My Billings Gazette

List of Registered Products:  

EPA has provided a listing of EPA-registered spot-on flea and tick products (16 pp, 186 K, About PDF). Since the chart previously located on this page reflected only a portion of the numerous pet spot-on products available, EPA felt that pet owners and consumers might be led to believe that only those products listed were the focus of concern. In fact, EPA is intensifying its evaluation of all spot-on products and is providing a more comprehensive list of these products.

EPA is not initiating a product recall of these products nor is the Agency suggesting that the products not be used. EPA recognizes the importance of the products in effective flea and tick control. EPA’s objective at this stage is simply to advise consumers and pet owners to exercise caution when using the products and to monitor pet behavior following their use, as some animals have experienced adverse reactions following treatment.
Regulatory Agencies are Taking Action

EPA is evaluating all available data and information, including:

    * reports of adverse reactions,
    * product market share,
    * clarity of product use directions and label warnings,
    * product ingredients, and
    * pre-market safety data submitted to the Agency in support of registration of these products

This assessment may result in EPA action to require changes in the registration status of certain spot-on products. EPA will be working collaboratively with Health Canada to address this issue, as Canadian regulatory officials have identified similar concerns about the use of spot-on flea and tick products. EPA intends to update this page periodically to provide the public with the most current information on this issue.

---------------------------------------

If this is any indication of the EPA's past history, it is clear they have no real intention of taking any "regulatory action" against these products and their manufacturers.  Remember, these problems and incident reports date back to 2001 and earlier.

One staff member of the EPA told me directly, "etofenprox is not a pyrethroid". How many monkeys at the EPA does it take to research data that concludes that etofenprox is a pyrethroid, synthetic or not, and has the exact same mechanism of action as any pyrethrin? Apparently, it takes several monkeys to come to that conclusion. Add the pesky little fact that when inert ingredients are added to an active substance (like etofenprox or any other pyrethroid/pyrethrin), the inert ingredients intensify the active ingredient and significantly increase the toxicity risk. Add another pesky little fact that with repeated use over time, the likelihood of increased toxicity is evident.

Hartz, for example, recommends multiple-product use of their products on and around pets, simultaneously, as part of their "total flea and tick control" approach. These products include spot-ons, home environment sprays and powders, and other products, which include permethrins, allethrins, pyrethrins, organophosphates.

Wake up, EPA!