Current through Reg. 50, No. 187; September 24, 2024
(1) When the Department conducts an emergency
response to a plant infestation which involves the aerial application of a
pesticide to an urbanized area (hereafter referred to as the "Emergency
Response") under section
593.20, F.S., it will coordinate
with the Department of Health to obtain and share all available human health
effects information related to the Emergency Response, including, but not
limited to:
(a) Aggregate information
collected from physicians and hotline calls.
(b) Data generated by county health
departments, poison control centers and related public health organizations
relative to the monitoring of human health effects.
(c) Data generated by public health
information or surveillance plans implemented to monitor, detect and
investigate any health impacts under the Emergency Response.
(d) Physicians reports of patients treated
for illnesses which may be exposure related.
(e) Documentation of exposures not addressed
by any pesticide risk assessments that may have been prepared in connection
with the Emergency Response.
(f)
Data which provide for the comparison of health information from individuals or
groups before and after treatments.
(2) The Department will request the Health
Advisory Committee established under section
593.24, F.S., review the data
obtained under subsection (1), dealing with potential human health effects in
the Emergency Response area and provide its opinion regarding the existence or
potential existence of adverse human health effects caused by the Emergency
Response. If actual or potential adverse human health effects are identified,
the Department will ask the Health Advisory Committee to evaluate the data in
relation to the significance of the health effects identified by examining the
data and providing its opinions, findings and recommendations on the following
issues, where applicable:
(a) Whether the
reported symptoms are consistent with the known toxicology of one or more of
the materials in the pesticide mixture used.
(b) Whether the symptoms are consistent among
the reported and documented cases.
(c) Whether the onset of symptoms is
consistent with the timing of the exposure.
(d) If there is a relationship between the
magnitude of the known, documented, or calculated exposure(s) and the severity
of the reported symptoms.
(e)
Whether other causes for the reported symptoms have been ruled out.
(f) Whether the expression of toxicity is
biologically plausible.
(g) The
severity of the reported symptoms.
(h) The number of cases reported and the
number that are believed to be related to or caused by the Emergency
Response.
(i) Whether or not the
findings in relation to the review of data in paragraphs (a)-(h), support the
conclusion that the combination of pesticide active ingredient, method of
application and dosages used are causing or are likely to cause unreasonable
adverse health effects to people in the Emergency Response area.
(j) If the answer in paragraph (i), is yes,
whether or not the method of application or dosages or pesticide active
ingredient used can be changed so that significant adverse health effects to
people in the Emergency Response area are unlikely.
(3) The Department will discontinue use of a
pesticide under an emergency response when the following standards are met:
(a) The Health Advisory Committee established
under section 593.24, F.S., based on its
review of data under subsection (2), provides its written conclusion that the
pesticide active ingredient, method of application or dosages used are causing
or are likely to cause unreasonable adverse health effects to people in the
Emergency Response area; and,
(b)
The method of application or dosages or pesticide active ingredient used for
Emergency response can not be modified to such a degree to change the Health
Advisory Committee's conclusion that the combination of pesticide active
ingredient, method of application or dosages used are causing or are likely to
cause significant adverse health effects to people in the Emergency Response
area; or
(c) The Department does
not immediately implement modifications, if any, deemed necessary by the Health
Advisory Committee to conclude that the combination of pesticide active
ingredient, method of application or dosages used are not likely to cause
unreasonable adverse health effects to people in the Emergency Response
area.
Rulemaking Authority 593.21 FS. Law Implemented 593.20,
593.21, 593.24 FS.
New 6-9-02.
