All News Releases By Date

EPA SEEKS COMMENTS ON PROPOSED NEW GUIDELINES AND EXPEDITED REVIEW PROCESS FOR REDUCED-RISK AND BIOLOGICAL PESTICIDE APPLICATIONS

Release Date: 06/20/97
Contact Information:

EPA SEEKS COMMENTS ON PROPOSED NEW GUIDELINES AND EXPEDITED REVIEW PROCESS FOR REDUCED-RISK AND BIOLOGICAL PESTICIDE APPLICATIONS

Al Heier 202-260-4374

As required by the Food Quality Protection Act of l996,
EPA has issued a Pesticide Registration Notice (PR-97-3)
seeking comments on proposed guidelines and procedures as
well as expedited review of registration applications for
reduced risk and biological pesticides.  The Agency is
seeking comments on a number of issues including:

- The appropriateness of using a weight-of-evidence approach
that relies on comparative criteria rather than on more
absolute criteria to define a reduced-risk pesticide.
- In the absence of a formal determination on common mode of
toxicity, whether the Agency should accept new registration
applications that meet all the other criteria for reduced-risk
but may share a common mode of toxicity with other registered pesticides.
- If the new criteria encourages more applications for the
reduced-risk status, the time for reviewing and responding to
the applications may increase.  The Agency is seeking comment
on the trade off between expanding the scope of the program and
slower registration times.
- How should EPA measure success of its reduced-risk initiative?
- What incentives beside expedited registration should be considered
to encourage the development and registration of reduced-risk
pesticides and biological pesticides, as well as other safer pest
management tools?

Comments are due by July 18 and should be addressed to:
Public Information and Records Integrity Branch (7506C),
Office of Pesticide Programs,
U.S. EPA,
401 M St. SW.,
Washington, D.C. 20460.  

Reporters can obtain copies of the PR Notice by calling Al Heier at
202-260-4374.  Others should call the Office of Pesticide Programs
Communication Services Branch at 703-305-5017.