SECTION: IN THE NEWS

LENGTH: 712 words

HEADLINE: PREPARED TESTIMONY OF
HONORABLE ED TOWNS
(D-NY)
BEFORE THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE
SUBCOMMITTEE ON DEPARTMENT OPERATIONS,
OVERSIGHT, NUTRITION, AND FORESTRY
SUBJECT - "IMPLEMENTATION OF
THE FOOD QUALITY PROTECTION ACT"

BODY:


THANK YOU FOR INVITING ME TO DISCUSS THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE 1996 FOOD QUALITY PROTECTION ACT (FQPA), AND MY CONCERN THAT EPA MUST PROPERLY IMPLEMENT THE ACT TO AVOID UNNECESSARY THREATS TO PUBLIC HEALTH.
AS YOU KNOW, BOTH THE AGRICULTURE AND THE COMMERCE COMMITTEES WORKED TOGETHER TO DEVELOP FQPA. THE ACT WAS PASSED UNANIMOUSLY BY BOTH THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE, AND IT WAS SIGNED INTO LAW BY PRESIDENT CLINTON ON AUGUST 3, 1996, EXACTLY THREE YEARS AGO TODAY.
AS CONGRESS DEVELOPED THE LEGISLATION, I WORKED HARD SO THAT IT WOULD ASSURE THAT, USING MODERN TECHNOLOGY, THE NATION'S FOOD SUPPLY IS AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE. I ALSO BELIEVE THAT IT WAS OUR INTENT, IN PASSING FQPA, TO ENSURE THAT AMERICAN CONSUMERS WOULD CONTINUE TO ENJOY TREMENDOUS NUTRITIONAL BENEFITS FROM AN AFFORDABLE AND ABUNDANT FOOD SUPPLY. I ENCOURAGE THIS COMMITTEE TO KEEP THESE GOALS IN MIND-- SAFETY, AFFORDABILITY AND ABUNDANCE--AS YOU EXERCISE OVERSIGHT ON EPA'S IMPLEMENTATION OF FQPA.
IT IS THESE THREE ISSUES THAT HAVE A MEMBER, FROM A NEW YORK DISTRICT WITH NO AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION, APPEARING BEFORE YOU TODAY. OUR FOOD MUST BE SAFE. AND, FQPA SHOULD BE IMPLEMENTED IN A MANNER THAT AVOIDS INCREASING FOOD PRICES. FOOD PRICE INCREASES WOULD THREATEN CONSUMER NUTRITION AND INCREASE THE COSTS OF OPERATING USDA'S IMPORTANT ADULT AND CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAMS. AS THIS COMMITTEE WELL KNOWS, THESE PROGRAMS ARE OFTEN THE ONLY SOURCE OF FRESH FRUIT AND VEGETABLES THAT PROVIDE NUTRITIOUS BREAKFAST AND/OR LUNCH FOR MANY LOW-INCOME AMERICANS.
IN ADDITION TO MAINTAINING AN AFFORDABLE FOOD SUPPLY, WE MUST ALSO BE CONCERNED ABOUT THE PUBLIC HEALTH BENEFITS OF THE NATION'S PESTICIDES. PUBLIC HEALTH PESTICIDES ARE USED TO CONTROL MANY INSECTS, RODENTS AND OTHER ORGANISMS THAT TRANSMIT HUMAN DISEASE OR ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HUMAN DISCOMFORT OR INJURY SUCH AS MOSQUITOES, FLIES, FLEAS, COCKROACHES, TICKS, MITES AND RATS. ALL OF THESE PUBLIC HEALTH THREATS ARE OF CONCERN TO ME, BUT I AM MOST CONCERNED ABOUT COCKROACHES BECAUSE THESE HEALTH THREATS POSE A CONCERN FOR PUBLIC HEALTH IN MY DISTRICT.
A RECENT STUDY SPONSORED BY THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES CONFIRMS THAT COCKROACH RESIDUES INCREASE THE INCIDENCE OF ASTHMA AMONG INNER-CITY CHILDREN, RESULTING IN A GREATER ABSENCE FROM SCHOOL, INCREASED HOSPITALIZATION AND EVEN SOME DEATHS FOR ASTHMA ATTACKS. MR. CHAIRMAN, I WOULD LIKE TO SUBMIT A SUMMARY OF THE REPORT'S FINDINGS AS PART OF THE RECORD.
THE AVAILABILITY OF REASONABLY PRICED INSECT CONTROL PRODUCTS, INCLUDING MANY OF THE PESTICIDE PRODUCTS CURRENTLY UNDER REVIEW BY THE EPA UNDER FQPA, IS CRITICAL TO KEEPING THE COCKROACH POPULATION UNDER CONTROL.
INSECTS LIKE COCKROACHES CAN BECOME IMMUNE TO PESTICIDES IF ONLY ONE OR TWO PRODUCTS ARE USED; THEREFORE, WE NEED A VARIETY OF PRODUCTS AVAILABLE. IF FQPA IS NOT IMPLEMENTED USING GOOD SCIENCE, STATISTICALLY VALID USE DATA AND AN UNDERSTANDING OF REAL EXPOSURE, THEN THERE IS A GREAT LIKELIHOOD THAT VALUABLE PRODUCTS WILL BE LOST. THE "BENEFITS" OF PUBLIC HEALTH PESTICIDES MUST BE BALANCED WITH THE RISKS FROM THE USE OF THESE PRODUCTS FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
IN CONCLUSION, LET ME SAY THAT CONGRESS DID NOT INTEND FOR EPA TO RUSH TO JUDGMENT ON PESTICIDE DECISIONS. YES, THERE ARE NEW STANDARDS, BUT THERE IS ALSO THE NEED FOR A SOUND APPROACH TO THE DECISION PROCESS BASED UPON GOOD SCIENCE AND GOOD DATA.
EXAGGERATED AND INACCURATE ASSUMPTIONS ARE NOT GOOD SCIENCE OR GOOD DATA. BEST GUESSES ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE. EPA HAS AN OBLIGATION TO ENSURE THAT SAFE, PUBLIC HEALTH PESTICIDE CONTROLS CONTINUE TO REMAIN AVAILABLE.
H.R. 1592, LEGISLATION THAT I HAVE CO-SPONSORED WITH REPRESENTATIVES POMBO, CONDIT, AND BOYD, PROVIDES NEEDED DIRECTION TO EPA FOR A LOGICAL AND TRANSPARENT IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS BASED ON RELIABLE SCIENCE, AS CONGRESS ORIGINALLY INTENDED WHEN WE PASSED FQPA IN 1996. IT DOES NOT CHANGE IN ANY WAY THE HEALTH AND SAFETY STANDARD ESTABLISHED BY FQPA. WHILE I REMAIN HOPEFUL THAT EPA WILL IMPLEMENT FQPA IN SCIENCE-BASED, REASONABLE MANNER, I BELIEVE CONGRESS SHOULD ALSO BE PREPARED TO MOVE H.R. 1592 TO ENSURE THAT THE PUBLIC HEALTH BENEFITS OF PESTICIDES ARE RETAINED AND THAT OUR FOOD SUPPLY REMAINS ABUNDANT AND AFFORDABLE TO ALL AMERICANS.
END


LOAD-DATE: August 5, 1999