EPA Scientists Pressured to Allow Continued Use of Dangerous Pesticides

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EPA Scientists Pressured to Allow Continued Use of Dangerous Pesticides

 

Union leaders representing Environmental Protection Agency scientists and

other specialists assert that agency managers and pesticide-industry officials

are exerting " political pressure " to allow continued use of a family of

pesticides that might be harmful to children, infants and fetuses.

 

In a letter to Stephen Johnson, EPA's administrator, the union leaders said

scientists are being pushed to skip steps in their testing, and alleged that the

" integrity of the science upon which agency decisions are based has been

compromised. "

 

The protest from unions representing some 9,000 EPA scientists and other

employees about a pending agency determination is unprecedented and a

professional rebuke to Mr. Johnson, himself a scientist and former assistant

administrator in charge of the agency's program to test the harmful effects of

pesticides.

 

The letter said the agency faces an August deadline to re-evaluate a family of

20 organophosphate and carbamate pesticides,many of them stemming from World War

II research on nerve gas. They include malathion, commonly used to kill

mosquitoes, and a variety of other chemicals that are used in agriculture,

gardens, on golf courses and on flea collars and pest strips. Organophosphates,

which attack the nervous system, were among the group given the highest priority

for testing.

 

Jeff Ruch, executive director of Public Employees for Environmental

Responsibility, whose members include state and federal employees, said " the

fact that this letter had to be sent at all is an utter disgrace. "

 

Jennifer Sass, a toxicologist for the Natural Resources Defense Council, another

environmental group, said there is " a lot of uncertainty " in scientific data

about the pesticides and " newer, cleaner alternatives " are available. " This is

old style chemistry and these [chemicals] should have been buried years ago. "

 

After World War II, scientists discovered that insects were more sensitive to

nerve gases than humans and it was felt that humans wouldn't be harmed by

relatively low applications of the chemicals. According to a recent report by

the EPA's Office of Inspector General, however, later studies showed that some

pesticides can easily enter the brain of fetuses and young children and may

destroy cells in the developing nervous system.

 

By OHN J. FIALKA

Wall Street Journal Page A4, May 25, 2006

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB114852646165862757.html

Copyright 2006 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.

 

 

Caroline Collard

 

World's first fully certified organic skin, body, oral and health care products

www.happyandhealthy.org.uk

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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