Controversy Surrounds EPA Review of Pesticides
(HealthDay News, 8/2/06)

As mandated by the 1996 Food Quality Protection Act, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has conducted a ten-year review of virtually all pesticides used in the US, including an evaluation of 237 ingredients. Now 14 states are petitioning the agency to require pesticide manufacturers to list all ingredients, even inert ones, on product labels. State officials charge that these so-called inert ingredients, which comprise as much as 99% of a pesticide, may cause birth defects and cancer, as well as damage to the nervous system, liver and kidneys. Even EPA staff scientist accuse the agency of buckling to the demands of the pesticide industry in not banning harmful chemicals, such as organophosphates and carbamates, which pose serious health risks. But the EPA maintains that they are meeting their responsibilities of protecting public health and the environment from unacceptable risks.