Pesticide Industry Plotted Bush Human Testing Policy

[Guest guest]

SharinSharAlike

Wed, 31 May 2006 15:16:04

EDT Subject:Pesticide Industry Plotted Bush Human Testing Policy

 

 

 

 

 

Mr. Bush and his friends tried to push through legislation so they

could test pesticides on orphans and sick children and most of the

anti-choice people in this country seem to care less. I guess babies do not

matter to them once they are born, eh?

 

Pesticide Industry Plotted Bush Human Testing Policy

 

--Meeting with OMB Staff Laid Out Exemptions for Experiments on Children 30 May

2006 (PEER) One month before the Bush administration proposed rules authorizing

experiments on humans with pesticides and other chemicals, its key operatives

met with pesticide industry lobbyists to map out its provisions, according to

meeting notes posted today by Public Employees for Environmental

Responsibility (PEER).

 

The industry requests for exemptions allowing some chemical testing on children

and other provisions were incorporated into the human testing rule ultimately

adopted this January 26th.

 

*** Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility

News Release (www.peer.org)

 

For Immediate Release: May 30, 2006

Contact: Chas Offutt (202) 265-7337

 

PESTICIDE INDUSTRY PLOTTED BUSH HUMAN TESTING POLICY †" Meeting

with OMB Staff Laid Out Exemptions for Experiments on Children

 

 

 

Washington, DC †" One month before the Bush administration

proposed rules authorizing experiments on humans with pesticides and

other chemicals, its key operatives met with pesticide industry

lobbyists to map out its provisions, according to meeting notes posted today by

Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). The industry requests

for exemptions allowing some chemical testing on children and other provisions

were incorporated into the human testing rule ultimately adopted this January

26th.

 

At the August 9, 2005 meeting held inside the President’s Office

of Management and Budget, representatives of the pesticide trade

association, Crop Life America, as well as Bayer Crop Life Science met

with OMB and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency officials. Also

attending was a former top EPA official, James Aidala, who now acts a

lobbyist at a law firm representing chemical companies.

 

The meeting notes detail industry concerns about the text of a proposed

rule that the Bush administration first unveiled a month later on

September 12th. For example, the Crop Life America attendees urged:

 

• “Re kids†" never say never†(emphasis in

original);

• “Pesticides have benefits. Rule should say so.

Testing, too, has benefitsâ€; and

• “We want a rule quickly†" [therefore] narrow [is]

better. Don’t like being singled out but, speed is most

imp.â€

 

“These meeting notes make it clear that the pesticide

industry’s top objective is access to children for experiments.

After reading these ghoulish notes one has the urge to take a

shower,†commented PEER Executive Director Jeff Ruch, whose

organization works with EPA scientists who have been prevented from

voicing ethical and scientific concerns about human subject testing.

“For an administration which trumpets its concern for the

‘value and dignity of life,’ it is disconcerting that no

ethicists, children advocates or scientists were invited to this

meeting to counterbalance the pesticide pushers.â€

 

The upcoming August 3rd deadline for EPA final approval for a

controversial class of pesticides derived from nerve agents called

organophosphates appeared to be a top industry priority. Jim Aidala,

the industry lobbyist, stated, “Won’t be able to meet the

FQPA [Food Quality Protection Act] deadline. Wouldn’t anyway.

Just do the rule first, then proceed ASAP.â€

 

Aidala also suggested how the rules could make subtle exceptions for

chemicals testing on children:

 

• “Distinguish testing kids from using data on kids who

were testedâ€; and

• “Some workers may legally be children, albeit old enough

for DOL†[Department of Labor coverage].

 

The human testing rule adopted by EPA earlier this year contains the

loopholes advocated at the OMB meeting for exposing children to

pesticides, such as testing on workers and exposures unconnected with

the approval process for new pesticides or new uses for existing

agents. In addition, the rule broadly allows dosing experiments on

infants and pregnant women using non-pesticide chemicals.

 

“Unfortunately, using human beings as guinea pigs to test the

toxic strength of commercial poisons has become a central regulatory

strategy under the Bush administration,†Ruch added.

 

###

 

See the Crop Life-OMB meeting notes

<http://www.peer.org/docs/epa/06_26_5_EPA_HumanTesting_meetingnotes.pdf>

 

Look at the meeting participants

<http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/oira/2070/meetings/461.html>

 

Read about political pressure on EPA scientists to approve

organophosphate pesticides

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

 

Revisit the Bush human testing rule

<http://www.peer.org/news/news_id.php?row_id=653>