm)to the nearby soybean fields by a commercial certified applicator. The drift ofpesticides might have happened accidentally over the drainage canal during theoperations.B0000-228-02Soybean8/28/1970NCHyde3MAeelmenhadenmulletperchpumpkinseedsand perchspot2502803000517180143500MWith such large numbers of fish killed (including an estimated 750,000menhaden) it is difficult to make accurate estimates of the individual fishspecies although specific numbers aregiven (e.g. 1875 mullet and 295 eels).B0000-231-01Agr.Area5/1/1971CAYolo4MAunknown fish2000MIt is suspected that thiodan was responsible for the fish kill near Clarksburg.An aerial application of thiodan was reportedly made to a nearby safflowerfield and analyses of water, fish, vegetation, and safflower showed 0.5 ppb inthe water, and 0.5 ppm in the fish tissue. Vegetation contained from 0.98 to 5.8ppm, and the residue on the safflower was 11.4 ppm.B0000-232N/R7/6/1971NCDuplin4MAcatfishpickerelshinersunfish9315110354MA fish kill took place in Bear Swamp Creek at S.R. 1301 bridge on July 6,1971. All indications are that it wascaused by endosulfan which probably wasspilled from a broken bottle that had been discarded on the bank. No analysesof fish tissue were reported but concentrations of Endosulfan I and II in thewater were 16 and 12 ppb, respectively.B0000-230Potato7/8/1971MNChisago4RUbullheadthousandsMNo data were given for pesticide concentrations in the fish, but water samplescontained as high as 266 ppb endosulfan, so that was probably the cause of thefish kill.B0000-229N/R7/23/1971PAColumbia2UNtrout45MThiodan is suggested as the active ingredient concerned with this fish kill butthere are no data on concentrations in the water or in the fish tissues.I-3IncidentIDUse SiteDate(1)State(2)County(3)Cert.Legal.EffectCode(4)CodeSpeciesMagnitudeSummary Description(6)(5)B0000-227N/R4/1/1972WAYakima3RUrainbow trout50000MA large fish kill occurred in a hatchery in Yakima, WA, but details are lackingregarding the specific location or the source of the pollution. Supposedly thefish died as the result of exposure to thiodan which entered the hatchery inWide Hollow Creek. Analyses of the fish, for thiodan, showed 0.58 and 0.81ppm for the liver and 0.11 ppm for the fish flesh.B0000-245-01N/R5/24/1972NYN/R4MAunknown fish10000MAccording to "Summary of Reported DDT, Endrin, and Methyl ParathionEpisodes Involving Fish from 1967 to February, 1975" there was a large fishkill in the state of New York on May 24, 1972. A spray rig being filled withthiodan and captan overflowed into a stream, resulting in the death of 10,000fish.B0000-226Agr.Area8/15/1972WAChelan2RUtrout10000MThe fish kill occurred along a 2.5 mile strecth of Mission Creek. No analyticaldata were provided but thiodan was reputed to be the cause of the problem.B0000-225Agr.Area5/17/1973NCWake4MAunknown fish10000MThe fish kill was caused by the spillage of 1/2 gallon of Champion Super WormWhipper Tobacco Spray into a pond. Active ingredients are endosulfan andmalathion, both at 12.2% in the formulation.B0000-224Alfalfa7/17/1973CAGlenn3MAcarpcatfishsunfish1000unknown100MApproximately 1000 fish were killed ina stream running through an alfalfafield, presumably as the result of spraying of the field with a pesticide mixturecontaining dylox (trichlorfon), thi odan,and toxaphene. Analyses of watersamples taken in the area indicated that lethal conditions existed. Upstream ofthe affected area the only pesticide found was dylox, at 0.8 ppb. In the area ofthe alfalfal field the following concentrations were found: Dylox (8.3 to 12.5ppb), thiodan (0.30 to 0.59 ppb), and toxaphene (0 to 3.5 ppb).B0000-223Potato8/7/1973ORWashington2MAbassunknownMSome of the fish in a 15-acre pond were killed, presumably as the result of thedrift of a pesticide mix containing 6%maneb and 3% thiodan which had beenapplied 10 days earlier.B0000-220Agr.Area8/11/1974CAImperial3MAunknown fishthousandsMAn extensive fish kill (10,000 in California and 60,000 in Arizona) occurred,probably as the result of a thiodan spill.Reports are that a "nurse truck" wasbeing filled while on a bridge over the Main Canal at 3:30 AM, and that aleaking tank and/or a hose that causeda back siphon caused contamination ofthe water. Water samples taken at two locations later that day in the MainCanal contained thiodan at 0.04 and 0.2 ppb but no methyl parathion. TheYuma Department of Health's initial water samples contained 0.15 ppm thiodanand 0.0073 ppm methyl parathion.B0000-218-08Agr.Area9/5/1975CASanJoaquin3MAunknown fishthousandsMThis incident took place in a pond in the vicinity of the San Joaquin River nearTracy. Samples of the fish were analyzed for Thiodan but the result wasnegative (LOD not given, but in 1975 it might have been rather high). The fishkill was attributed to Thiodan, nevertheless, because the field adjacent to thepond had been sprayed the day before the fish kill was observed. The flyingservice responsible for the Thiodan application admitted responsibility for theI-4IncidentIDUse SiteDate(1)State(2)County(3)Cert.Legal.EffectCode(4)CodeSpeciesMagnitudeSummary Description(6)(5)loss.B0000-218-16Lettuce9/29/1975CARiverside2RUunknown fish500MThe death of 500 fish took place in the Palo Verde Valley area on September29, 1975. It is not certain what caused the kill but there was a lettuce fieldnearby and an analysis of the lettuce showed the presence of 0.21 ppm thiodan.No thiodan was found in the G.I. tract and the gills of the fish (the limit ofdetection was not mentioned).B0000-218-11Tomato6/24/1976CAMerced4MAunknown fish1500MThis event occurred in the Volta Channel. More than 1500 fish died and ananalysis of a fish liver showed the presence of 0.55 ppm Thiodan, which wasassumed to be the cause of the kill.B0000-218-12Canal/Drain7/1/1976CAYolo3MIblue catfishbluegillcarp200100400MThis fish kill took place in a pond on the grounds of the Yolo Sportsmen's Club,July 1, 1976. All of the water in the pond comes from an agricultural drainrunning close to the Yolo County airport.A spray plane operator was seenwashing equipment in the drain, resulting in a concentration of Thiodan in theditch water (0.12 ppb) and in the pond water (0.6 ppb).B0000-500-44FishPond10/2/1976CAMerced3MAbluegillcarpcatfishlargemouthbassshadstriped bassthousandsthousandsthousandsthousandsthousandsthousandsthousandsMA State survey covered herein submits a report within the period of 01 July,1976 to 30 June, 1977: (P-121) An investigation began at the local watertreatment plant where below its outfall fish loss started (the Colony Canal inDos Palos). Water samples contained pesticide (amounts not given). It wasdetermined that a local high school had used a pesticide tanker truck that hadbeen washed of its residue into the canal. Immediately prior to this event, it hadtransported pesticide. The tanker truck had been used by the high school to haulwater from the canal to their fish pond.B0000-216-19Lettuce11/18/1976CARiverside2RUunknown fishn/rMFish were killed in Canal 18 in the Palo Verde Valley on Nov. 18, 1976.Lettuce fields surround the canal and, according to the AgriculturalCommissioner's office, these fields hadbeen sprayed with phosdrin. However,analyses of lettuce and the water in the Canal did not show phosdrin but didshow thiodan. There were no analyses made of the fish.B0000-216-16Rice1/28/1977CAImperial4RUcarp30MThirty carp were killed in Rice Drain #3in Imperial County on Jan. 28, 1977.One fish was analyzed and the liver and intestines contained 1.4 ppm thiodanso this compound was probably the cause of death.B0000-501-34Agr.Area11/26/1977CAImperial4RUcarp1200MMore than 1200 non-game fish were killedin the Vail cut-off drain, ImperialCounty, on November 26, 1977. An adjacent lettuce field had been irrigatedand tail water flowed into the drain.Thiodan residues of 2.65 ppm in the gillsand 1.92 ppm in the GI tract were found in distressed carp collected from thedrain. The water contained 1.33 ppb Thiodan.I-5IncidentIDUse SiteDate(1)State(2)County(3)Cert.Legal.EffectCode(4)CodeSpeciesMagnitudeSummary Description(6)(5)B0000-501-36N/R1/7/1978CARiverside4UNcatfishlargemouthbasshundredshundredsMA fish kill occurred in the CO-3 canalnear Blythe, CA, on January 7, 1978.Approximately 540 fish were killed inan area of standing water. Lannate,Parathion, and Thiodan were suspected as being the cause but analyses of thewater and of the fish showed only Thiodan to be present. Water samplescontained between 0.27 and 0.64 ppb, butcatfish gills and liver contained 2500and 1100 ppb respectively, and gills of largemouth bass contained 930 ppbThiodan.B0000-500-02Field10/2/1978CAImperial3RUmolly12000MThe investigation of a fish kill inPAMPAS DRAIN #1 in the area of EastHighline Canal and the Pampas Canal headgate led to options as to causation.One, pointed to empty bags of DIAZINON along with white crystals that werefound in the immediate area; two, was thata large fertilizer trailer was leakingfluid to the ground and that it was leaching to water through the ground.HOWEVER, a pesticide application on September 27, to a lettuce field nearbyaffected the immediate area where the dead fish were found, and that was, inthe opinion of Wildlife Management, the cause of this loss.B0000-500-08Agr.Area10/31/1978CARiverside4UNcarpcatfishn/rn/rMIn Palo Verde Valley between N. Lovekin Blvd. in "A" canal and main "C"canal, there was a fish kill. The local warden collected carp, catfish and lettucesamples forwarded to the Pesticide Investigation Laboratory.B0000-234Agr.Area4/4/1980SCCharleston2RUunknown fishn/rMThis incident took place on Wadmilaw Island and the numbers of fish killedwere "minor."B0000-235Tomato4/12/1980SCCharleston2RUcraboysterunknown fishn/runknownthousandsMApparently there was a continuum of fish kills beginning with April 4 andcontinuing with the one associated with April 12. For the database, the April 4data are to be found in Incident B0000-234, and the April 12 data are inIncident B0000-235 Pesticides were applied to the fieldsadjacent to the killsite on April 11 according to an observer, and on April 12 according to thereport given. When the fish kill began in what is referred to the April 12incident is unclear because a patrolman inspecting both sites noted about 50badly decomposed carcasses; the presumption would be that these were fromthe April 4 (or before) time period. On April 13 there was a new crab and fishkill.B0000-502-15Agr.Area4/15/1980SCCharleston2UNcrabminnowmulletspotunknownunknownunknownunknownMA fish kill occurred on John's Island(access from Haulover Creek) on April 5,1980. Fish had begun dying on April 4 in Leadenwah Creek. Nearby tomatofields had been sprayed on April 3 and that was followed by a heavy rain onApril 4. A water sample taken from Haulover Creek on April 5 contained 3.5ppb toxaphene, and a fish sample taken at the same time contained 4400micrograms/kg (4.4 ppm) toxaphene. Spraying was done a week later, causinganother fish kill. For example, an oyster sample taken from Haulover Creek onApril 15 contained 2.64 ppm toxaphene.I-6IncidentIDUse SiteDate(1)State(2)County(3)Cert.Legal.EffectCode(4)CodeSpeciesMagnitudeSummary Description(6)(5)B0000-502-11Agr.Area5/25/1980SCFlorence2UNbreamcrappie10001000MA fish kill occurred in a private pond in Florence, S.C., on May 25, 1980.Toxaphene and p,p'-DDE were detected inthe fish tissue at low concentrations,and endosulfan was found in the water. It is difficult toestablish the exactcause of the fish kill since it may have been the result of several pesticidesacting synergistically.I003948-013N/R6/30/1988CAImperial4UNcatfishshadunknownunknownMApproximately 100 threadfin shad andcatfish were killed by endosulfanpoisoning in Imperial County on June 30, 1988.I003948-014N/R9/20/1988CARiverside3UNcarp550MIn Riverside County 550 carp died ofendosulfan poisoning on September 20,1988. No tissue residue or any other data was submitted.B0000-500-15Cucumber5/26/1989GATurner3UNbreamcrappietroutwhite perchseveral23severalMA fish kill occurred in a pond not far from where a field of cucumbers wassprayed with Bravo and endosulfan. There were differing accounts of the windconditions but the aerial applicator estimated the wind speed at 5 mph, and awitness to the aerial spraying said that there was no wind. The inspector of thescene noted that there had been no fishmortality in the pond in the field thathad been sprayed. The complainant'scounter argument was that more passeshad been made near his field than overthe pond area in the sprayed field.There were no violations charged in thisincident but grass and leaf tissue fromaround the pond contained 21.4 ppm Bravo (chlorothalonil) and 2.62 ppmendosulfan. These sampleswere taken just the day after the incident. Analysesof the water samples showed <0.06 ppb chlorothalonil and 0.75 ppbendosulfan.I000383-001Cotton7/1/1989MSHolmes3UNchannelcatfishgizzard shadunknownunknownmanyMA fish kill took place on Bee Lake, near the Thornton Community, in HolmesCounty on July 2, 1989. The lake is surrounded by cultivated land, primarilycotton fields. Aerial spraying of the field had occurred on the cotton fields onJune 30th. Heavy rains occurred the afternoon and evening after the spraying.An undetermined number of fish werekilled in the lake. Water samplesdetected a significant quantity of endosulfan sulfate and trace amounts ofendosulfan I and endosulfan II.I000383-002Cotton7/1/1989MSHolmes3UNunknown fishextensiveMThis was the second report of a fish kill on Bee Lake. Analyses of water andtwo fish carcasses showed the presence of endosulfan.I000389-001Agricultural Area7/6/1989MSYazoo2UNbowfinbullheadcarpchannelcatfishgrizzard shad15610431MCotton and soybean crops were sprayedevery 2-3 days. Fish kill samplingtook place at 5 sites on Silver Creek near Holly Bluff. To control peach aphids(without success) planters also sprayed BIDRIN, CYTHION, LANNATE,DURSBAN AND THIODAN. Monetary value of freshwater fish was $211.75.I-7IncidentIDUse SiteDate(1)State(2)County(3)Cert.Legal.EffectCode(4)CodeSpeciesMagnitudeSummary Description(6)(5)I000799-009N/R6/23/1991NCOnslow3UNbassbreamcatfishcrappieeelhundredshundredshundredshundredsMFish kill occurred on a one-acre pond (June 23rd). A tobacco farmer nearbystated that he incorporated MOCAP into tobacco rows, and sprayedORTHENE, two weeks ago. However,the pond owner stated that on June 22the tobacco farmer sprayed and the very next morning, after a heavy rain, deadfish abounded in the pond (e.g. 6 & 7 lb. bass). As a result, the tobacco farmerwas given a warning and later was notified of an impending hearing, by theNorth Carolina Dept. of Agriculture. No fish were analyzed.I000109-024Field7/31/1991LARichland3RUunknown fishunknownMA certified applicator aerially treated cotton fields with Methyl Parathion andEndosulfan on 7/27/91. These pesticideswere applied according to its labeledconcentration and recommendation. Theapplication followed by 1.39 inchesrainfall, which caused runoff to Joe's Bayou as the fields treated are located onboth sides of the Bayou. The Louisiana Department of Agriculture &Forestry(LDAF) and The Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fishery (LDWF)jointly investigated this incident.The water samples taken from the Bayouwere tested and detected the presence of Methyl Parathion among otherpesticides. LDAF concluded that both ofthese pesticides are what killed thefish.I000165-005Nut,Pecan4/8/1992GAN/R3MAunknown fishn/rMAfter Thiodan 3EC had been applied to a pecan grove, there was a fish kill inan adjacent pond. The presumption is that Thiodan was responsible for the fishkill because the pond is closer to the siteof application than is allowed on thelabel.I000799-008Apple4/18/1992NCHenderson3MAcatfishunknown fishsome600MAccording to the incident report it was suspected that a farmer used an air blastsprayer to treat his apple orchard with endosulfan (FMC Thiodan 3EC)resulting in drift to a small (1/4 acre)pond and allegedly causing mortality tothe fish in the pond 3 days later. There was no rainfall during this time. One ofthe farmers reported seeing several dozen small dead fish but according to theinvestigator there were approx. 600 small (2-6") fish and "some" (12-14")medium-sized catfish. The orchard had also been treated with fenarimol and amix of Maneb plus zinc which was referred to as Mancozeb* or ethylenedithiocarbamate (EBDC). Water samples were collected from the pond at itsover-flow. A soil sample was collectedhalf way between the orchard and thewaterway. Both revealed the presence of endosulfan. Sections of the orchardwere within 47 feet of the pond. Legality requires thatendosulfan cannot besprayed within 300 feet of a fishpond. There was no fish tissue analysis.I000165-060Tobacco6/29/1992TNN/R3MAunknown fishunknownMA tobacco farmer used endosulfan onhis crop which was less than 200 feetfrom a pond. Heavy rains ensued, causing the endosulfan to be transported intothe pond and kill the fish. This was a 6(a)2 submission from FMC which hadbeen called by the farmer, who wantedto know how soon the cattle could drinkfrom the pond. The label would ban such a use so near the pond.I-8IncidentIDUse SiteDate(1)State(2)County(3)Cert.Legal.EffectCode(4)CodeSpeciesMagnitudeSummary Description(6)(5)I000165-062Tobacco6/30/1992(USA)N/R3MAunknown fishn/rMFish died in a pond next to a tobacco field that had been sprayed with GoldenLeaf Tobacco Spray. The pond was closer to the field than that allowed on thelabel, and the pond was over-sprayed bythe airplane; also, subsequent heavyrains caused erosion of the soil which ended in the pond.I000799-002Tobacco7/4/1992NCGranville4MAunknown fishn/rMAccording to the report two tobacco fields near a 1 acre fish pond were treatedwith pesticide. Heavy rains followed during the same day. A fishkill allegedlyresulted. Dead fish were observed floating in the pond. During the next weekone water and two soil samples were collected for pesticide residue analysis.The report did not give a numerical value for the extent of the fishkill nor did itmention which fish species were affected. It was emphasized that theapplicator failed to follow packaging guidelines for safe handling of thepesticide. This pesticide is registered for tobacco use but is not registered to beapplied within 300 feet of a body of water.I000116-001Potato7/6/1992DENewCastle3UNunknown fish1000M1. Movement of aerial pesticide application to a potato field allegedly caused afishkill in a non-target area fish pond2. Pesticide application was followed byheavy rain and runoff. 3. According tothe investigative report either Metalaxyl,as Ridomil*, and/or Endosulfan, asThiodan*, and/or Kryocide, as Cryolite*, was responsible for the fishkill.I000256-020Agricultural Area8/1/1992SCN/R3UNunknown fishn/rMAccording to this report fields weretreated with Endosulfan and Acephate.Ensuing rains resulted in pesticide runoff to a nearby pond and allegedly causeda small fishkill. No residueanalysis was made for the fish or the pond water.The SC Dept. of Health and Environmental Control filed charges againstgrower.I000256-019Pumpkin8/5/1992INN/R3UNunknown fishn/rMAccording to the report a pond fishkill occurred near a pumpkin field whichallegedly had been treatedwith Endosulfan followed byheavy rain. No otherinformation was given relating to thisincident. Since it is known thatEndosulfan is a hazard to fish it is probable that this chemical is responsible forthe observed mortality among the fish.I003037-091N/R6/25/1993(USA)N/R2UNunknown fishunknownMThere was a fish kill allegedly causedby drift from an aerial application ofPhaser three weeks prior to the event. No details were given.I010792-001N/R1/1/1994(USA)N/R3MAn/runknownMTo comply with 6(a)2 regulations, Makhteshim-Agan of North America Inc.(MANA) reported a fish kill that resulted from a misapplication of a productcontaining endosulfan. This occurred in1994 but the site was not identified inthe report. MANA said that the specific product involved was not their product(the MANA product is Thionex Technical).I-9IncidentIDUse SiteDate(1)State(2)County(3)Cert.Legal.EffectCode(4)CodeSpeciesMagnitudeSummary Description(6)(5)I002363-001Citrus5/13/1994FLSt Lucie3RUflorida garstripedmulletunknown fishn/rthousandsn/rMAccording to the report a fishkill, due to runoff, was discovered in Ten MileCreek and reported as a part of a survey study noted as a EcosystemManagement Report on Pesticide Contamination in Ten Mile Creek. Watersamples of the extensive fishkill were taken at 10 sites. Of ten pesticides, (3exceeding state standards), concentrations of endosulfan, ethion and azenphosmethyl violated water quality state standards. Numbers and all species whichsuffered mortality were not reported but was, from this report, estimated to bethousands. It was reported that 1450 dead striped mullet and 50 dead Floridagar were seen, over a 5 mile stretch, floating in the water. It was believed thatthe incident was due to extensive citrus farming in the area. Affected fish areknown to be highly resistant to depleted oxygen. The report further stated thatsince fish are more resistant to pesticides than invertebrates, it can be assumedthat crustacean and insectpopulations were severely affected during this event.I003826-019Tobacco7/14/1994NCDavidson3MAn/runknownMA fish kill occurred in a 1-acre pond in Davidson County, NC, on July 13,1994. Pesticides were suspected as the cause because there had been sprayingof a nearby tobacco field several days before, after which there had been rain.A water sample taken the next day was found to contain endosulfan. A fine of$200 was levied against the owner of the tobacco farm because the sprayingtook place within 300 feet of the pond, which is forbidden according to thelabel.I001849-008Field7/20/1994LAN/R4MAn/r400MThis event (Fish kill #94-55) occurredin Beacon's Gully which is situatedbetween two sweet potato fields. Thiodan (endosulfan) wasapplied aeriallyand the pilot did not realize that a water body was present so it received thesame treatment as the fields. Analysesof water samples by the LSU School ofVeterinary Medicine indicated that endosulfan was the cause of death of thefish, frogs, and crawfish in Beacon's Gully. Data were not included in thereport on which this account is based.A warning was issued to the pilot forthis infraction.I003402-001Tobacco8/15/1994VAFranklin4MAcrappie12MFish were killed in a pondthat became contaminated with endosulfan followinga heavy rain storm. Just prior to the storm Golden Leaf Tobacco Spray(endosulfan) had been applied to a tobacco field above the pond, and runofffrom the field carried the endosulfan into the pond.I001280-039Tobacco8/22/1994VAN/R3UNunknown fishseveralMA tobacco field located very near an irrigation pond was sprayed withendosulfan immediately prior to a very heavy rain. It was alleged that "several"fish, species not given, suffered mortality because of resulting runoff into thepond. The report implied that, in the pesticide application, care was not takento observe label buffer requirements.I-10IncidentIDUse SiteDate(1)State(2)County(3)Cert.Legal.EffectCode(4)CodeSpeciesMagnitudeSummary Description(6)(5)I003238-001Cotton8/1/1995ALN/R4RUunknown fishthousandsMMore than 240,000 fish were killed along a 16 mile stretch of the Big NanceCreek that flows into the Tennessee River. A pesticide product (made by FMCCorp. of Philadelphia), containing methyl parathion and endosulfan, wassprayed by airplanes and tractor-typeapplicators on about 10 farms in earlyAugust. Shortly thereafter,heavy rains washed the pesticide product into thecreek. Reports indicate that the spraying was done within the guidelines on thelabel but the results show that the provisions on the label should be revised.I002591-001Cotton8/6/1995ALLimestone4RUbluegillcatfishthousandsthousandsMAccording to Alabama Department ofAgriculture, 240,000 fish of diffentspecies were killed along a 16 miles stretch of the Big Nance Creek from NorthCourtland to where the water flows into Tennessee River just south of WheelerDam. A pesticide application to the cotton field followed byheavy rain was suspected as a cause ofthis huge fish killdue to a pesticiderunoff from the cotton field to the Big Nance Creek. Samplesof water and thedead fish were obtained for analysis to determine the cause of the fish kill.I010444-005Lettuce12/1/1995CAImperial3MAn/r1000MTo comply with 6(a)2 regulations, FMC reported a fish kill that took place inBard, CA in December 1995. It was FMC's understanding that either theImperial Co. Ag Commissioner, the FBI, or the Bureau of Reclamation hadnotified EPA of the incident but that wasnot the case. An applicator was finedfor spraying endosulfan into a water drain next to a lettuce field, causing a killof approximately 1000 fish.I003668-001Agricultural Area6/10/1996LARapides4RUbassbowfincarpchannelcatfishcrappieflatheadcatfishshadhundredshundredshundredshundredshundredshundredshundredsMA large fish kill occurred in Bayou Rigolette and Bayou Rapids on or aboutJune 10, 1996. The killstretched between Grant and Rapides parishes.Endosulfan had been applied to neighboring areas and extremely heavy rain(over 9 inches) washed much of it into the bayous. Samples of water,sediment, and fish tissue indicated that endosulfan caused the fish kill.I004668-003N/R6/19/1996LARapides4UNbowfincarpcrappieshadsome of500MFish kill #96-43 occurred in Bayou Rapides from west of England Air Base toHot Wells. Approximately 500 fish werekilled. Fish tissue were found tocontain endosulfan.I004993-010N/R6/29/1996CAPlacer3UNtrout200MTwo hundred rainbow trout died of endosulfan poisoning on June 29, 1996, inPlacer County.I-11IncidentIDUse SiteDate(1)State(2)County(3)Cert.Legal.EffectCode(4)CodeSpeciesMagnitudeSummary Description(6)(5)I003659-001Tomato7/1/1996VAAccomack3UNclamthousandsMA farmer accustomed to raising clams, using water from the Gargatha Creekwhich flows nearby, has had to importwater from Chincoteague Bay 10 milesaway. Gargatha Creek has been badly contaminated, evidently, with pesticidesas the result of a new procedure forgrowing tomatoes commercially. Farmersform soil beds running the length of fields, with drip irrigation tubes alongthose beds. The beds are covered tightlywith a long shroud of thin plastic andtomato seedlings are punched at intervalsthrough the plastic. Pesticides areapplied to the plants in, presumably, the usual fashion. The problem is thatwhen rain comes, there is a large runoff of pesticides from the plants and,because so little soil is available to absorb the runoff, the nearby creeks arebadly contaminated with the pesticides. As these creeks flow into adjacentwaterways their loading of pesticides kills the shellfish in the waterways.I004864-001Alfalfa7/15/1996CAImperial4MIcarpthreadfinshadtilapiaunknownunknownunknownMAn extensive fish kill took place inImperial County following an aerialapplication of Thiodan 3 EC (a.i. endosulfan). The state Fish & Game wardenreported 3000 fish killed, whereas the federal Fish & Wildlife warden reported5000+ fish killed. Analysis of fish tissue, water, and vegetation confirmed thepresence of endosulfan. The grower irrigated an alfalfa seed field that wasadjacent to the Pumice drain, which flows into the Salton Sea. This applicationwas made in violation to the label restriction which prohibits irrigation within72 hours of application. This causedendosulfan to A civil penalty wasassessed.I004993-011N/R7/15/1996CAImperial4UNcarpshadtilapiathousandsthousandsthousandsMAccording to the report from CA Fish & Game, 3000 carp, tilapia, andthreadfin shad died in Imperial County on July 15, 1996. Cause of deathwasattributed to endosulfan.I004439-069Alfalfa8/4/1996CAN/R3RUunknown fishthousandsMApproximately 3000 to 4000 fish were found dead in a canal near Calapatria,CA. This canal runs close to an alfalfa field that had recently been sprayedwith endosulfan. The incident is under investigation by state officials.I007546-050Agricultural Area6/16/1997INN/R3MAn/rturtleunknown1MTo comply with 6(A)2 regulations, FMC Corp. reported an incident in Indianathat was caused by Thiodan 3 EC. The product was applied closer to a fieldthan allowed per label instructions, the result being dead fish, a dead turtle, anda dead deer near the pond.I006173-001Agricultural Area10/2/1997TXN/R3RUn/runknownMA citizen reported that Asana@ XL(Esfenvalerate) was appliedat rate of 0.02lb a.i/acre, along with Thiodan (Endosulfan) at rate of 1 qt/acre, to treatcowpeas for curculio. In addition a 4-11-11 fertilizer had recently been appliedto the field at rate of 20 gal./acre. Five days later, it rained 3"-5" in a shortamount of time, thus, causing runoff tothe nearby fish pond. This caused somefish kill in the pond. No number of fish kill or any other data was reported.I-12IncidentIDUse SiteDate(1)State(2)County(3)Cert.Legal.EffectCode(4)CodeSpeciesMagnitudeSummary Description(6)(5)I012265-002Potato7/23/1998(Can.)N/R3RUn/runknownMA fish kill occurred in a portion of the Huntley River, on Prince Edward Island,Canada, on July 23, 1998. There had been a hard rain the previous night and,when the fish kill was reported, an investigation of the incident began. Deadfish were found at a number of locationsalong the Huntley River. Sampleswere collected at selected sites along the river.It was determined that runoff from an adjacent potato field entered the river atone point, and samples of water weretaken from above and below that point;dead fish were found only below that point. A survey of farmers in the areawas made to determine which pesticideshad been used, and then analyses weremade of the water samplesand sediments for those particular pesticides. Noanalyses were made of the fish, therefore one cannot say what caused the deathof the fish. However, in certain areasthe concentrations of azinphos-methyland endosulfan were extremely high andeither could have been responsible.I017028-001Potato8/9/2000(Can.)P.E.N/R2UNsticklebacktroutunknown>50MOn August 9th, 2000, the Departmentof Fisheries, Aquaculture, andEnvironment (DFAE) reported a fish killon the French River in Prince EdwardIsland, Canada. An unknown number ofdead trout and sticklebacks wasfound. Approximately 50 trout were collected. Azinphos-methyl was found inthe livers (0.22 ppm) and gills (0.39 ppm) of the dead trout. The azinphosmethyl was thought to originate froma potato farm up-river. However, onlyone trace detection of azinphos-methylwas found in a sediment sample fromoutside the suspected field in French River.I012283-001Agricultural Area9/1/2000TNSequatchie3MAdarterlargemouthbassthousandsthousandsMIn September, 2000, endosulfan wasaccidentally introduced by a producefarmer into the Sequatchie River, killing approximately 200,000 fish (from tinydarters to largemouth bass) in a 12-mile section of the river. The farmerillegally instructed his employees to add endosulfan to his irrigation system.The pesticide was then introduced into the river when the system wasbackwashed. The farmer was order to pay approximately $43,370 to theTennessee Wildlife Resource Agencyfor restitution of loss of the fish.I013531-001WaterTreatment System9/1/2000TNBledsoe3MIbassthousandsMAn article in the ESPN Outdoor Fishing News, of Sept. 25, 2001, told of asentencing that took place in the U.S.District Court in Chattanooga, TN, onSept. 7, 2001. The case concerned a Pikeville man who wasresponsible for amajor fish kill in the Sequatchie River when he instructed the employees of hisproduce company to dump endosulfan intoan irrigation system; the river wascontaminated when the irrigation system was backwashed, causing thepesticide to be introduced into the Sequatchie River. The defendant wasordered to pay $42,369.98 to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and$1,602.44 to the Dunlap Water Systemfor damage to their water treatmentsystem. He also had to perform 150 hours of community service.I-13IncidentIDUse SiteDate(1)State(2)County(3)Cert.Legal.EffectCode(4)CodeSpeciesMagnitudeSummary Description(6)(5)I014189-001Cotton9/10/2002CARiverside4RUchannelcatfishstriped bassthreadfinshadtilapiaat least 1600-700at least 4at least 2MOn September 12, 2002, a fish kill inthe Palo Verde outfall lagoon wasreported. It was estimated that between600 to 700 fish were found dead.Species involved were Thredfin Shad (600), Catfish (20), Tilapia and StripedBass. The incident appeared to be two to three days old based upon the state ofthe fish carcasses. Fish suitable for necropsy and collection of tissues forresidue analysis. These were four shads, one catfish, one striped bass and twotilapias. Water samples from the lagoon andoutfall were also taken. The fishtissue and water samples were analyzedfor the presence of organophosphate,carbamate and organo-chlorine pesticides. The conclusion was that thepresence of endosulfan residues in thegill tissue and in both lagoon and outfallwater suggest that it was probable responsible for the fill kill. A follow-upreport was prepared for EPA Region IX.The investigation summary showedthat RIV CAC did not fineany violations. No enforcement action taken. Dataare from the USGS National Wildlife Health Center quarterly mortality report.No other details given.I014884-022N/R10/14/2003CAKings3UNbullheadcarpthreadfinshadover 50over 100over 200MCalifornia Department of Fish and Game report of fish and wildlife incidentsinvolving pesticides for calendar years 2002and 2003. The State reported thatseveral species of fish were affectedby Endosulfan and Chlorpyrifos. Thereport did not give the number of eachspecies used for chemical analysis.Their Certainty Index was given as mostprobable. The Department of Fish andGame Pesticide Laboratory reported its analysis. This included water and fishgill tissue. Their findings gave endosulfan as the primary exposure withchlorpyrifos contributing to the fish kill.I018075-001Alfalfa6/21/2006CAImperial4RUcarpcatfishredhorsemost of5,000unkownunknownMEndosulfan was released into the Pumice Drain, adjacent to the Sony BonoSalton Sea NWR. The release was contained in the Imperial district drain.Dead fish were traced approx. two miles upstream from the drainage ditch.Approximately 5,000 fish (primarily carp)were killed. In addition to carp,some dead catfish and redhorse minnowswere found. Eight of nine watersamples found levels of total endosulfanthat would be lethal to fish.Endosulfan and endosulfan degredation products were also found in carp gillsamples and in a redhorse minnow. Endosulfan had been applied to alfalfafields in the area. Staff of theImperial County Agricultural Commissionerindicated that the applications complied with irrigation restrictions on theendosulfan label. However, a large amountof irrigation water had backed up inone of the fields, immersing much of a field, prior to being discharged into thePumice Drain. This likely contributed to the high levels of endosulfan leavingthe field and entering the drain.I-14IncidentIDUse SiteDate(1)State(2)County(3)Cert.Legal.EffectCode(4)CodeSpeciesMagnitudeSummary Description(6)(5)B0000-300-42PotatoDENewCastle2UNunknown fish1000MA letter from H. Grier Stayton, Delaware Dept. of Agriculture, Div. ConsumerProtection, to Frank Davido (7/23/92) contained a packet of wildlife poisoningincidents that had been documented since 1989. Included in it was the recordof a fish kill in the city of Townsend caused by the runoff of pesticides from apotato field after a rainstorm. The pesticides were applied at the rate of 5gallons/acre and the pesticides used were Ridomil (metalaxyl, 0.96 lb), Thiodan3EC (endosulfan, 0.85 lb), and Kryocide (cryolite, 7.76 lb). There were noanalyses made of the water or of the fish that died.I004875-002N/RLAGrant4UNbassbowfincarpcatfishcrappieshadthousandsthousandsthousandsthousandsthousandsthousandsMA fish kill occurred in Bayou Rigolette at the intersection of Hwys 71 and3169, all the way past theintersection of Hwy 92. Thiodan was found in thesamples of water sediment, and fish tissue and was adjudged to be the cause ofdeath. No violations were foundand no enforcementaction was taken.I005754-017Agricultural AreaCARiverside1MAunknownfish13000MA heavy rain in Riverside County, CA,resulted in a substantial runoff ofpesticides from a crop dusting loading area. Approximately13,000 fish werekilled and legal action was taken against the aviation company. The eventoccurred some time between January 1, 1972 and June 30, 1973.I011716-002CottonAZMaricopa3MAwhite amurgrass carpdozensMA crop-dusting plane by pilot John Pew, misdirected spray suffocated dozensof White Amur grass carp. The pilot was to spray Thiodan and Checkmateover a cotton field to kill the common whitefly, The fish kill cost the Salt RiverProject (SRP) $4,000 to replace the fish, but, the pilot was fined $113 plus$182 for spraying the house.TERRESTRIAL INCIDENTSI014404-001TreeFarm/Plantation6/1/1990WAThurston2UNunknownplantn/rP.D.The Annual Report 1991 from the State of Washington included an incident inThurston County in which a complainant charged that a pesticide applied to aChristmas tree plantation drifted onto his property. There is no mention ofspecific damage caused by the incident. The report from the EnvironmentalHealth program indicated that endosulfan was the pesticide that was sprayed.B0000-219Potato7/22/1974IDCanyon2MAbeeunknownMMany bees were killed, presumably as the result of the aerial spraying ofthiodan on a neighboring field. No analytical data wereprovided as proof.I-15IncidentIDUse SiteDate(1)State(2)County(3)Cert.Legal.EffectCode(4)CodeSpeciesMagnitudeSummary Description(6)(5)I002135-001IndustrialWaste1/1/1995(Mex.)N/R2UNduck40000MAccording to the report more than40000 dead or moribund ducks werediscovered near a reservoir where migrating ducks dwelled. Endosulfan wassuspected as being responsible forthe observed mortalities because thereservoir receives wastesfrom adjacent tanneries. Investigation conductedthrough the Ministry of Water confirmed this hypothesis through revealingpositive endosulfan residue in sediment, water and duck livers. Thisinvestigation is being challenged by AgrEvo Research Center because theuniversity and the Ministry of Health did not confirm the endosulfanhypotheses but set forth supporting evidence that the duck mortality was due tothe ingestion of heavy metals. There has been no resolution at the time of thereporting memo.I003826-009Orchard4/28/1995NCHenderson2UNbeeunknownMA bee keeper in Hendersonville, NC, asked the NC Dept. of Agriculture todetermine the cause of his bees' death. Accordingly the Ag. representativeinterviewed farmers in the surrounding area and learned that a variety ofproducts had been used, but none admitted to spraying Penncap M, which iswhat the bee keeper suspected as being the cause of the incident. On April 18,Polyram and Nova (maneb, myclobutanil)were sprayed; on April 27, Sevin(carbaryl) was sprayed; on April 29 Phaser, Polyram, and Rubigan weresprayed (endosulfan, maneb, fenarimol); on April 18 a second farmer appliedPolyram and Nova; on April 19 Captanand Rubigan (fenarimol) were sprayedalong with sulfur. Dead bees werenoticed on April 28 and some werecollected for analysis on May 1, at which time various samples of vegetationwere also taken. The dead bees contained 3.1 ppm methyl parathion, 0.10 ppmchlorpyrifos, dimethoate and metabolite (1.7 ppm), and endosulfan andmetabolite (0.20 ppm). Vegetation from the nearby orchards contained variousamounts of chlorpyrifos, captan, dimethoate, endosulfan, and carbaryl but nomethyl parathion. The conclusion of the Dept. of Agriculture was that it couldnot identify the source of the methyl parathion which probably was mainlyresponsible for the bee deaths.I010533-001Cotton1/1/1999(Afr.)N/R3RUfrogowltermite11MCeres International LLC is a member of the Endosulfan Task Force, and felt itnecessary to inform EPA of a situation in Benin, Africa, that is causingmultiple deaths. Human health is not within the purview of our EIIS database,so much of the material covered in the lengthy article that was enclosed is notpertinent. A minor portion of the report was pertinent. A farmer in theBanikoara region witnessed the breakup ofthe food chain by endosulfan. Hisaccount is as follows: "Some termites were killed in a cotton farm sprayed byendosulfan. A frog fed on the dead termites, and was immobilized a fewminutes later. An owl which flew over the immobilized frog, caught it as aprey, and then sat down on a tree branchto enjoy its meal. Ten minutes later,the owl fell down and diedI-16IncidentIDUse SiteDate(1)State(2)County(3)Cert.Legal.EffectCode(4)CodeSpeciesMagnitudeSummary Description(6)(5)I012973-001N/R7/7/2001NYMonroe1UNcooper'shawk1MA Cooper's hawk died on July 7, 2001, in Pittsford, NY, and ultimatelynecropsied by the NY Wildlife Pathology Unit. There were no signs oftraumatic injuries, but apresumptive diagnosis of chlorinated hydrocarbonpesticides was made. A test for WestNile Virus was negative. A chlorinatedhydrocarbon screen of the brain showed thatmore than twice the lethal level ofdieldrin was present along with a potentially lethal combination of chlordanemetabolites; also, endosulfan I and II werefound. A dead red-tailed hawk wasrecovered from farm land near Fruita, COand a necropsy showed that the hawkdied from the ingestion of Famphur. This was part of a report from the Fishand Wildlife Service which alleges thatthe hawk probably died from ingestinga magpie that, in turn, had been killed by Famphur. Famphur is the activeingredient in Warbex which is commonlyused to control grubs in cattle. Thereport from FWS indicates strongly thatthe hawk died ultimately from a prioruse of Warbex, but the evidence is not completely convincing about that. It canbe said, however, that the hawk died from Famphur toxicosis.I012626-001N/R1/14/2002MDMontgom-ery3UNblue jaycrowopossumred foxsquirrel111112MFour gray squirrels weresubmitted to SCWDS fornecropsy by the MD Dept.of Natural Resources. These were submitted as part of a mortality eventinvolving several species of birds and mammals. A walk through of the 2 acrevacant lot retrieved 12 squirrels, 1 blue jay, 1 crow, 1 red fox, and 1 possum.Two neighborhood dogs experienced seizures, and the dogs improved and weredischarged from the local veterinary clinic. Toxicology results showed 126ppm of endosulfam in the pooled GI content sample from the four squirrels.There was no indication of where the exposure to endosulfam happened and itssource.AQUATIC/TERRESTRIAL INCIDENTSB0000-501-87Agricultural Area5/9/1988CAImperial2MAcatfishegretshad501250MOn May 9, 1988, approximately 100 fish and 12 birds died at a pond at a duckclub in Imperial County, CA. The fishwere analyzed and found to containdacthal (26.3 ppm), DDE (0.11 ppm), diazinon (0.1 ppm), and endosulfan (0.92ppm) based on whole body and fresh weight.An analysis of the water showedno pesticides present, but no mentionwas made of the time lag between theevent and the sampling of the water. Analyses of the livers of several egretsshowed dacthal to be present but at lessthan 1 ppm. Two weeks later, on May24, several catfish were seined fromthe pond and high concentrations ofdacthal were found in their livers (1.77 to 9.2 ppm) The source of the pollutionof the pond seemed to be a nearbycrop dusting loading facility.(1)Source: USEPA Ecological Incident Information System. (Download date: March 25, 2009).(2)Date: = start date of incident report.(3)State: values in parenthesis represent countries oforigin when states are not reported or applicable.(4)Certainty Code: 1 = unlikely; 2 = possible, 3 = probable, 4 = highly probableI-17(5)Legality Code: MA = misuse accidental, MI = misuseintentional, RU = registered use, UN = unknown(6)Effect Code: M = mortality; P.D. = plant damage.I-18