EPA Scientists Protest Pending Pesticide Approvals

[Guest guest]

" Chris Gupta " <chrisgupta

Fri, 26 May 2006 17:35:15 -0400

EPA Scientists Protest Pending Pesticide Approvals

 

 

 

Further to the

<http://www.newmediaexplorer.org/chris/2006/05/14/notes_to_the_etc_pesticide_mee\

ting_20060524.htm>

Notes to the ETC Pesticide meeting

<http://www.newmediaexplorer.org/chris/2006/05/14/notes_to_the_etc_pesticide_mee\

ting_20060524.htm>(2006/05/24),

 

 

Here is more fodder, as if more was needed to

demonstrate, how the regulatory bodies have been

usurped by vested interests and why they have

pretty much lost their credibility.

 

Pesticide industry rhetoric based on regulatory

approvals is now just that rhetoric; and it is

time to open our eyes and reject any of these toxins from our environment.

 

Chris Gupta

http://tinyurl.com/rgf5n

----------------------------

 

Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility

News Release (<http://www.peer.org>www.peer.org)

 

For Immediate Release: May 25, 2006

Contact: Chas Offutt (202) 265-7337

 

<http://www.peer.org/news/news_id.php?row_id=691>EPA

SCIENTISTS PROTEST PENDING PESTICIDE

APPROVALS<http://www.peer.org/news/news_id.php?row_id=691>

­ Unacceptable Risk to Children and Political Pressure on Scientists

Decried

 

Washington, DC ­ In an unprecedented action,

representatives for thousands of U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency scientists are

publicly objecting to imminent agency approval

for a score of powerful, controversial

pesticides, according to a letter released today

by Public Employees for Environmental

Responsibility (PEER). The scientists cite

" compelling evidence " which EPA leadership is

choosing to ignore that these " pesticides damage

the developing nervous systems of fetuses, infants and children. "

 

<http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english & y=2006 & m=May & \

x=20060525134224liameruoy0.3171961 & t=livefeeds/wf-latest.html>See:

Report Outlines Hazards to Children Posed by Toxic Exposures

Commission urges North American nations mitigate

environmental risks to children

 

On August 3, 2006, EPA faces a deadline for

issuing final tolerance approval for 20

<http://www.newmediaexplorer.org/chris/2004/01/07/re_mad_cow_disease_pesticides_\

organophosphate.htm>organophosphate

and carbamate pesticides. In a letter dated May

24, 2006, leaders of three unions (American

Federation of Government Employees, National

Treasury Employees Union and Engineers and

Scientists of California) representing 9,000

scientists, risk managers and other specialists

asked EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson to either

adopt maximum exposure protections for these

agents or take them off the market.

 

<http://www.newmediaexplorer.org/chris/2004/01/07/re_mad_cow_disease_pesticides_\

organophosphate.htm>Organophosphates,

derived from World War II-era nerve agents, are

banned in England, Sweden and Denmark. In the

1990's the National Academies of Science

criticized EPA's regulation of these pesticides.

The Clinton administration began moves to ban the

agents but the Bush administration changed

course. In the past few months, the Bush

administration approach has been faulted by both

EPA's own Scientific Advisory Panel and its Office of Inspector General.

 

In their letter, the EPA scientists charge that

agency " risk assessments cannot state with

confidence the degree to which any exposure of a

fetus, infant or child to a pesticide will or

will not adversely affect their neurological

development. " In addition, the scientists contend that –

 

* " Our colleagues in the Pesticide Program feel

besieged by political pressure exerted by Agency

officials perceived to be too closely aligned

with the pesticide industry and former EPA

officials now representing the pesticide and agricultural community " ;

* " In the rush to meet the August 2006 …deadline,

many steps in the risk assessment and risk

management process are being abbreviated or

eliminated in violation of the principles of

scientific integrity and objectivity… " ; and

* The prevailing " belief among managers in the

Pesticide and Toxics Programs [is] that

regulatory decisions should only be made after

reaching full consensus with the regulated pesticide and chemicals

industry. "

 

Notwithstanding the scientific uncertainty and

controversy, EPA has announced that is approving

one of the most toxic agents, dichlorvos or DDVP,

for household use in pet flea collars and no-pest strips.

 

" Our top public scientists are morally and

professionally compromised by the Bush

administration partnership with the chemical

industry, " stated PEER Executive Director Jeff

Ruch, pointing, for example, to EPA's rush to

embrace testing of pesticides and other chemicals

on human subjects for commercial purposes. " The

fact that this letter had to be sent at all is an

utter disgrace but, even more disgraceful, is the

likelihood that this warning will be disregarded

by an agency that is supposed to be protecting

public health and the environment. "

 

###

 

<http://www.peer.org/news/../docs/epa/06_25_5_union_ltr.pdf>Read

the EPA scientists' letter of protest

 

<http://www.epa.gov/oppsrrd1/op/>See more

information on organophosphates and carbamates

 

<http://www.peer.org/news/news_id.php?row_id=685>Look

at the EPA Inspector General report on the

inability to assess child neurotoxicity

 

<http://www.peer.org/news/news_id.php?row_id=596>Trace

the growing corporate role in EPA research

 

<http://www.peer.org/news/../campaigns/testing/index.php>Revisit

EPA drive for human subject experimentation

 

 

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