Pesticide Regulatory Actions under the FQPA Remarks Release No. 0314.99 by Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Rominger EPA/USDA Press Briefing on Pesticide Regulatory Actions under the FQPA Monday, August 2, 1999 Good afternoon. "I want to emphasize Administrator Browner's point that the nation's food supply is safe. There is nothing in today's actions that should cause anyone alarm or cause anyone to avoid consumption of any food item. We continue to strongly recommend that all persons--especially children-- eat a balanced diet rich in fruits and vegetables. "Designing a food tolerance is like building a bridge. All bridge designs are based on a likely maximum load; then, a safety factor is added for insurance. The FQPA instructs EPA to increase the safety factor in the design of pesticide tolerances. That does not mean the old tolerances are unsafe; it merely means that we're incorporating an additional margin of safety. "The Administration's actions today are improving upon an already highly protective regulatory system and are done with the knowledge that cost- effective pest management tools either are or will soon be available to U.S. growers. But as I have stressed before, the FQPA will serve as an important catalyst in the development and implementation of more biointensive pest management strategies for U.S. growers. "Tomorrow, August 3rd, is the third anniversary of the Food Quality Protection Act of 1996 (FQPA). "It has been a busy three years for EPA and for the Department of Agriculture. Of course, we are not alone. Many people and organizations, including grower and commodity groups, pesticide manufacturers, and public interest groups are working on implementation issues. "As we press forward, let's consider the success stories that the last three years have brought. "First, through the leadership of Vice President Gore, Administrator Browner and Secretary Glickman, we've forged a new partnership between USDA and EPA. Just 15 months ago, we kicked off the Tolerance Reassessment Advisory Committee (TRAC), which I have co-chaired with the EPA Deputy Administrator first Fred Hansen and now Peter Robertson. "Within USDA, we created the Office of Pest Management Policy (OPMP) to coordinate how the Department meets the needs of both the EPA and agricultural producers, as well as other constituents, throughout the regulatory process. "We also turned to our partners at the land-grant universities to participate more directly and actively. Because most agricultural pest management issues are regional in nature, we are using the expertise that is unique to the land-grant institutions and the regional labs of the USDA Agricultural Research Service to modernize our pest management systems for growers. "To further improve our response to EPA's needs, we've adapted our data collection and reporting programs. These include the Pesticide Data Program of the Agricultural Marketing Service, the National Agricultural Statistics Service, and the Agricultural Research Service's Continuing Survey of Food Intake by Individuals. USDA is working very closely with the EPA to ensure the continued harmonization of data collection with data needs. The risk assessments issued by EPA rely upon tens of millions of dollars worth of USDA generated data. "In another initiative, USDA is spearheading the development of crop profiles that give the EPA and others a comprehensive understanding of agricultural pest problems and pesticide use. University specialists and other experts have completed more than 100 crop profiles in this ongoing effort. The result: a public tool for EPA, USDA, growers and other state level users that is accessible on the World Wide Web. "For many years, the Department's Inter-regional Project Number Four program, called IR-4, has assisted minor crop producers by developing the data needed to include minor crops in the registration of basic chemicals. Over the next few years, USDA IR-4 and EPA are scheduled to approve hundreds of newer, safer and efficacious pesticide uses for U.S. growers. We cannot say yet that our efforts have solved all the pest management challenges for our farmers, but we can say that our research programs are committed to finding cost-effective alternatives. "In implementing the FQPA, the challenge for agriculture is twofold: First--to seek risk mitigation steps that can be taken in the short-term; and second--to begin moving toward pest management systems that rely on safer products and biocontrols that make better use of our growing knowledge of biological systems. "It's clear that agriculture must do more than react chemical-by-chemical, waiting until cumulative pesticide risks are calculated. To respond to this challenge, the Department is working commodity-by- commodity and region-by-region to develop the best strategies for moving toward pest management practices that have the least risk. "Preparing for such transition is one of the principles of FQPA implementation that was stipulated by Vice President Gore. Given the pressures anticipated from the cumulative assessment of the organophosphates, USDA is reaching out to growers and working, in cooperation with them and crop production experts, to develop transition and risk management strategies for specific commodities. By addressing this issue proactively, we can avoid any potential disruption that otherwise could occur for some commodities once FQPA is fully implemented. "Thank you. I'll be happy to take your questions."