Document ID: EPA-HQ-OAR-2005-0122-0030
Agency: epa
Document Type: Supporting & Related Material
Title: 
Posted Date: 2005-10-18T04:00Z

USA,
Post­
Harvest
Use
on
Dry
Cured
Pork
Products,
Response
to
June
2004
Questions
Page
1
NOMINATING
PARTY:
The
United
States
of
America
BRIEF
DESCRIPTIVE
TITLE
OF
NOMINATION:
Methyl
Bromide
Critical
Use
Nomination
for
Post
Harvest
Use
on
Dry
Cured
Pork
Products
DOCUMENT
NUMBER
CUN
2003/
048,
Us56N6
DATE
August
12,
2004
CRITICAL
NEED
FOR
METHYL
BROMIDE
TABLE
1.
REGION,
KEY
PESTS,
AND
SPECIFIC
REASON
FOR
METHYL
BROMIDE
ON
DRY
CURED
PORK
PRODUCTS
REGION
WHERE
METHYL
BROMIDE
USE
IS
REQUESTED
GENUS
AND
SPECIES
FOR
WHICH
THE
USE
OF
METHYL
BROMIDE
IS
CRITICAL
SPECIFIC
REASON
WHY
METHYL
BROMIDE
IS
NEEDED
Red
Legged
Ham
Beetle
Necrobia
rufipes
 
common
pest
The
adults
feed
on
the
cured
meat.
The
larvae
burrow
into
the
meat
and
fat.
The
larvae
are
commonly
referred
to
as
a
"
Ham
Borer"
Cheese/
Ham
Skipper
Piophila
casei
 
common
pest
The
Skippers
are
larval
stages
of
small
flies
and
they
burrow
into
the
cured
meat.
Dermested
beetles
Dermestes
spp­
common
pests
The
adults
and
larvae
feed
on
the
cured
meat.
Kentucky,
Missouri,
North
Carolina,
South
Carolina,
Tennessee,
Virginia
Ham
Mites
Several
mite
species
­­
common
pest
The
mites
feed
on
the
surface
of
the
cured
meat.

AMOUNT
OF
METHYL
BROMIDE
NOMINATED
TABLE
2.
AMOUNT
OF
METHYL
BROMIDE
NOMINATED*
BY
THE
U.
S.
IN
2005
AND
2006.
2005
(
KG)
2006
(
KG)
DESCRIPTION
135,397
135,742
Amounts
have
changed
from
original
U.
S.
2005
nomination
due
to
recategorization
and
new
CUEs
(
National
Country
Ham,
Nahunta
Pork
Center,
and
American
Association
of
Meat
Processors).
Reduction
in
use
rate
imposed
by
U.
S.
on
applicants.
 
2005
Nomination
includes
2005
Supplemental
Requested
nomination
amount.
USA,
Post­
Harvest
Use
on
Dry
Cured
Pork
Products,
Response
to
June
2004
Questions
Page
2
FIGURE
1.
U.
S.
VOLUME
REQUESTED
AND
NOMINATED
FOR
SMOKEHOUSE
HAM
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
Smokehouse
Ham
Volume
(
1000
m3)

Requested
by
applicants
Nominated
by
US
Footnote:
The
requested
volumes
are
sum
total
for
all
CUE
applications.
The
nominated
volume
reflects
reductions
to
ensure
that
no
double­
counting,
growth,
etc.
were
included
and
that
the
amount
was
only
sufficient
to
cover
situations
(
key
pests,
regulatory
requirements,
etc.)
where
alternatives
could
not
be
used.
Total
pounds
of
methyl
bromide
nominated
by
the
United
States
government
for
this
sector
are
based
on
the
nominated
volume.
See
the
accompanying
spreadsheet
2006
Bromide
Usage
Numerical
Index
or
"
BUNI"
(
Filename:
USA
2006
BUNI
 
Refined
Nomination
Package.
xls)
for
more
detailed
information
on
how
the
nominated
amount
was
determined.

RESPONSE
TO
QUESTIONS
MBTOC
Question
1
 
MBTOC
is
unable
to
assess
this
CUN.
A
CUE
of
0.907
tonnes
was
approved
by
the
EMOP
for
this
use
for
2005.
The
Party
states
historical
use
have
varied
from
972
kg
and
1659
kg
per
year
for
the
past
few
years.
MBTOC
does
not
recognize
any
viable
alternatives
for
the
use,
but
requests
clarification
of
the
reasons
for
the
large
increase
in
quantity
of
use
leading
to
the
nomination
and
further
information
on
why
this
need
is
critical?

US
Response
­
There
are
more
than
1,650
pork
production
facilities
in
the
United
States.
Of
these,
approximately
850
facilities
currently
use
methyl
bromide
to
fumigate
dry
cured
pork
products.

Initially
in
2002,
Gwaltney
of
Smithfield
was
the
only
CUE
applicant
from
the
entire
dry
cured
pork
product
industry.
The
U.
S.
government
contacted
several
other
dry
cured
pork
produced
to
determine
how
they
controlled
these
pests.
At
this
time
(
late
2002),
several
other
producers
(
the
National
Country
Ham
Association,
Wayco
Ham
Company,
Ozark
Country
Hams,
Nahunta
Pork
Center,
and
the
American
Association
of
Meat
Processors)
indicated
that
they
would
like
to
apply
for
a
CUE
as
well.
However,
they
did
not
have
adequate
time
to
adequately
gather
and
prepare
the
information
for
a
CUE
application
for
consideration
in
the
first
round
for
2005.
While
the
U.
S.
was
aware
of
these
additional
producers,
it
did
not
have
the
necessary
information
to
complete
the
application
package.
Therefore,
the
initial
amount
of
methyl
bromide
requested
in
2002
did
not
reflect
the
total
use
of
methyl
bromide
in
the
industry
because
it
only
reflected
the
amount
needed
by
this
single
applicant,
Gwaltney.

In
2003,
CUE
applications
were
received
from
the
National
Country
Ham
Association,
Nahunta
Pork
Center,
and
the
American
Association
of
Meat
Processors.
The
amount
of
methyl
bromide
requested
in
these
2003
CUE's
represented
a
majority
of
the
pork
production
facilities
in
the
USA,
Post­
Harvest
Use
on
Dry
Cured
Pork
Products,
Response
to
June
2004
Questions
Page
3
U.
S.
The
U.
S.
has
not
been
contacted
by
any
additional
pork
producers
and
considers
the
current
request
to
reflect
the
need
for
methyl
bromide
in
this
industry
sector.

There
are
no
registered
alternatives
for
use
on
dry
cured
pork
products
in
the
U.
S.
Dry
cured
pork
producers
need
methyl
bromide
because
of
the
damage
that
can
occur
due
to
insect
and
mites.
It
is
common
for
producers
of
dry
cured
pork
products
to
experience
pest
pressure
from
insects
such
as
the
ham
skipper,
the
red
legged
ham
beetle,
and
mites.
These
insects
infest
and
feed
on
meat
as
it
cures
and
ages.
Infested
products
are
not
acceptable
to
consumers.
Environmental
conditions
such
as
temperature
and
humidity
in
and
around
the
curing
facility
influence
the
level
of
pest
pressure.
In
general,
higher
temperature
and
humidity
levels
in
the
facilities
result
in
higher
pest
pressure;
in
the
southeastern
states
where
many
facilities
are
located,
temperatures
and
humidity
are
high
for
long
periods
of
time.
There
are
no
registered
alternatives
for
use
on
dry
cured
pork
products
in
the
U.
S.

References
2006
Bromide
Usage
Numerical
Index
(
BUNI)
 
Refined
Nomination
Package.
Attached
to
U.
S.
Response
to
Questions
as
an
Excel
Spreadsheet.