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Endocrine Disruptor Screening For Pesticides To Begin In 2008 |
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MANASSAS, VIRGINIA, Feb. 27 -/E-Wire/--
Although a great deal of work remains, EPA is on track to launch the screening phase of the Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program (EDSP) in 2008, an Agency official says.
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The EDSP was mandated by the Food Quality Protection Act, which directed EPA to gauge the potential for pesticides, inerts and substances detected in drinking water to interact with human hormonal systems.
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The first tier of EDSP studies will look for evidence of those interactions; the second-tier studies will seek to identify any effects from those interactions – along with the dose-levels at which they occur.
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The FQPA required EPA to "implement" an "estrogenic substances screening program," the statute says, "not later than three years after [FQPA] enactment" – which would have been Aug. 3, 1999.
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Court proceedings have indicated a difference of opinion on the meaning of the word "implementation," with EPA asserting that Congress intended "implementation" to mean the development and validation of the assays necessary for the program.
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As part of that effort, a number of stakeholder panels have been providing advice to EPA, with the Endocrine Disruptor Methods Validation Advisory Committee (EDMVAC) being the latest of those groups. But, the EDMVAC has folded.
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Specifically, EPA's Office of Science Coordination and Policy (OSCP) decided against renewing the panel's Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) charter – raising the question of why, at this late stage of EDSP assay development, the Agency would decide to send its advisory panel packing.
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Another question is raised by the agenda for this week's FIFRA Scientific Advisory Panel (SAP) meeting, in which the panel will review a controversial assay proposed for Tier 1.
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The question raised by this charge is: why has OSCP asked the SAP to review a complex assay – in utero-through-lactation (IUL) – which, in the view of some stakeholders, is unsuitable for screening purposes.
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Insider asked OSCP Environmental Scientist Gary Timm, who has long worked on EDSP's development, to answer those, and other, questions. His answers help provide a clear picture of where the EDSP stands, and of the remaining work that's required to start the screening phase of the program in 2008.
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Subscribers can read the full article at www.pesticide.net. Other stories in the February 27, 2007, issue of PESTICIDE.NET Insider eJournal include:
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Sugar Beets Poised To Become First Widely Grown GMO Specialty Crop
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Growers say they need Roundup Ready sugar beets, and are willing to risk possible GMO controversies. Otherwise, pest resistance to traditional pesticides means hand-weeding in the face of labor shortages and the increasing hassles of playing cat-and-mouse games with immigration authorities.
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An Insider Look At The Sugar Beet Industry
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Next year, all North American sugar producers will operate for the first time in a combined marketplace. To survive, U.S. sugar beet producers will need to compete on cost with counterparts in Mexico and Canada – especially Mexico. Roundup Ready sugar beets will be a key component of that strategy.
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Despite New Federal Rule, Washington State Issues CWA Permits For Aquatic Pesticide Use
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A new EPA rule says the permits are not necessary, but the state of Washington is playing it safe and continuing to issue permits due to ongoing legal challenges. Although CWA regulations generally require EPA to review changes to any state-issued permit, it's not clear if EPA will cooperate in light of its new stance.
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EPA Guidance Seeks State Data On Pesticide Water Quality Impacts
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As part of its new registration review program, EPA wants to see data from the states on pesticide impacts to water quality.
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Despite Bt Efficacy Concerns, Aerial Use Of Dimilin Against N.J. Gypsy Moths Is Denied
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New Jersey's ag officials say they're facing an emergency, with 125,000 defoliated acres from gypsy moths and the inability of Bt to suppress caterpillar populations in areas with the heaviest infestations. The state's environmental department disagrees, however, and has denied a request to use the chitin inhibitor dimilin to protect the state's forests.
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Published bi-weekly, PESTICIDE.NET Insider eJournal provides the inside story on issues important to pesticide registrants, regulators and policy activists. PESTICIDE.NET (www.pesticide.net) also operates the world's leading website for news and regulatory information on conventional, biological and antimicrobial pesticides, with over 10,000 documents and a quarter million visits per month.
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