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EPA Announces Expedited Review for Electrostatic Spray Application

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued guidance for the expedited review of product registrations that would add electrostatic spraying directions to both new and currently registered disinfectant products. The new guidance includes products on EPA’s List N: Disinfectants for Use Against SARS-CoV-2  that require review under the Pesticide Registration Improvement Act (PRIA). The guidance builds on the agency’s previous announcement that certain product submissions intended for use against SARS-CoV-2 are under expedited review.

“Cleaning and disinfecting surfaces continues to be an effective way to reduce the spread of the virus,” said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “With this guidance, the EPA is ensuring offices, schools, and local governments have access to as many effective and approved surface disinfectant products as possible—including those designed to disinfect large indoor spaces.”

Recently, there has been increased interest in the application of antimicrobial disinfectants on List N via electrostatic spray, given the need to disinfect large indoor spaces to reduce the risk of exposure to the virus that causes COVID-19. Electrostatic sprayers work by charging the antimicrobial liquid as it passes through a nozzle. The positively charged antimicrobial droplets are attracted to negatively charged environmental surfaces, allowing for improved coverage on hard, nonporous environmental surfaces.

While decision-review timeframes for PRIA submissions typically range from four to nine months, depending on the submission, the EPA is working to expedite the review and make a regulatory decision for the submissions listed in this document and the previous document by at least one to two months faster than the normal PRIA timeframe, depending on the submission. For the requests to be expedited, however, the agency must receive the required information, otherwise the EPA will default to the PRIA timeframe otherwise associated with the submission. Click here to see what information needs to be included with your PRIA submission to qualify for expedited review.

ISSA is working diligently to support the full spectrum of the cleaning industry in the U.S. and worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic, including providing a variety of government affairs resources to support its members during this challenging time. Please support the ISSA Advocacy Fund in any amount to help the association advocate on behalf of the cleaning industry with regulatory bodies like the EPA. For questions regarding ISSA’s advocacy efforts, including the association’s response to COVID-19, please contact [email protected].