EPA to remove rodent poison products

WASHINGTON, Nov. 3 (UPI) -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says it will take steps to remove 20 rodent control products from the marketplace because they contain toxic chemicals.

The mouse and rat control products in question do not adequately protect people, particularly young people, from exposure to toxic chemicals, an EPA release said Thursday.

The EPA says it has determined safer rodent control products are now widely available, effective and affordable, so it plans to remove from the consumer market products that contain the most toxic and persistent active ingredients and products sold as loose bait and pellets.

It will also remove products sold without protective bait stations that keep children, pets and other animals from accessing the enclosed rodenticide bait, the release said.

The EPA said it would seek input from the departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services prior to issuing a Notice of Intent to Cancel to the manufacturers of the non-conforming rodenticide products.