Fwd:FQPA Pesticide legislative threat grows
Michelle M. Miller (mmmille6@facstaff.wisc.edu)
Fri, 30 Jul 1999 14:02:40 -0500
>Date: Fri, 30 Jul 1999 13:18:37 -0400
>From: DWallinga@nrdc.org (David Wallinga)
>Subject: Fwd:FQPA Pesticide legislative threat grows
>
>Dear Colleagues:
> For those of you interested in pesticides and implementation of the Food
>Quality Protection Act, I'm forwarding a timely e-mail from Jacqueline
Hamilton,
>a co-worker in NRDC's public health program, about bills just introduced in
>Congress that we believe would essentially put implementation of the FQPA
in the
>deep freeze. Please forward to MSAWG members and others interested in
>sustainable agriculture. This is a critical point.
>
>David Wallinga, M.D.
>Public Health Program, Natural Resources Defense Council
>Suite 400, 1200 New York Ave., NW
>Washington, D.C. 20005
>Ph. 202-289-6868; fax 202-289-1060
>dwallinga@nrdc.org
>____________________Forward Header_____________________
>Subject: FQPA Pesticide legislative threat grows
>Author: Jacqueline Hamilton
>Date: 7/29/1999 7:58 PM
>
>Dear Colleagues,
>Late-breaking news on the legislative front: industry efforts to grind FQPA
>implementation to a halt got a boost today when Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE)
>introduced in the Senate a mirror version of the industry bill circulating in
>the House, HR 1592, sponsored by Rep. Richard Pombo (R-CA). The Pombo
bill has
>now garnered over 145 co-sponsors and appears to be gaining concerning
momentum.
> The Hagel bill, S__ (no number yet assigned), was introduced this afternoon
>(7/29/99) with 17 original co-sponsors. The full list of Senate co-sponsors
>follows at the end of this message.
>
>Though we have not seen the text of the Senate bill, we have reason to
believe
>that it is nearly identical to the House Pombo bill. Industry has tried
to sell
>this bill as 'merely improving the openness of EPA's decisionmaking,' and
>'assuring that the Agency uses sound science in its decisions.' Its sponsors
>say pointedly that it does not amend FQPA. NRDC's analysis of the Pombo
bill,
>however, has found that it would throw a roadblock in front of EPA's already
>halting efforts to take action against highly toxic pesticides. The bill
would
>gut the FQPA safety factor provision. Further, it saddles EPA with
complex and
>burdensome regulations that would: freeze the state of EPA pesticide science;
>greatly increase the opportunities for pesticide lawyers to sue and
further hold
>up EPA action; and delay any real protection for children, even for known
>excessive risks, for another 5-10 years. For a longer analysis of the Pombo
>bill, contact Jacqueline Hamilton at jhamilton@nrdc.org.
>
>Please contact your Congressional representatives in both houses and tell
them
>that you want pesticides out of kids' foods. Tell them that you don't
want them
>to meddle with FQPA. Despite industry's hysterical propaganda claiming
that EPA
>is acting wildly and irrationally, EPA has yet to take ANY concrete action
>against a single chemical for failure to meet the FQPA safety standard for
kids.
> These bills, which closely track the chemical industry "Road Map" for how
they
>would like to see EPA act (or fail to act) under FQPA, have gained increasing
>support. Congress needs to hear from the other side--consumers who want
>dangerous pesticides out of their food. These bills would have the effect of
>gutting the landmark protections for children in the FQPA, passed
unanimously by
>Congress just three years ago. Please let Congress hear from you today.
>
>NRDC's web site will post an action alert next Wednesday. In the mean
time, you
>can seek more information at www.ecologic-ipm.com and
>www.cehn.org/cehn/fqpa.html
>
>Senate Industry FQPA bill co-sponsors:
>Chuck Hagel (R-NE) Blanche Lincoln (D-AR)
>Pat Roberts (R-KS) Mary Landrieu (D-LA)
>Tim Hutchinson (R-AR) Thad Cochran (R-MS)
>Rod Grams (R-MN) Spencer Abraham (R-MI)
>Gordon Smith (R-OR) Ernest Hollings (D-SC)
>Larry Craig (R-ID) Slade Gorton (R-WA)
>Charles Grassely (R-IA) Michael Crapo (R-ID)
>Conrad Burns (R-MT) Bill Frist (R-TN)
>John Breau (D-LA)
>
>For a list of the House co-sponsors to date, go to the Library of Congress
>"Thomas" web site, search on the bill number (HR1592) and then scroll down
and
>click on "Cosponsors." Thomas will also allow you to read, print or download
>the bill text.
>
Michelle Miller
Pesticide Use and Risk Reduction Project
Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems
University of Wisconsin - Madison
U.S. Mail: 146 Agriculture Hall 608.262.7135
Campus: 1535 Observatory Drive 608.262.5200
Madison, WI 53706 fax 265.3020
www.wisc.edu/cias/ mmmille6@facstaff.wisc.edu
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