FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 4, 2023
Contact: Dan Richter, Public Information Officer, (608) 419-5352, dan.richter@wisconsin.gov
Download PDF
MADISON – The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) is accepting comments through May 10, 2023 for a proposed experimental use permit (EUP) registration to control ticks at Fort McCoy. The EUP registration proposed by DATCP is for proprietary dissemination stations that are manufactured by BanfieldBio Inc. and contain the active ingredient fipronil.
The proposed study will evaluate the efficacy of fipronil in dissemination stations that act similarly to traditional rodent bait stations. The intended purpose is to reduce tick populations within wooded and grassland environments at Fort McCoy in Sparta, Wisconsin. No experimental product will be applied to waterways. The proposed experiment is being replicated at various military bases in Texas, Oklahoma, and California.
Tick-borne diseases are an increasing threat to public health. Ticks transmit a wide variety of infectious agents, representing over 75 percent of the notifiable vector-borne diseases in the United States. Of the 18 pathogens ticks are known to transmit in the U.S., Lyme disease is the most common. Lyme disease is also the most reported vector-borne disease in the U.S. Armed Forces' list of Reportable Medical Events at military facilities in the northeastern U.S. from 2010-2020.
This is the first EUP registration for BanfieldBio Inc. for the use of fipronil. The proposed registration expiration is October 31, 2023.
The preliminary environmental assessment indicates that the proposed registration will not require a full environmental assessment. Comments received on or before 4:30 p.m. on May 10, 2023 will become part of the preliminary environmental assessment record. Copies of the assessment can be requested, and comments may be submitted via mail to Alyssa Foss, DATCP, P.O. Box 8911, Madison, WI, 53708 or by email to alyssa.foss@wisconsin.gov.
More Information
The EUP registration process grants states the permission to allow anyone who wishes to conduct an experiment using an unregistered pesticide, or a pesticide for a use that it is not registered for. DATCP has authority to issue experimental user permits under FIFRA section 5(f) and ATCP 29.71, Wis. Adm. Code. DATCP may issue experimental user permits for up to 10 acres in size for terrestrial uses and up to 1 acre in size for aquatic uses. For more information, visit DATCP's website.
###
Find more DATCP news in our newsroom, on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.