I 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1496 

To require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to 

withdraw the proposed order published in the January 19, 2011, Federal 

Register (76 Fed. Reg. 3422) pertaining to the pesticide sulfuryl fluoride. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 11, 2013 

Mr. GRAVES of Georgia (for himself, Mr. SCHRADER, Mr. DUNCAN of South 

Carolina, Mr. BISHOP of Georgia, Mr. POE of Texas, Mr. WESTMORELAND, Mr. LAMALFA, Mr. CRAWFORD, Mr. LATTA, Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT

of Georgia, Mr. SOUTHERLAND, Mr. STUTZMAN, Mr. YOHO, Mr. 

VALADAO, and Mr. BROUN of Georgia) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

A BILL 

To require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to withdraw the proposed order published 

in the January 19, 2011, Federal Register (76 Fed. 

Reg. 3422) pertaining to the pesticide sulfuryl fluoride. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 The Act may be cited as the ‘‘Pest Free Food Supply 

5 Act’’. 


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•HR 1496 IH

1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

2 The Congress finds the following: 

3 (1) The food and fiber supply in the United 

4 States is the safest and most abundant and afford5 able bounty in the world due to efficient application 

6 of science-based technologies through the Nation’s 

7 enduring heritage of farming and ranching. 

8 (2) The Environmental Protection Agency 

9 (‘‘EPA’’) supported the transition from methyl bro10 mide as a fumigant for pest eradication in 2005 

11 under the Montreal Protocol. 

12 (3) Sulfuryl fluoride was tested and found to be 

13 a safe and viable broad-spectrum post-harvest alter14 native to methyl bromide. 

15 (4) In 2002, EPA presented the maker of sul16 furyl fluoride with a Stratospheric Ozone Protection 

17 Award. 

18 (5) Sulfuryl fluoride has evolved into the indus19 try standard and is critical to elimination of pest 

20 contamination on foods and further processed food 

21 products derived from peanuts, cotton seed, cocoa 

22 beans, wheat, rice, corn, oats, oilseeds, nuts, dried 

23 fruits, and many agricultural commodities. 

24 (6) Sulfuryl fluoride is also an important fumi25 gant to control pests in various food and agricultural 

26 processing facilities. 


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•HR 1496 IH

1 (7) On January 19, 2011, EPA published in 

2 the Federal Register a proposed order to revoke the 

3 previously approved food uses for the fumigant sul4 furyl fluoride. 

5 (8) EPA issued the proposed order not because 

6 it would have any meaningful effect on public health, 

7 but because of the presence of excessively high levels 

8 of naturally occurring fluoride in certain drinking 

9 water systems. 

10 (9) Sulfuryl fluoride is the smallest contributor 

11 to total fluoride exposure, and even EPA admits 

12 that ‘‘the elimination of sulfuryl fluoride does not 

13 solve, or even significantly decrease, the fluoride 

14 . . . exposure problems’’. 

15 (10) The EPA has stated that, if sulfuryl fluo16 ride is ‘‘phased-out from use, industry will be left 

17 with few viable sanitation alternatives’’. 

18 SEC. 3. DIRECT WITHDRAWAL OF JANUARY 19, 2011, FED19 ERAL REGISTER NOTICE PERTAINING TO 

20 SULFURYL FLUORIDE. 

21 The Administrator of the Environmental Protection 

22 Agency shall withdraw the proposed order published in the 

23 January 19, 2011, Federal Register (76 Fed. Reg. 3422) 

24 pertaining to the pesticide sulfuryl fluoride. 

Æ 


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