EPA Announces Multiple Actions to Protect Endangered Species from Insecticide Carbaryl
Released on April 9, 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 and is providing to the public the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) final biological opinion on carbaryl.
Carbaryl is an insecticide used on a variety of crops, including field vegetables and orchard crops, in professional turf management, professional ornamental production, and in residential lawn and garden markets.
EPA’s 2021 biological evaluation for carbaryl determined that use of the pesticide according to label instructions was “likely to adversely affect” at least one animal or plant for 1,640 listed species and 736 designated critical habitats. EPA initiated formal consultation with NMFS and FWS (the Services) and, in response, both Services developed biological opinions for carbaryl.
The NMFS and FWS biological opinions were issued after completing consultation with EPA on the registration review of carbaryl and the effects of the insecticide on federally threatened or endangered (listed) species and their designated critical habitats.
National Marine Fisheries Service Biological Opinion Implementation
During consultation with NMFS, carbaryl 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 carbaryl 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 carbaryl applications,
- Include application prohibitions, restrictions, and rate reductions, and
- Direct the user to the Endangered Species Protection Bulletins using the Bulletins Live! Two (BLT) website to identify additional carbaryl mitigations in geographically-located areas.
Fish and Wildlife Service Final Biological Opinion
FWS determined in its draft biological opinion that use of carbaryl was likely to jeopardize 78 listed species and adversely modify 14 critical habitats when used as currently registered. After the draft BiOp was issued, EPA worked with FWS and carbaryl registrants to identify additional mitigation measures to reduce exposure to listed species and avoid the above-mentioned jeopardy. With the release of the final FWS biological opinion, EPA will work with the registrants to implement the measures described in the final biological opinion.
As stated in the FWS final biological opinion, EPA will request that carbaryl registrants submit amended labels to EPA reflecting the mitigations identified by the final biological opinion and by the registration review Interim Decision (ID) within 60 days of the issuance of the carbaryl ID. The carbaryl ID is currently scheduled for completion in late 2025.