Pesticides and Risk Communication PPP-52 - Purdue Pesticide ...

In addition, the authority to establish pesticide tolerances for food was
transferred from the Food and Drug Administration to EPA, placing the
agency in full control of the pesticide registration process.
Public Policy Sets the Stage
for Rules Governing Pesticides
It is interesting that the development of policy to correct one potential
problem—unreasonable risk to human health and the environment—in
fact fueled additional pesticide concerns. This cause and effect scenario
shaped key historical decisions from which pesticide rules and regulations
have emerged.
• The furor surrounding pesticides marked them for extensive
governmental scrutiny. FIFRA was amended by regulation to
protect human health and the environment; and with EPA responsible
for the regulation of pesticides from registration to final
disposal, critics had but one agency to target.
• The party in power appoints EPA’s upper management personnel;
and their decisions in turn reflect political influence. All decisions
are public.
• EPA must decide how to implement public policies that meet the
imprecise definition of safe. As defined by Congress, safe means
that when the product is used according to its label it will not
cause “unreasonable adverse effects on human health or the
environment”; and that there is “reasonable certainty that no harm
will result from aggregate exposure to the pesticide chemical
residue, including all anticipated dietary exposures and all other
exposures for which there is reliable information.”
What on the surface seems to be a clear and reasonable definition
of safe is actually quite murky. What is reasonable certainty? What
effects are unreasonable? One person’s definition of safe can be
another’s definition of dangerous. For example, a homeowner who uses
pesticides in her garden may view them harmless—that is, safe—
except to targeted pests; but the neighbor who watched his pet die after
ingesting a pesticide might consider them dangerous. Regulatory
interpretation lies with each generation of policymakers who command
their own historical, political, and scientific perspectives. What was
deemed unacceptable in the past may be viewed as acceptable or even
desirable, now; and what is acceptable, today, may not be, tomorrow.
• EPA is responsible for both environmental research and environmental
regulation, but it is often faulted for failing to fulfill these
obligations.
• EPA requires pesticide manufacturers to perform numerous tests
and to submit data in support of their product for registration. The
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