Emergency Exemption
Under Section 18 of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), WSDA may apply to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for a time-limited emergency exemption from federal registration to allow an unregistered use of a pesticide in an emergency pest situation. An emergency must be both urgent and non-routine and require the use of a pesticide.
WSDA may request an emergency exemption when an emergency pest situation jeopardizes the production of agricultural goods, the environment, or public health and there are inadequate tools (including registered pesticides) to address the pest situation. Examples of events triggering an emergency could include an outbreak of a new pest, documented development of resistance in pests to existing pesticides, unusual weather conditions that caused a pest outbreak, or product cancellation. Emergencies are not common.
Registrants for products may not submit Section 18 requests to WSDA. Applicants typically include Washington State University (WSU) research and extension specialists, agricultural consultants, and/or commodity organizations.
