Need for a Formal Risk/Benefit Review of the Pesticide Chlordane

A review of the adequacy of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) regulation of pesticides used in and around the home revealed that chlordane, used for termite control, may pose unreasonable risks to man and the environment. In 1974, after studies showed that chlordane caused cancer in mice, EPA issued a notice of intent to cancel all registered uses of chlordane, except for subsurface ground insertion for termite control and dipping of nonfood plants. According to EPA, the decision to continue using chlordane for subsurface termite control was not based on a risk benefit review, but was an administrative decision based on available information. After lengthy cancellation proceedings, representatives of the chlordane manufacturer and other parties involved signed a settlement agreement in 1978 which cancelled, either immediately or over 5 years, all chlordane uses except for subsurface ground insertion for termite control and the dipping of nonfood plants.