Evaluating the potential effects of a mosquitocide on federally listed species

In the conduct of Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) risk assessments related to the potential effects of pesticides on species listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) relies upon various sources of data. Examples of such data include pesticide product profiles and use data, species biological and ecological data, and geographic data that can help define “proximity” of a known species location or habitat to potential product use. The FIFRA Endangered Species Task Force (FESTF) is a data generation and data gathering organization comprised of pesticide registrants tasked with supplying such data to the EPA for use in their assessments. This poster will explore how data compiled by the FESTF can be utilized to evaluate the potential direct and indirect effects of a mosquitocide on species listed under the ESA. Mosquito habitat, and thus pest control zones, are often associated with sensitive wetland sites, some of which support listed species. Because mosquitoes are a disease vector, balancing risk of pesticide application with benefit to human health is important and requires that a solid scientific basis supports species risk assessments. Overly conservative or heavily-assumptive assessments could jeopardize either environmental or human health, or both.