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2011 Critical Use Exemption Nominations from the Phaseout of Methyl Bromide
On January 23, 2009, the U.S. Government transmitted to the Ozone Secretariat of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) its sixth nomination for a critical use exemption (CUE) from the phaseout of methyl bromide (MeBr). This request is for the 2011 calendar year and amounts to 9.4 percent of 1991 baseline levels.
This nomination covers exemptions for 15 crops or uses, including tomatoes, strawberries, peppers, cucurbits, orchard replants, and post-harvest uses. This 2011 request represents a continued reduction from earlier years, due to the introduction of alternatives into the marketplace and other factors.
After the nomination is received, the Ozone Secretariat will forward the nomination package to the Methyl Bromide Technical Options Committee (MBTOC), an advisory group that provides technical expertise on methyl bromide to the Parties. MBTOC will review the nomination requests and make recommendations to the Parties. In November 2009, the Parties to the Protocol will meet and review the MBTOC recommendations for the continued production and import of methyl bromide for 2011 to meet authorized critical needs.
You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader, available as a free download, to view the files in this list. See EPA's PDF page to learn more about PDF, and for a link to the free Acrobat Reader.
Commodities (PDF, 12 pp., 213 KB)
Cucurbits (PDF, 21 pp., 292 KB)
Eggplant (PDF, 15 pp., 237 KB)
Fruit, Nut, and Flower Nursery (PDF, 11 pp., 258 KB)
Food Facilities (PDF, 10 pp., 197 KB)
Forest Seedling (PDF, 17 pp., 258 KB)
Ham (PDF, 5 pp., 159 KB)
Orchard Replant (PDF, 20 pp., 262 KB)
Ornamentals (PDF, 20 pp., 254 KB)
Peppers (PDF, 15 pp., 228 KB)
Post Harvest (NPMA) (PDF, 11 pp., 203 KB)
Strawberry Fruit (PDF, 14 pp., 233 KB)
Strawberry Nursery (PDF, 11 pp., 216 KB)
Sweet Potato Slips (PDF, 11 pp., 242 KB)
Tomato (PDF, 27 pp., 314 KB)
2011 Numerical Analysis Summary (PDF, 1 pp., 44 KB)
2011 Numerical Analysis Post Harvest (PDF, 2 pp., 47 KB)
2011 Numerical Analysis Fruits and Vegetables (PDF, 2 pp., 47 KB)
2011 Numerical Analysis Nursery (PDF, 2 pp., 49 KB)
Progress and Prior U.S. Reductions
The operational framework for the critical use exemption process was created in a final rule published in the Federal Register, on December 23, 2004, in conjunction with the allowed quantities for 2005. EPA conducts annual notice-and-comment rulemakings to exempt methyl bromide production and import for approved critical users. Since the inception of the CUE program, the U.S. has received approximately 90% of its CUE request.
The following table details for each year the total amount of methyl bromide the U.S. government nominated for critical use and the amount approved by the Parties to the Montreal Protocol.
2005-2011 Critical Use Exemption Authorizations
| CALENDAR YEAR | AMT. NOMINATED (percent of baseline) | AMT. AUTHORIZED (percent of baseline) |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 39 | 37 |
| 2006 | 35 |
32 |
| 2007 | 29 | 26 |
| 2008 | 23 | 21 |
| 2009 | 19.5 | 16.7 |
| 2010 | 13.4 | 12.7 |
| 2011 | 9.4 | Decided in November 2009 |
The Phaseout Schedule:
The U.S. obligation under the Montreal Protocol and the requirement under the
Clean Air Act was to reduce methyl bromide production and net imports
incrementally from the 1991 baseline until the complete phaseout in 2005,
except for allowable exemptions agreed upon by the Parties, such as the
critical use exemption. Under the Montreal Protocol and the Clean Air Act,
the production and import phaseout for methyl bromide followed this
schedule:
| 1993 to 1998 | Freeze at 1991 baseline levels (U.S. consumption ~25,500 Metric Tonnes) (consumption = production + import - export) |
| 1999 and 2000 | 25% reduction from baseline levels |
| 2001 and 2002 | 50% reduction from baseline levels |
| 2003 and 2004 | 70% reduction from baseline levels |
| 2005 | 100% phase out -except for allowable exemptions such as critical use exemptions agreed to by the Montreal Protocol Parties |
Other exemptions include an unspecified quantity of methyl bromide for quarantine and preshipment uses, such as port fumigation of imported commodities.
Additional information may be found on the main methyl bromide page.