The EPA recently published its proposed final rule for the registration eligibility document (R.E.D.) for the following soil fumigants; methyl bromide, metham sodium, chloropicrin, and dazomet.

This document contains many new risk mitigation measures which will make it very difficult for growers to continue to grow many specialty crops, including fresh market tomatoes, strawberries, melons, cucumbers, and even tobacco and peanuts.

It appears that the EPA is attempting to severely limit the use of soil fumigants by implementing excessive risk mitigation measures.

The risk mitigation measures are both unwarranted and unnecessary.

These new regulations contain numerous provisions which will both costly and difficult for growers and applicators to implement. The cost of the proposed monitoring of the new buffer zones will add $2,500-$3,000 to each fumigation.

Other requirements included are; - Buffer zones - Fumigations Mgmt. Plans - Public Notification - Max rate reductions - No 98/2 methyl bromide - 5 day re-entry time - New respirator requirements – Community "Outreach" etc. This list is only a partial list of the requirements. In additions Methyl bromide will only be allowed to be used on approved CUE crops.

You can see that this IS a very SERIOUS issue and we need your help!

We plan to send you updates on the process as they develop. We NEED GROWERS to respond early and often if we are to have any hope of delaying or defeating the implementation of these regulations.

What you should do NOW is phone or e-mail the USDA contact s which are listed in the box at the upper left of this letter.

You do not have to have to be an expert in the details of fumigation, nor do you have to know the regulations in detail. The purpose of these calls is to make the USDA realize that the EPA is purposing new regulations that will cripple the production of fresh fruits and vegetables.

The buffer zones will reduce yields in some cases (because no all the fumigants have buffer zones) and in some cases acreage will be taken out of production. The affected acreage reductions in Florida calculate out to be about 20-25%!

So pick up the phone right now and call the USDA, let them know that these rules are not needed, nor can they be implemented. The important thing is to call, it is not content of the calls, but the quantity of calls that will have an impact on USDA.