0581-AE02 202510 The Regulatory Plan and the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions 0581 Agricultural Marketing Service AMS 0500 Department of Agriculture USDA Inert Ingredients in Pesticides for Organic Production (AMS-NOP-21-0008)

This proposed rule would update and expand allowances in the organic regulations for inert ingredients (inerts) used in pesticide products. Inerts, also identified as "other ingredients" on pesticide labels, are any substances other than the active ingredient that are intentionally added to pesticide products. Current USDA organic regulations allow U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) List 3 and List 4 inert ingredients to be used in pesticide products. However, EPA no longer maintains these lists. This proposed rule would replace the outdated EPA references with current EPA regulations for inert ingredients. This update would appear in the section of the organic regulations referred to as the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances. The proposed amendments in this rule are supported by Board recommendations from 2015 and 2024 and by comments received on an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking from 2022.

]]> Other Significant Previously Published in The Unified Agenda Proposed Rule Stage No No Not subject to, not significant 7 CFR 205 7 U.S.C. 6501 to 6524 No ANPRM 09/02/2022 87 FR 54173 ANPRM Comment Period Extended 10/11/2022 87 FR 61268 ANPRM Comment Period End 11/01/2022 ANPRM Comment Period Extended End 12/31/2022 NPRM 07/00/2026 No None No No No No Erin Healy Director, Standards Division, USDA National Organic Program 0581 Agricultural Marketing Service AMS 202 617-4942 erin.healy@usda.gov 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington DC 20250