U.S. Critical Use Exemptions

The ban on methyl bromide use for the United States will take full effect in January 2005 with certain exceptions. Growers, however, may be able to use the fumigant on a limited basis if a Critical Use Exemption (CUE) is sought and granted.

Methyl bromide, come January 2005, will be banned except for CUEs, quarantine and pre-shipment exemptions, and emergency exemptions.

CUEs are, quite simply, allotments given to agricultural sectors so growers and other producers will be able to legally use methyl bromide in the absence of economical, practical, and efficacious alternatives.

CUE allocations are proposed to be handled according to information recently available on the EPA website at http://www.epa.gov/ozone/mbr/index.html.

Last Updated: June 24, 2005