EPA Allows Stocks of Banned Pesticide to Be Used on Cotton

The Environmental Protection Agency said Wednesday it will permit cotton farmers to use remaining stocks of the pesticide chlordimeform this year but will not allow them to buy more after Feb. 19.

The agency last year announced its intention of canceling licenses to sell chlordimeform, which it said has been shown to cause tumors in laboratory animals.

In recent years, about 1 million pounds a year went to control the eggs and larvae of the cotton bollworm and tobacco budworm on about 12% of the nation’s cotton crop.

The two manufacturers, Ciba-Geigy Corp. of Greensboro, N.C., and Nor-Am Chemical Co. of Wilmington, Del., had requested cancellation of the licenses and said they would recall inventories from sellers. Those requests were made after the EPA had announced that it intended to conduct a special study of chlordimeform.

The EPA said it is requiring that those recalls be made, is canceling the licenses as of Feb. 19 and is not permitting any use by farmers after Oct. 1.

The agency said it had assumed that inventories would be used up during the 1988 growing season but “drought and fewer pest problems” reduced use considerably and resulted in leftover stocks of 100,000 to 250,000 pounds on farms.