WASHINGTON – The Environmental Protection Agency Tuesday announced it has reached agreement with the pesticide industry to phase out the nation’s most widely used lawn and garden bug killer because it poses unacceptable risks to consumers, especially children.

The agreement requires that the manufacturing of retail products containing the pesticide diazinon end by March 1, 2001, for use indoors, and by June 30, 2003, for use on lawns and gardens. Diazinon is sold in dozens of products under brand names like Real Kill, Ortho and Spectracide.

“The Clinton-Gore administration continues to aggressively target for elimination those pesticides that pose the greatest risk to human health and the environment, and especially those posing the greatest risk to children,” said EPA Administrator Carol Browner.

The EPA stressed that there was no need for consumers to get rid of any products containing the substance immediately because routine use would not pose a danger, especially if consumers “take special care to follow the label instructions and precautions.” The agency decided to phase diazinon out because overexposure could cause serious health problems, including nausea, headaches, vomiting, diarrhea and general weakness.

Diazinon has been sold in the United States for 48 years as a family-use indoor and outdoor pesticide with limited application for agricultural crops. With 14.7 million pounds sold annually it is the most widely used ingredient in lawn and garden sprays in the country.

The EPA took action under the 1996 Food Quality and Protection Act, which targeted older chemicals like diazinon for review because they may pose a potential risk to children. Diazinon is an organophosphate, a family of chemicals developed as neurotoxins during World War II. The nerve gas sarin is an organophosphate.

“This is real old, simple chemistry, not designer compounds targeting a single enzyme,” said Richard Wiles, research vice president of the Environmental Working Group, an environmental lobbying group. “They come in like nuclear weapons. If you’re a toddler on the lawn, you’re getting the gas, you’re getting it dermally and you’re sticking your hand in your mouth. Kids are protected now.”

Diazinon is the 35th of 37 organophosphates to be re-evaluated by EPA, and was deemed to be one of the four riskiest, which also included the indoor pesticide chlorpyrifos, and two organophosphates widely used in agriculture.