XTO Energy and the two servicing companies, Most Wanted Well Service LLC, and Sherwood Enterprises Inc., fined after one worker dies, 3 others severely injured while servicing North Dakota well

Dec. 21, 2016

OSHA cites well operator, two servicing companies after one worker dies, 3 others severely injured while servicing North Dakota well
Investigators find companies failed to maintain well control, resulting in flash fire

WATFORD CITY, N.D. An operator and two servicing companies' failure to control a North Dakota oil well properly led to a flash fire that killed a 52-year-old worker and burned three other workers severely at a Watford City well site, federal investigators have found.

On Dec. 15, 2016, the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued serious safety violations to the well's operator, XTO Energy and the two servicing companies, Most Wanted Well Service LLC, and Sherwood Enterprises Inc., following its investigation of the June 18, 2016, fire and injuries.

"Employers who are directly involved in well servicing operations must coordinate their actions to ensure well control is maintained at all times. Failing to do so can result in catastrophic consequences such as this case where one man lost his life and three others suffered debilitating burns," said Eric Brooks, OSHA's area director in Bismarck. "Communication between the host employer and all contractors is critical in working safely at any site."

Agency investigators determined that while trouble shooting a problem with the drill string, the employers on site failed to maintain well control resulting in a release of hydrocarbons causing an explosion and subsequent flash fire.

A 52-year-old employee of Most Wanted Well Service suffered fatal fall injuries and burns. Two other company employees also suffered burn injuries. OSHA cited the Rock Springs, Wyoming-based company for two serious violations for failing to:

• Maintain well control exposing workers to fire and explosion hazards.
• Provide flame retardant clothing to employees exposed to flash fire hazards.

OSHA has proposed penalties of $24,942. View current citations here.

The third injured worker - who was also burned - was employed by Sherwood Enterprise. He was operating a service rig and tripping pipe out of the well during a snubbing operation when the incident occurred. OSHA cited one serious violation and proposed penalties of $12,471 to the Big Piney, Wyoming-based company for failing to maintain well control. View current citations here.

OSHA also cited the well operator XTO Energy of Sidney, Montana, for one serious safety violation carrying proposed penalties of $12,471, for failing to maintain well control. XTO Energy's corporate headquarters are in Fort Worth, Texas. View current citations here.

All three companies have 15 business days from receipt of its citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA's area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

To ask questions, obtain compliance assistance, file a complaint, or report amputations, eye loss, workplace hospitalizations, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers, the public should call OSHA's toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742) or the agency's Bismarck Area Office at 701-250-4521.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA's role is to ensure these conditions for America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov.

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Vanilson Da Silva, doing business as Real Contractors LLC exposed workers to scaffolding, fall hazards at a Philadelphia work site, fined $87K

Dec. 20, 2016

Plymouth Meeting contractor exposed workers to scaffolding,
fall hazards at a Philadelphia work site
OSHA fines Real Contractors $87K for safety violations 

Employer name:Vanilson Da Silva, doing business as Real Contractors LLC

600 West Germantown Pike, Suite 400

Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania 

Inspection site:12-330 Fairmount Ave.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Citations issued: On Dec. 9, 2016, the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued citations to the company for four repeat and two serious safety violations.

Investigation findings: OSHA began the inspection on June 10, 2016, after a compliance officer observed Real Contractors' employees exposed to fall hazards.

The agency cited repeat violations for the company's failure to provide its workers with a safe means to access scaffold platforms, fall protection to prevent falls up to 13 feet, and fall prevention training. OSHA cited the contractor for similar violations in February 2016, 2015, 2014 and 2013.

The serious violations involved additional scaffolding hazards.

Quote: "By not complying with OSHA safety standards, Real Contractors continues to put its workers at serious risk of being injured or killed on the job. The hazards found in our inspection are all completely preventable, and must be immediately corrected by the company," said Theresa Downs, director of OSHA's Philadelphia Area Office.

Proposed penalties: $87,794

The citation can be viewed at: https://www.osha.gov/ooc/citations/Vanilson_Da_Silva_dba_Real_Contractors_LLC_1154452_12_09_16.pdf

The employer has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and proposed penalties to comply, request a conference with OSHA's area director or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

To ask questions; obtain compliance assistance; file a complaint; or report amputations, eye loss, workplace hospitalizations, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers, the public should call OSHA's toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742) or the agency's Philadelphia Area Office at 215-597-4955.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA's role is to ensure these conditions for America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov.

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Charles Benson, a former insurance adjustor, pleaded guilty to 41 counts of insurance fraud

Claims adjuster in Kentucky to pay nearly $400K for stealing claims funds

 December 21, 2016, Covington, KY — An investigation led by the Fraud Division of the Kentucky Department of Insurance (DOI) has resulted in $388,803.80 in court-ordered restitution for one business.

Charles Benson, a former insurance adjustor, pleaded guilty to 41 counts of insurance fraud and was sentenced earlier this month in U.S. District Court in Covington.

Benson was the mastermind behind a fraud scheme that involved recruiting individuals, who had no connection to insurance claims, to cash claims checks at local banks.

The Kentucky Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company submitted a fraud referral case to DOI in late 2013 after suspecting that Benson was engaged in fraudulent behavior. DOI reviewed the case and officially opened an investigation in early 2014.

DOI’s investigation led to the prosecution of Benson and twelve others associated with the scheme. Benson was court-ordered to pay $176,147.93 and the other individuals a total of $212,655.87 in restitution to Chubb Insurance Company, an insurer for Kentucky Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company.

“Kentucky Farm Bureau’s diligence and the hard work of our DOI team were both instrumental in bringing this case to a close,” said Dwayne Depp, Director of DOI’s Fraud Division. “Fraud cases can increase insurance premiums for consumers and place unnecessary burdens on private business. We partner with companies across the state to investigate potential fraud and prosecute those responsible.”

With over 300 active investigations this year, DOI’s Fraud Division has successfully prosecuted cases totaling over $3 million in court-ordered restitution. This is an increase from just $369,762 in 2015.

For more information or to report insurance fraud, contact the Department of Insurance toll free at 502-564-3630 or visit https://insurance.ky.gov.

Deborah Anne Carter found guilty of three felony charges of insurance fraud in connection with an insurance claim that the couple had been injured in a minor crash.

Woman in California convicted for faking injury from minor fender bender

December 20, 2016, Sacramento, CA — A woman could face up to eight years in prison for falsely claiming she was injured in a 2014 car accident involving her husband, according to the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office.

A jury on Thursday found Deborah Anne Carter guilty of three felony charges of insurance fraud in connection with an insurance claim that the couple had been injured in a minor crash.

The crash took place July 7, 2014, when a volunteer working for an alcohol and drug recovery facility for homeless people accidentally backed up the facility’s minivan into a parked car. The crash, which happened at a slow speed, caused minor damage to both vehicles.


The Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office said Carter’s husband, Louis Hudson, was the only person in the parked sedan at the time of the accident. But Carter called her niece later that day and told her to call the facility’s car insurer and report that both Carter and Hudson were in the parked sedan, according to the news release. Both told the insurance company that they had been injured.

The California Department of Insurance’s Urban Auto Fraud Unit investigated the claim. Two witnesses said only Hudson was in the car at the time of the crash and that Carter had come out of a nearby building screaming afterward.

Hudson pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor auto insurance fraud charge at a separate court date and was sentenced to 90 days in jail with three years’ probation.

Carter’s sentencing is scheduled for 9 a.m. Jan. 13. She was convicted of a felony failure to appear by a different jury in a separate case, and the jury found she had committed a felony within five years of a prison term.

Elvis Parra, owner of E&K Trucking, Inc. in Newark, was indicted Friday on second-degree charges of theft by deception and misconduct by a corporate official, third-degree insurance fraud, and fourth-degree workers compensation fraud

Essex County Business Owner Charged With Bilking Nearly $389,000 from Workers Compensation Insurance Carrier by Submitting False Information







TRENTON – Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino and the Office of Insurance Fraud Prosecutor today announced that the owner of an Essex County trucking company has been charged with bilking nearly $389,000 from his insurance carrier by providing false payroll information to obtain lower premiums on workers compensation coverage.

Elvis Parra, owner of E&K Trucking, Inc. in Newark, was indicted Friday on second-degree charges of theft by deception and misconduct by a corporate official, third-degree insurance fraud, and fourth-degree workers compensation fraud in connection with the alleged scheme that cheated Liberty Mutual Insurance Company (“Liberty Mutual”) out of premiums.

“Employers who underreport their payrolls to avoid paying full price for workers compensation coverage aren’t merely cutting corners, they are committing serious crimes,” said Attorney General Porrino. “By providing false information, this defendant allegedly stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from an insurance company and will now face jail time if convicted.”

“Premium fraud doesn’t just hurt insurance companies,” said Acting Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Christopher Iu. “Honest employers are forced to pay more for coverage as insurer costs trickle down. Honest employers may also find themselves unable to compete with lower prices being offered by companies who use fraud to cut their business costs.”

According to the indictment, Parra provided false and misleading statements to obtain lower premiums on the workers compensation insurance he is legally obligated to provide employees. Para applied for coverage in 2012 to the Jersey Compensation Rating & Inspection Bureau (“NJ CRIB’), the state agency that sets the rates for workers compensation insurance in the involuntary market and designates the insurance company that will provide coverage to an applicant. In filling out the application, Parra falsely represented that his trucking company employed only three drivers who were paid a total of $75,000 annually, when in reality he paid more than $2.9 million in annual wages to an additional 81 owner/operator drivers, according to prosecutors. Parra also falsely responded ‘no’ to a question that asked if his company used owner/operator drivers, a term that refers to truck drivers who own their own tractors, according to the indictment.

A subsequent audit determined that Parra should have paid an additional $304,735 in premiums for Liberty Mutual’s initial policy, and $84,166 in additional premiums for the renewal policy Liberty Mutual was required to issue E&K Trucking as a result of NJ CRIB regulations.

The indictment is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty. Second-degree crimes carry a sentence of five to 10 years in state prison and a criminal fine of up to $150,000; third-degree crimes carry a sentence of three to five years in state prison and a criminal fine of up to $15,000, while fourth-degree crimes carry a maximum sentence of 18 months in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Deputy Attorney General Thomas G. Tresansky, Jr. presented the case to the grand jury. Detectives Suzanna Lopez and Janessa Jones coordinated the investigation, with assistance from Investigator Greg Nolan.

Acting Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Iu noted that some important cases have started with anonymous tips. People who are concerned about insurance cheating and have information about a fraud can report it anonymously by calling the toll-free hotline at 1-877-55-FRAUD, or visiting the Web site at www.NJInsurancefraud.org. State regulations permit a reward to be paid to an eligible person who provides information that leads to an arrest, prosecution and conviction for insurance fraud.






===========N.J. trucker allegedly lowballs payroll to avoid workers-comp premiums 

December 19, 2016, Newark, NJ — Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino and the Office of Insurance Fraud Prosecutor today announced that the owner of an Essex County trucking company has been charged with bilking nearly $389,000 from his insurance carrier by providing false payroll information to obtain lower premiums on workers compensation coverage.

Elvis Parra, owner of E&K Trucking, Inc. in Newark, was indicted Friday on second-degree charges of theft by deception and misconduct by a corporate official, third-degree insurance fraud, and fourth-degree workers compensation fraud in connection with the alleged scheme that cheated Liberty Mutual Insurance Company (“Liberty Mutual”) out of premiums.

“Employers who underreport their payrolls to avoid paying full price for workers compensation coverage aren’t merely cutting corners, they are committing serious crimes,” said Attorney General Porrino. “By providing false information, this defendant allegedly stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from an insurance company and will now face jail time if convicted.”

“Premium fraud doesn’t just hurt insurance companies,” said Acting Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Christopher Iu. “Honest employers are forced to pay more for coverage as insurer costs trickle down. Honest employers may also find themselves unable to compete with lower prices being offered by companies who use fraud to cut their business costs.”

According to the indictment, Parra provided false and misleading statements to obtain lower premiums on the workers compensation insurance he is legally obligated to provide employees. Para applied for coverage in 2012 to the Jersey Compensation Rating & Inspection Bureau (“NJ CRIB’), the state agency that sets the rates for workers compensation insurance in the involuntary market and designates the insurance company that will provide coverage to an applicant. 

In filling out the application, Parra falsely represented that his trucking company employed only three drivers who were paid a total of $75,000 annually, when in reality he paid more than $2.9 million in annual wages to an additional 81 owner/operator drivers, according to prosecutors. Parra also falsely responded ‘no’ to a question that asked if his company used owner/operator drivers, a term that refers to truck drivers who own their own tractors, according to the indictment.

A subsequent audit determined that Parra should have paid an additional $304,735 in premiums for Liberty Mutual’s initial policy, and $84,166 in additional premiums for the renewal policy Liberty Mutual was required to issue E&K Trucking as a result of NJ CRIB regulations.

The indictment is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty. Second-degree crimes carry a sentence of five to 10 years in state prison and a criminal fine of up to $150,000; third-degree crimes carry a sentence of three to five years in state prison and a criminal fine of up to $15,000, while fourth-degree crimes carry a maximum sentence of 18 months in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Deputy Attorney General Thomas G. Tresansky, Jr. presented the case to the grand jury. Detectives Suzanna Lopez and Janessa Jones coordinated the investigation, with assistance from Investigator Greg Nolan.

U.S. EPA Taking Action to Remove 72 Inert Ingredients Previously Approved for Use in Pesticide Products

U.S. EPA Taking Action to Remove 72 Inert Ingredients Previously Approved for Use in Pesticide Products
12/20/2016
Contact Information:
Cathy Milbourn (milbourn.cathy@epa.gov)
202-564-7849

Environmental News


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Lenexa, Kan., Dec. 20, 2016) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking action to remove 72 ingredients from its list of inert ingredients approved for use in pesticide products.

Manufacturers wishing to use these ingredients in the future will have to provide EPA with studies or information to demonstrate their safety. EPA will then consider whether to allow their use.

EPA is taking this action in response to petitions by the Center for Environmental Health, Beyond Pesticides, Physicians for Social Responsibility, and others. These groups asked the agency to issue a rule requiring disclosure of 371 inert ingredients found in pesticide products. Instead, EPA will evaluate potential risks of inert ingredients and reduce risks, as appropriate.

Many of the 72 inert ingredients removed with this action are on the list of 371 identified by the petitioners as hazardous. EPA is taking this action after considering public comments on its October 2014 proposal. EPA’s list of approved inert ingredients will be updated after the Federal Register publication.

Most pesticide products contain a mixture of different ingredients. Ingredients that are directly responsible for controlling pests such as insects or weeds are called active ingredients. An inert ingredient is any other substance that is intentionally included in a pesticide that is not an active ingredient.

For the list of 72 chemical substances, see the Federal Register Notice in docket # EPA-HQ-OPP-2014-0558.

# # #

For EPA’s current approach on inert ingredients and the May 22, 2014, response to the petitioners, see the federal website.

General information on inert ingredients

Weston Solutions, Inc. fined $25,000 for violating an order issued in 2010, when Weston committed to clean up the former Chem-Wood wood treatment facility located in the Kapolei area of Oahu.

EPA fines Weston Solutions for violating cleanup requirements at former wood treatment facility on Oahu
12/20/2016
Contact Information:
Dean K. Higuchi (higuchi.dean@epa.gov)
808-541-2711

HONOLULU – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has assessed Weston Solutions, Inc. a $25,000 fine for violating an order issued in 2010, when Weston committed to clean up the former Chem-Wood wood treatment facility located in the Kapolei area of Oahu.

Between 1975 and 1988, Chem-Wood pressure-treated wood using hazardous chemicals containing chromium, arsenic and mineral spirits, some of which were released to the soil and impacted groundwater. EPA first took an enforcement action in 1988 and has overseen site investigations and cleanup activities.

Weston, a Pennsylvania-based environmental cleanup firm, has sold the property since 2010, but retains responsibility for carrying out the cleanup requirements. This includes maintaining the asphalt-concrete cap that provides a protective barrier from contaminated soil on the site. Weston violated the order when it failed to notify and obtain approval from EPA or the Hawaii Department of Health after learning the current property owner, Goodfellow Brothers, Inc., had partially removed the cap.

"Our order requires Weston to maintain the integrity of the protective cap covering this hazardous waste site,” said Jeff Scott, Director of the Land Division for U.S. EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region. “This penalty sends a clear message that EPA takes these requirements seriously.”

The facility’s cleanup plan requires EPA approval prior to altering the asphalt-concrete cap. Weston was aware that Goodfellow began work in December 2015 to install a concrete pad to support a new above-ground fuel tank, but failed to notify EPA or seek its approval until March 2016. The work involved removal of 776 square feet of the cap and a 360 square-foot layer of clean fill material. Weston and Goodfellow claim that no underlying contaminated soil was disturbed by the project. EPA has since approved the fuel tank installation plan and Weston is now back in compliance with the consent order.

The 2010 EPA order directed the Estate of James Campbell, a former property owner, and Weston to grade the site and consolidate contaminated soil under an asphalt-concrete cap, monitor and treat contaminated groundwater, and it included restrictions prohibiting residential reuse of the property.


For more information on hazardous waste, please visit: http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/hazard

None of the twenty drinking water samples collected from across the City of Corpus Christi water supply system tested positive for the presence of Indulin AA-86 in drinking water at method detection levels

Drinking Water Sample Results
12/20/2016 PM
12/20/2016
Contact Information:
David Gray (gray.david@epa.gov)

DALLAS – (December 20, 2016) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and Department of State Health Services (DSHS) have integrated their operations in both Austin and Corpus Christi to ensure the situation is handled as swiftly as possible. The top priority is a transparent response and the safety of Corpus Christi residents, and both organizations will continue to provide any and all support to remedy this situation as quickly as possible.

The TCEQ and EPA received analytical results from twenty drinking water samples collected in Corpus Christi from December 18, 2016. Samples were analyzed by EPA laboratory using a new liquid chromatography/mass spectrograph (LCMS) and gas chromatography/mass spectrograph (GCMS) analytical method to detect Indulin AA-86 in drinking water.

None of the twenty drinking water samples collected from across the City of Corpus Christi water supply system tested positive for the presence of Indulin AA-86 in drinking water at method detection levels of 0.05 mg/l for LCMS and 0.26 mg/l for GCMS. The EPA and TCEQ toxicologists established a health-based action level of 2.6 mg/l for Indulin AA-86 in drinking water.

The TCEQ and EPA will remain in a status of situational awareness and collect samples from the Corpus Christi drinking water systems and confirmation testing at EPA’s laboratory in Houston over the next few days. Both TCEQ and EPA have deployed additional resources to monitor Corpus Christi’s drinking water system. The entire team of highly qualified and dedicated professionals from the City and State has complete work to flush the system and quickly address the situation.

Zone 1 drinking water restrictions were lifted on Thursday, December 15. Zone 2 and 3 drinking water restrictions were lifted on Sunday, December 18.

Twelve reports of possibly related symptoms from prohibited water use by people living in Corpus Christi have been unconfirmed. The Texas Department of State Health Services recommends that citizens with health questions should contact their local healthcare professional.

Citizens concerned about their drinking water quality should contact the City of Corpus Christi at 361-826-2489 or TCEQ at 888-777-3186. Citizens with health or exposure questions should contact the Poison Control Center at 800-222-1222.

TCEQ/EPA will make analytical data and sampling locations available on the Corpus Christi website at https://www.tceq.texas.gov/response/corpus-christi-emergency-response.

The sample sites used for monitoring were selected in coordination with the TCEQ and EPA. Several sample site locations were selected in each Zone because they are representative sites for routine and frequent compliance monitoring of water quality in the distribution system in accordance with City’s approved drinking water monitoring plan.

Other sample sites were selected based on engineering hydraulic flow models proven with historical testing and knowledge of hydraulic flow of water through the City’s distribution system.

Analytical results are to be considered preliminary findings until a full quality control review can be completed and the final report is generated by EPA’s laboratory. Analytical methods used for these tests are new and developed specifically for drinking water samples collected from Corpus Christi. The analytical methods have not been validated and the EPA Houston Laboratory is not certified to test for this chemical. 

Quantitation was made using pure Indulin AA-86 [fatty amine derivative] product that was collected in the field and provided to the Houston Laboratory by the State of Texas. The salt form of Indulin AA-86 was needed to match the operations at the facility and was created using hydrochloric acid with a ratio of product to salt of 1.0:1.1, per information provided by Ingevity, the manufacturer. 

Laboratory creation of the salt form of Indulin AA-86 results in uncertainty of the reference material and results are to be considered estimates. Standard quality control procedures were followed.

Robert Paul Rice Jr, of Idaho Falls, Idaho to pay $3.6K in penalties for the unauthorized discharge of gold mine pollutants to the South Fork Clearwater River.

EPA settles with Idaho gold miner for Clean Water Act discharge violation
12/20/2016
Contact Information:
Mark MacIntyre (macintyre.mark@epa.gov)
206-553-7302

(Seattle) Mr. Robert Paul Rice Jr, of Idaho Falls, Idaho, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have reached a settlement regarding Mr. Rice’s Clean Water Act violation for the unauthorized discharge of pollutants to the South Fork Clearwater River. The discharges were a result of Mr. Rice’s operation of a suction dredge in the South Fork of the Clearwater River on July 22, 2015. Mr. Rice agreed to pay a $3,600 penalty as part of the settlement.

EPA issued a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System general permit in 2013 for small suction dredge operations in Idaho. To comply with the Clean Water Act, operators of small suction dredges must obtain NPDES permit coverage prior to operation.

The general permit covers small suction dredges with an intake nozzle size of five inches in diameter or less, powered by engines rated at 15 horsepower or less. The general permit places conditions on the discharge of rock and sand from each mining operation and prohibitions in certain vulnerable areas to protect water quality and aquatic resources.

At the time the violation occurred, suction dredge mining in the South Fork of the Clearwater River was prohibited to protect critical habitat for steelhead and bull trout under the Endangered Species Act. In addition, the South Fork of the Clearwater River is impaired under Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act for sediment. In July, 2015, Mr. Rice operated in the South Fork despite the prohibition in effect at the time.

Since then, the US Forest Service completed an environmental assessment to evaluate dredging impacts on the river. As a result of that evaluation, a controlled number of NPDES general permit holders may now access the South Fork of the Clearwater for dredging. Miners wishing to operate their dredges in the South Fork of the Clearwater must first submit a “plan of operations” to the U.S. Forest Service prior to the dredge season.

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For more information about legally operating suction dredges in the State of Idaho, please visit: https://yosemite.epa.gov/r10/water.nsf/npdes+permits/idsuction-gp

Manufacturers wishing to use 72 pesticide ingredients in the future will have to provide EPA with studies or information to demonstrate their safety

EPA Prohibits 72 Inert Ingredients from Use in Pesticides

12/20/2016

Contact Information:
Cathy Milbourn (milbourn.cathy@epa.gov) 

202-564-7849 WASHINGTON--The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking action to remove 72 ingredients from its list of ingredients approved for use in pesticide products.

Manufacturers wishing to use these ingredients in the future will have to provide EPA with studies or information to demonstrate their safety. EPA will then consider whether to allow their use.

EPA is taking this action in response to petitions by the Center for Environmental Health, Beyond Pesticides, Physicians for Social Responsibility and others. These groups asked the agency to issue a rule requiring disclosure of 371 inert ingredients found in pesticide products. Instead, EPA will evaluate potential risks of inert ingredients and reduce risks, as appropriate.

Many of the 72 inert ingredients removed with this action are on the list of 371 identified by the petitioners as hazardous. EPA is taking this action after considering public comments on its October 2014 proposal. EPA’s list of approved inert ingredients will be updated after the Federal Register publication.

Most pesticide products contain a mixture of different ingredients. Ingredients that are directly responsible for controlling pests such as insects or weeds are called active ingredients. An inert ingredient is any other substance that is intentionally included in a pesticide that is not an active ingredient.

The list of 72 chemicals is available at https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=EPA-HQ-OPP-2014-0558-0056.

For EPA’s current approach on inert ingredients and the May 22, 2014, response to the petitioners: https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=EPA-HQ-OPP-2014-0558-0003

For general information on inert ingredients: https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-registration/inert-ingredients-overview-and-guidance .