June, 1998

FQPA advisory panel shows administration's hand on issue


Clinton administration officials have finally said publicly what those in the agriculture community have feared. That some pesticide uses will be lost when the Food Quality and Protection Act is fully implemented.
The 50-member advisory panel that was formed from Vice President Al Gore's April 8 memorandum telling the EPA to get more input from the agriculture community met for the first time May 28-29. There are only 10 agricultural/farmer representatives on the panel. Of these only three are farmers and one of these is an organic grape grower.
USDA and EPA officials confirmed that preliminary analysis of organophospates indicates that some will eventually be banned.
"When USDA's Rominger gave his opening remarks we got the feeling that they had already made their decision about OPs," said Leo Bontempo, CEO of Novartis Crop Protection and member of the panel. "The agricultural representatives said 'hey wait a minute, we thought we were here to talk.' By the end of the afternoon I think they sensed the resistance and maybe they will go back and re-group."
USDA Deputy Agriculture Secretary Rich Rominger said "environmental protection and economic growth must go hand and hand." But, Bontempo said the environmental groups have more pull with the EPA than the agricultural groups.
"We told them that if they pulled OPs and carbamate growers would have to spray more pesticides," he said. "They are a little concerned about that, and said they are looking for growers to adopt more organic, genetic and cultural methods to control pests and diseases."
The EPA hopes to decide on the fate organophosphates and carbamates by August 1999.
Two separate working groups will hammer out technical issues before the panel meets again on June 22-23.