Archive for July, 2016
CRE Asks EPA and USDA to Publish Joint Standard Operating Procedures If Epi Data Is Used for Pesticides
Jul 19th
On July 18, 2016, CRE submitted to EPA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture a Request for Joint Development of Standard Operating Procedures If Epidemiological Data is used in Pesticide Assessment and Registration.
CRE’s request is prompted by EPA’s recent attempt to use Epi data during pesticide actions in an ad hoc manner that violates Data Quality standards. CRE agrees with USDA that standard operating procedures need to be developed before EPA uses Epi data for pesticides.
CRE’s request explains in part:
CRE Protests Agencies’ Use of Obviously Inaccurate and Unreliable Aquatic Models to Regulate Three Pesticides
Jul 8th
One June 29-30, EPA, FWS, NOAA/NMFS and the Department of Agriculture held a public workshop. The agencies stated in a Federal Register notice that they intended this workshop
“to discuss potential refinements to the interim scientific methods used in the first nationwide draft biological evaluations for chlorpyrifos, diazinon, and malathion, released for public comment on April 11, 2016. These interim scientific methods were developed by EPA and the Services, with collaboration from USDA on crop production, pesticide use,and the spatial footprint of agricultural use patterns, in response to the 2013 National Academy of Sciences (NAS) report entitled, ‘Assessing Risks to Endangered and Threatened Species from Pesticides.'”