EPA's FQPA Management Causes Farmers Concern

August 5, 1999

The Environmental Protection Agency has acted "irresponsibly" by restricting the application of two pesticides used on apples, other fruits and vegetables, says the American Farm Bureau Federation. The decisions are being made "outside the reassessment process that is slowly being built and are based on unrealistic default assumptions, unclear science policies and only serve to falsely scare the public about the safety of their food."

Actions taken by EPA "are unjustified and have the potential to cause severe harm to many in agriculture with no increase in consumer safety," Kevin Gardner, chairman of AFBF's Young Farmer and Rancher Committee, told the House agriculture department operations subcommittee.

Organophosphates represent "the single most important class of insecticides used in the United States and are the first target of EPA" in implementing the Food Quality Protection Act, Gardner said. They also are essential to integrated pest management programs. "With a farm economic crisis brought on by historically low prices, I believe the agency has acted irresponsibly."

He continued, "We don't believe that by passing the FQPA Congress intended for the EPA and USDA to make hasty decisions based on theoretical risk that would unfairly and unjustly affect all users of pest control products. Instead, we believe and agree with Congress that sound science and a fair process is the foundation of this law."