EPA initiative to reduce pesticide use
EPA initiative to reduce pesticide use
EPA Memorandum, Aug. 31, 1993
Subject:
EPA Initiative to Reduce Pesticide Use and implement the Recommendations in the
National Academy of Sciences' Report "Pesticides in the Diets of Infants and
Children," and Food Safety Reform
From:
Douglas D. Campt, Director, Office of Pesticide Programs
To:
All OPP Employees
As you are aware, the Clinton Administration recently announced a dramatic shift
in the government's approach to the use of pesticides. In June, Administrator
Browner, Secretary Espy of USDA, Commissioner Kessler of FDA, accepted the
challenge of a new goal to reduce use of pesticides through a variety of new and
ongoing government programs. They pledged to work with farmers,
environmentalists, farmworker advocates, consumer groups, pesticide
manufacturers, food processors, and Congress to promote food safety by employing
safer pest management strategies and strengthening our food safety laws. For the
first time ever, the federal government is formally committed to real reductions
in pesticide use. For EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs, this means a new tack
in pesticide regulation that focuses on reducing the overall risks--one that is
more attuned to reducing the use of pesticides and promoting sustainable
agriculture and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices. This new initiative
is a bold step that brings both challenge and opportunities to our program. I am
very excited about it.
In addition to the pesticide use reduction initiative, the National Academy of
Sciences' Report, "Pesticides in the Diets of Infants and Children" raises new
challenges for us to improve health protection, particularly for infants and
children. In this report, the Academy makes numerous recommendations for change
in the way the government regulates agricultural, or food-use pesticides in
order to provide a greater level of protection to children. This study,
commissioned by EPA and Congress in 1988, is the result of intensive work and
research into the way the federal government, particularly the EPA, regulates
pesticides in foods with special emphasis on the foods regularly eaten by
infants and children.
Efforts are already underway to address and implement the Academy's
recommendations and start the ball rolling toward our goal of reducing pesticide
use. The Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) has been given the lead in EPA's
efforts in carrying out this initiative. We have organized into three levels of
oversight: the Interagency Policy Committee comprised of EPA's (Acting)
Assistant Administrator for for the Office of Prevention, Pesticides, and Toxic
Substances, Victor Kimm, Deputy USDA Secretary, Richard Rominger, and FDA Deputy
Commissioner for Policy, Michael Taylor; the Steering Committee, chaired by me,
includes OPP's Senior Management Board, other Offices within EPA, including
several regional offices, and representatives from USDA and FDA; and 6
workgroups which will serve as the core of this initiative. Four of the
workgroups are charged specifically with addressing the recommendations brought
forth by the National Academy of Sciences' scientists to better control risk.
These workgroups are Toxicology, chaired by Marcia van Gemert' Residue Data and
Tolerance Setting, chaired by Debra Edwards; Food Consumption, chaired by Dick
Schmitt and Jim Kariya; and Risk Assessment, chaired by Penny Fenner-Crisp. The
other two workgroups focus on broader pesticide exposure concerns. These two
workgroups, Pesticide Incident Monitoring, chaired by Arty Wllliams, and
Pesticide Use Reduction, chaired by Al Jennings, are designed to explore ways to
better understand present aspects of pesticide exposure from incidents and
devise programs to reduce use and overall risks from exposure. The Policy and
Special Projects Staff will serve as the Executive Secretariat to the initiative
and will coordinate all of the activities of the Committees and Workgroups.
Each workgroup has prepared a report outlining the current status of work on
their topic and the potential areas for short-term and long-term programs.
Administrator Browner is very anxious to implement many of the ideas quickly.
OPP is actively pursuing many of them and has already put this initiative in
motion. This is an action-based initiative which I expect to culminate in
tangible results and make a real difference in reducing exposure associated with
pesticide use.
On September 9, Administrator Browner, Secretary Espy, and Commissioner Kessler
will present to Congress the Administration's package of recommendations for
legislative reform in food safety. The three agendes are working together as a
team to put together a package which ensures a continued safe food supply and
reduced risks to people and the environment. The package supports both a science
based - standard for setting pesticide tolerances for food uses and new tools
for EPA in the tolerance and registration review process. It will provide new
regulatory options to reduce risk in a timely manner without resulting in costly
or disruptive cancellation or suspension proceedings. Additional goals in the
Administrator's package are:
Promote the development, registration, and use of safer pest management
alternatives;
Eliminate cumbersome procedures for removing pesticides which pose unreasonable
risks;
Improve data on pesticide use to measure progress towards reduction goals;
Provide EPA and FDA with tools necessary to ensure pesticide laws are adequately
and appropriately enforced;
Prohibit export of pesticides canceled for heaith or safety concerns; and
Enhance EPA's ability to make reregistration decisions in a timely manner by
increasing revenues for the pesticide program.
As we move from the planning stages into high gear of implementing pesticide
reform, I hope all of you are as enthusiastic as I am, and will join in this
effort with your support and cooperation.
cc:
Victor Kimm
Susan Wayland
Lynn Goldman