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Joint Statement on NAS Report

Joint Statement on NAS Report


Release No. 0518.93

Joint Statement by
Secretary of Agriculture Mike Espy
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Carol M. Browner
Food and Drug Administration Commissioner David A. Kessler, M.D.

on

Reducing Pesticide Use And Promoting Sustainable Agriculture
Washington, D.C., June 25, 1993

The Clinton Administration today announces its commitment to reducing the use of pesticides and to promote sustainable agriculture. This commitment will be implemented jointly by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Food and Drug Administration.

Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Carol M. Browner and Food and Drug Administration Commissioner David A. Kessler, M.D., released the following statement:

"We stand behind the safety of our food supply and will continue to be vigilant in our efforts to maintain that safety based on the best available science. We stand firmly behind the dietary guidelines put forward by the Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 1990, which state that fruits and vegetables form a vital part of a balanced, healthy diet, especially for children.

The Clinton Administration firmly believes it is the responsibility of government to look at every opportunity to improve the protection of public health. We plan to review and consider all of the recommendations made in the reports being issued.

The principles that will guide our legislative and regulatory proposals include the following:

The Clinton Administration is committed to reducing the risks to people and the environment that are associated with pesticides while ensuring the availability of cost-effective pest management tools for agriculture and other pesticides users.

We will intensify our effort to reduce the use of higher-risk pesticides and to promote integrated pest management, including biological and cultural control systems and other sustainable agricultural practices, under the leadership of the USDA.

We will work side by side with American farmers to help test and implement improved and safer methods of pest management already used by many farmers.

We will promote development of safer pesticides by reforming our regulatory program to encourage registration of safer pesticides and by providing incentives to pesticide manufacturers to develop safer pesticides for urban and agricultural uses.

We are committed to the goals of reducing risks associated with pesticides for all Americans and especially of ensuring appropriate protection for children.

We expect to use the upcoming reports of the National Academy of Sciences and the Environmental Working Group on children and pesticides as a basis for formulating the legislative and regulatory policies needed to put the Administration principles into effect.

In addition to these reports, the USDA will soon be releasing its Pesticide Data Program Report, which will provide additional data on pesticide residues in food.

To promote these goals, the Clinton Administration is committed to working on an expedited basis with Congress and all interested parties to develop a package of proposals that can command the widest possible support."

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ELIZABETH L. ANDRESS
NPL Food Science/Food Safety
Phone: 720-6962
Fax: 690-2469
eandress@esusda.gov
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John W. Impson
National Program Leader-PAT
jimpson@esusda.gov
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