Department of Pesticide Regulation

DIRECTOR'S DECISION TO APPROVE DRENCH APPLICATION METHOD OF METAM-POTASSIUM OR METAM-SODIUM AND CLARIFICATION TO NIGHTTIME APPLICATION METHODS OF METAM-SODIUM

The Director of the Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) has signed the Director's Decision to approve the interim use of the drench application method to the list of current field fumigation methods.

Effective May 14, 2008, DPR will allow drench applications of metam-potassium or metam-sodium, with conditions.

The enclosures provide the regulatory requirements recommended for the fumigation method and include new Pesticide Use Reporting information. The enclosures will be added to Appendix Section C.2 of the Pesticide Use Enforcement Program Standards Compendium, Volume 3 - Restricted Materials and Permitting in the next update, tentatively scheduled for late-June 2008.

DPR has also clarified the Nighttime Application Methods of Metam-Sodium as it pertains to the application equipment, specifically to tool bar and shank spacing. For your convenience pages C-49 and C-50 are enclosed for back-to-back printing as replacement pages in the Restricted Materials and Permitting volume appendix.

If you have questions, contact your Enforcement Branch Liaison.

cc:   Mr. Ms. Mary-Ann Warmerdam, DPR Director
        Ms. Polly Frenkel, DPR Chief Counsel
        Mr. John Sanders, DPR Branch Chief
        Mr. James Shattuck, Agricultural Commissioner Liaison