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NTC REINVENTING ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS

Release Date: 06/06/95
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NTC REINVENTING ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS

TUESDAY, JUNE 6, 1995

As part of President Clinton's agenda for reinventing environmental regulations, EPA plans to accelerate or eliminate its review of many changes to pesticide labeling and formulas while continuing to ensure public health and environmental protection.
The new policy cuts EPA's review process in half, from 90 days to 45 days, for certain minor pesticide registration amendments. At the same time, the notice expands the types of pesticide registration amendments which can be accomplished by simple notifying the Agency without approval, as well as those types of amendments about which the Agency need not be notified. Companies using the notification process need to sign a certification statement that the amendments are in compliance with EPA regulations, including public health protection.

"Today's action demonstrates that our process for handling changes in pesticides registration can truly be cleaner for our environment, cheaper for the taxpayer and industry, and smarter for America's future," said Fred J. Hansen, EPA's Deputy Administrator. "These changes will allow us to focus our efforts on high-priority risks to public health, while making it easier for industry to make minor changes in pesticide registrations."

The action is the first step in fulfilling the "self certification" measure Osin President Clinton's report on reinventing environmental regulations issued on March l6, and is expected to lead to similar streamlining efforts in other EPA programs.

EPA estimates that as many as l5 percent of the 5,000 pesticide registration amendments made each year may now be done by streamlined procedures. Most of the notification and non-notification amendments concern issues related to labeling, like changing to an alternative brand name or product composition, such as the addition of dyes and fragrances. Registrants will still be required to provide EPA with a copy of the product label including the latest changes. EPA will review amended label changes and assist registrants to ensure that pesticide registration amendments under the new process comply with the Agency's health and safety guidance.

Copies of today's announcement (PR Notice 95-2) can be obtained by calling 703-305-5017.

(The Pesticide Regulation Notices are available on Internet and can be accessed using either EPA's Gopher Server or through the World Wide Web using Netscape or Mosaic. Using Gohper, the command line is Golpher EARTH1.EPA.GOV -- once at "earth1" a self-explanatory menu will be presented to guide the user to EPA's selections. The PR notices will be found under the category for Office of Prevention, Pesticides, and Toxic Substances; Pesticide Regulation(PR)Notiices. Using Netscape or Mosaic through the World Wide Web: open the URL -- HTTP://WW.EPA.GOV -- the user will be positioned at the home page for EPA with the menu selections for EPA documents.) 

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