SECTION: IN THE NEWS

LENGTH: 1237 words

HEADLINE: PREPARED TESTIMONY OF
RICHARD ROMINGER
DEPUTY SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
BEFORE THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE
SUBCOMMITTEE ON DEPARTMENT OPERATIONS,
OVERSIGHT, NUTRITION, AND FORESTRY

BODY:


Good morning Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee. I am pleased to appear before you today to discuss the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) role in the implementation of the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA).
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has been engaged on a number of fronts relating to chemicals important to public health since the inception of the Food Quality Protection Act. FQPA requires the US Environmental Protection Agency to take into account aggregate exposure which could be characterized as the consideration of all non- occupational sources of exposure to pesticide residues in addition to those in food and water. FQPA also emphasizes consideration of childrens' special sensitivity and their exposure to pesticides. USDA has an active role working with EPA to assess the risk of both agricultural and public health uses of pesticides. The law also mandates that USDA work with EPA to develop alternative pest management strategies to pesticides which may be lost in the reregistration process. As you know. the FQPA Act requires USDA to conduct research/education to support the adoption of Integrated Pest Management (IPM). I will now update you on a number of these activities.
USDA's ROLE IN THE REREGISTRATION OF PUBLIC HEALTH PESTICIDES
Of key public health concern for humans and livestock are mosquitoes and other biting insects. Thus far in the reregistration process, three organophosphates have been reviewed by USDA Office of Pest Management Policy and USDA's land grant partners which have implications on mosquito control. They are temephos, fenthion, and naled. The Department has commented on two other organophosphates for impact on fire ant control.
As a result of Tolerance Reassessment Advisory Committee discussions on the reregistration process, USDA and EPA have developed an intergovernmental review process to ensure that the revised organophosphate risk assessments are based on the best information available. Under this process, USDA reviews all pesticide risk assessments and, when necessary, work with EPA to develop risk mitigation and crop transition strategies. For all pesticides, in regards to non-agricultural uses of pesticides, USDA is required by FQPA to develop, with EPA and HHS, a list of major public health pests. This draft list will be sent out for public comment in the form of a Pesticide Registration Notice and is in the final stages of completion.
USDA receives a briefing of the overview of the revised risk assessment from EPA following their incorporation of public comments in Phase 3. In this Phase 4 review, USDA performs a headquarters review to provide any immediate feedback to EPA on use/usage data, the assumptions used, and on possible strategies and options for managing risk. Some reviews are more complex when food uses as well as mosquito and other public uses are registered. USDA also sends out the revised risk assessments to a number of land grant institutions and our own USDA Agricultural Research Service research facilities to take advantage of their expertise concerning critical public health uses of pesticides..
In regards to public health uses, USDA and EPA agree on a 15 day, 30 day or 45 day review time period for each chemical. USDA can call on EPA for clarifying briefings at any time during this process. By the end of the review period or shortly thereafter, USDA transits its comments to EPA. We both then work together to incorporate the comments into the assessment documents. The three mosquitocides I have previously mentioned are not yet at this stage.
Within a week following the incorporation of these additional comments, EPA announces the date of the Technical Briefing for sharing the risk findings to the public. The announcement will be made at least two weeks before the meeting to provide adequate advanced notice to stakeholders. At the briefing, if necessary, USDA will provide recommendations on possible risk management strategies and options. Stakeholders will have opportunity at the Technical Briefing to ask clarifying questions. The Technical Briefings for the first three mosquitocides are tentatively scheduled for September.
Concurrent with the technical briefing, revised risk assessments, which reflect comments incorporated from the intergovernmental review, are placed into the public docket. The public is given 60 days to comment on the revised risk assessment and any proposed mitigation measures.
During the reregistration process, when pesticides with public health importance are limited or canceled, EPA consults with the Department of Health and Human Services or USDA regarding the chemical's significance to that particular control program. For example, USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) maintains a list of pesticides needed for fire ant control. This year, USDA has provided feedback to EPA regarding two organophosphates used for fire ant control. We responded to EPA's consultation request and affirmed that the loss of the two organophosphates would have no impact on Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service operations for this important public health program.
EXAMPLES OF RESEARCH INTO ALTERNATIVE PESTICIDES
USDA ARS has a number of activities addressing pesticide alternatives and reduced pesticide usage for public health uses. In addition to IPM and precision targeting research to reduce pesticide usage in schools, homes, commercial buildings and other public places, USDA has conducted field releases of biological control agents for fire ants, mosquitoes and control of Lyme disease. USDA ARS scientists worked cooperatively with a private entity, to develop nontoxic strategies for eliminating cockroaches and their allergens by developing a vacuum device. USDA scientists have also developed a cockroach antigen detection system to enable pinpointing of contaminated, cockroach infested areas. Research with the University of South Florida is ongoing for the detection of cockroach antigens in flour.
USDA ARS has developed for the Department of Defense a reduced risk and spatially-based system that permits the rapid-determination of risk of transmission and a method to control the mosquito vector that does not rely on insecticides. Spatial risk assessment procedures were developed so that any pesticide application is avoided when risk of disease is zero or low. However, when risks are unacceptably high, this process identifies areas to target for mosquito source reduction (no pesticides), and the degree of suppression required to prevent or eliminate transmission. USDA is working with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to evaluate this IPM system in Puerto Rico where dengue is endemic.
Finally, in collaboration with the Air Force, USDA ARS is developing a software package to evaluate the threat of tick bites and transmission and chemical and non-chemical control options such as management of tick habitat or their hosts.
CONCLUSION
The U.S. Department of Agriculture will continue to pursue research into alternative pesticides, reduced risk approaches, and the reregistration of current pesticides to carry out the implementation of the Food Quality Protection Act. We look forward to continuing to work closely in partnership with our sister government agencies.
Thank you very much Mr. Chairman. I will be happy to answer any questions at this time.
END


LOAD-DATE: August 5, 1999