EPA Announces Action to Protect Endangered Species from Insecticide Methomyl
Released August 12, 2025
Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing that it has approved labels that implement measures required by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) final biological opinion on methomyl. In addition to the measures required by NMFS, EPA approved an action initiated by a methomyl registrant to reclassify the last remaining non-restricted use pesticide (RUP) methomyl product as a RUP. All methomyl products are RUPs and may only be applied by certified applicators. Methomyl is an insecticide used on a variety of crops, including field vegetables and orchard crops.
EPA’s March 2021 biological evaluation for methomyl determined that use of the pesticide according to label instructions was “likely to adversely affect” at least one animal or plant for 1,098 listed species and 281 designated critical habitats. EPA initiated formal consultation with NMFS and, in response, NMFS developed a biological opinion for methomyl, which only covers species under NMFS’s purview. Of the species and habitats under NMFS jurisdiction, NMFS concluded that the use of methomyl is “likely to adversely affect” 61 species and 56 critical habitats.
The NMFS biological opinion was issued in February 2024 after completing consultation with EPA on the registration review of methomyl and the effects of the insecticide on federally threatened or endangered (listed) species and their designated critical habitats. NMFS determined that, with the inclusion of mitigation measures, the registered uses of methomyl will not result in jeopardy determinations for species under NMFS jurisdiction.
National Marine Fisheries Service Biological Opinion Implementation
During consultation with NMFS, methomyl registrants agreed to amend their product labels and registrations to include mitigations that would avoid potential jeopardy or adverse modification to the listed species and critical habitats identified in the NMFS biological opinion.
The newly approved labels for methomyl products will now:
- Include mitigations which would reduce runoff and spray drift from treated areas into species’ habitats,
- Describe how to report any ecological incidents associated with methomyl applications,
- Include maximum annual application rate limits, and
- Direct the user to the Endangered Species Protection Bulletins using the Bulletins Live! Two (BLT) website to identify additional methomyl mitigations in geographically-specific locations.
The newly approved labels for methomyl products can be found on EPA’s online database Active Pesticide Product Registration Informational Listing (APPRIL).