Environmental Groups Decry Pesticide Report
(Washington, Reuters Health, 2/20/04)

A recommendation by the National Research Council that the US government should accept the testing of pesticides on humans was met with skepticism by such environmental groups as the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Environmental Working Group. Agricultural and chemical industry representatives, on the other hand, insist that they need to be able to use human testing to show that their products are safe. The government’s “objective” panel backed the industry position and advised that the EPA should accept such experiments, as long as the tests were justified as necessary and the subjects were protected. The watchdog groups strongly disagree and question the EPA’s ability to properly oversee and regulate the testing of any toxic chemicals on volunteers.