How to Deal with Label Changes

When you have supplies of a pesticide with an out-of-date label for which labeled uses have been changed, or which has been taken off the market (canceled), you can usually continue to apply them following the label on the container until your supply is used up. However, this practice may be prohibited in your state. Check with your state pesticide regulatory agency regarding laws and regulations concerning the disposal of canceled pesticides, or pesticides with out-of-date labels or canceled uses. In some cases, the U.S. EPA will allow uses permitted under the original label for only a short time after a label change or product cancellation. In rare cases, the U.S. EPA may issue a stop use order on a canceled product. If you have supplies of a canceled product, contact the manufacturer or your state pesticide regulatory agency for information on whether continued use is permitted. Your state regulatory agency will know the terms of the pesticide cancellation and what the manufacturer must do with the unused product.

The U.S. EPA may revoke a tolerance on a pesticide prior to its cancellation. Once a tolerance has been revoked, the pesticide could be used, but no residues would be acceptable. In effect, this ban on residues restricts the use of the pesticide sooner than what would have occurred through the normal process of cancellation. Follow the directions indicated in the paragraph above for proper disposal.