USDA ANNOUNCES NEW OFFICE OF PEST MANAGEMENT

                                            Release No. 0305.97
                                                               
                                   Jim Petterson (202) 720-4623
                                         jim.petterson@usda.gov
                                     Maria Bynum (202) 720-5192
                                           maria.bynum@usda.gov

USDA ANNOUNCES NEW OFFICE OF PEST MANAGEMENT

     WASHINGTON, Sept. 8, 1997--Deputy Agriculture Secretary Richard
Rominger today announced the creation of the Office of Pest Management that
will serve as USDA's focal point for pesticide regulatory issues.  This is
part of a new, coordinated approach to minor use pesticides issues that
builds on existing programs at USDA and the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
     
     "There has been a cooperative relationship with EPA and numerous
consultations with grower organizations that has helped us get to this
point,"said Rominger.  "That spirit of cooperation and open communications
must continue in order to help meet the needs of producers of minor and
major crops and to ensure a plentiful supply of affordable and safe food."

     The new office is charged with integrating and coordinating pesticide
issues within USDA along with improving communications with and
strengthening the existing network of grower organizations and crop
specialists at land grant institutions.  This will help make available
accurate, high quality data on pesticide use practices for regulatory
decision making. 

     Rominger said USDA can be more responsive to the agricultural
community in developing alternative pest management practices to meet
critical needs that may develop as a result of the regulatory process.   

     "We must ensure that our programs are focused on high priority pest
management needs and we must ensure meaningful involvement of the pesticide
user community in the planning and priority setting processes,"said
Rominger.

      EPA's Assistant Administrator for Prevention, Pesticides, and Toxic
Substances Lynn Goldman also announced the agency's newly created Minor Use
Program Team. It will work  closely with growers organizations, USDA,
registrants and other stakeholders to obtain and use the best available
data, to facilitate an open dialogue with the minor use community, and to
promote the development of safer pesticides for minor uses.

     EPA and USDA have been working together in recent months to secure
funding for the collection of additional data on children's food consumption
patterns and to collect pesticide residue information through the Pesticide
Data Program.  These efforts are in compliance with the Food Quality
Protection Act of 1996 that requires minor use issues be handled more
efficiently in a coordinated, cross-agency effort.

                                #