Action Center
Background:
The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) currently regulates the review, approval, distribution, sale and use of pesticides utilized in the United States. FIFRA has been amended by Congress on several occasions to strengthen the regulatory standard for safety – most recently by the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) that added specific protections for infants and children. Under the Act, the EPA is required to review the most current scientific data on health and environmental impacts for all pesticide products, and impose requirements to minimize any risks, before they are made available for sale and use.
Recently, two bills that have been filed, H.R. 7940 and S. 4406, as introduced would gut decades of federal regulation and scientific progress, undermining the work of EPA’s career scientists in the evaluation of pesticide safety and oversight of pesticide registration and use. The bills would jeopardize the continued availability and innovation of pesticide products by imposing an unscientific and unbalanced process that could unnecessarily remove pest control options from those who need them to safely grow crops, protect homes and infrastructure, control pathogens and disease vectors, and maintain green spaces such as parks and golf courses.
Action Item:
Urge your representative to support the current regulatory framework under FIFRA and oppose the two bills H.R. 7940 and S. 4406 which would trade our current science based process for one plagued by arbitrary decisions influenced by political climate.
The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) currently regulates the review, approval, distribution, sale and use of pesticides utilized in the United States. FIFRA has been amended by Congress on several occasions to strengthen the regulatory standard for safety – most recently by the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) that added specific protections for infants and children. Under the Act, the EPA is required to review the most current scientific data on health and environmental impacts for all pesticide products, and impose requirements to minimize any risks, before they are made available for sale and use.
Recently, two bills that have been filed, H.R. 7940 and S. 4406, as introduced would gut decades of federal regulation and scientific progress, undermining the work of EPA’s career scientists in the evaluation of pesticide safety and oversight of pesticide registration and use. The bills would jeopardize the continued availability and innovation of pesticide products by imposing an unscientific and unbalanced process that could unnecessarily remove pest control options from those who need them to safely grow crops, protect homes and infrastructure, control pathogens and disease vectors, and maintain green spaces such as parks and golf courses.
Action Item:
Urge your representative to support the current regulatory framework under FIFRA and oppose the two bills H.R. 7940 and S. 4406 which would trade our current science based process for one plagued by arbitrary decisions influenced by political climate.