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Committee to Advise on Reassessment and Transition - Paper #3
USDA and EPA Resources for FQPA Implementation
Joint Efforts in implementing FQPA
- The Vice President's direction for implementing FQPA emphasizes 4
principles:
- Sound Science-EPA will use sound, up-to-date science and data in making decisions
- Transparency-EPA will use clear and full communication approaches and options with stakeholders, partners and other affected constituencies.
- Reasonable Transition for Agriculture-EPA will ensure that adequate time and assistance to implement change is provided and that alternatives are made available for agriculture
- Consultation-EPA will provide adequate opportunities for interested parties to participate in decisions affecting them.
- USDA/EPA established the Tolerance Reassessment Advisory Committee to provide a forum for a broad range of interests to consult and make recommendations on tolerance reassessment. Nine key science policy issues were identified as needing to be addressed. Position papers in these areas have been released for public comment (see separate document).
- Highest priority is the review of those pesticides that appear to pose the greatest risk.
- USDA and EPA are working together to strengthen communication with minor-use growers to identify vulnerable crops and pest combinations.
- Food safety research is being coordinated with Department of Health and Human Services, USDA and EPA. Special emphasis is being placed on children's special vulnerabilities. Efforts include development of pesticide exposure and effects data and assessment methods and models for children. Additionally, the endocrine disruptor testing and screening program is underway
- New Resources - FY 2001 (President's Budget)
- FDA ($13.8M)-supports FQPA implementation in several areas: children's health; data improvements; and monitoring/enforcing tolerances
- USDA ($18.9M)-supports data improvements for risk assessments, including data on children's foods, drinking water, and other voids in aggregate exposure analyses; provides for development of new pest control alternatives, especially at the state and local level including those involving multi-tactic IPM strategies; encourages development of new alternatives for conventional pesticides; funds demonstration projects using biologically based pest management methods; enhances research for insect pests on fruits and vegetables; funds new competitive programs for transition strategies from conventional to organic pest control practices and to address research needs for organic production systems; addresses long-term needs of alternative cropping systems; supports methyl bromide phase-out under Montreal Protocol Treaty through research for identifying substitutes; provides for Regional crop information and policy centers to support pest management alternatives at the local level; and promotes transition through communication and outreach to grower organizations and crop specialists at land grant institutions.
- EPA (OPPTS and ORD) ($12M)-Focus is in five areas: (1) tolerance reassessment, (2) risk assessments, including cumulative, (3) registration of reduced risk substitutes, (4) transition from organophosphates to lower risk pesticides; and (5) identification, testing and screening of endocrine disruptors.
Resource Challenges in Implementation of FQPA
- FY 2000 EPA Operating Plan directed $153M general reduction of which OPPTS' share was $18.3M. Additionally, EPA was directed to reduce FTEs to 18,000 by the end of 2001. OPPTS's share of this FTE reduction was 22 FTE in FY 2000 and 9 FTE in FY 2001.
- FY 2001 proposal emphasizes FQPA investment with a net increase of $8.5M for OPPTS for this effort.
Other Resource Issues-Fees & Registration Review
- Maintenance Fees-Anticipate collections of $16M in FY 2000 and $14M in FY 2001. The authority to collect fees expires at the end of FY 200l, which means the potential loss of $14M to the program unless maintenance fees are reauthorized or other funding relief is provided.
- Registration Fee-Has been suspended by statute until 2001. FY 2001 budget proposes the reinstatement of these fees and assumes a collection of $16M in FY 2001.
- Tolerance Fees-Fee collections for FY 2000 under current regulations are projected to be $2M. If the fees proposed in 1999 are finalized, fees may yield up to $9M in FY 2001; however, the FY 2001 budget has been offset by $7M in anticipation of the implementation of the new fees. Net result: no additional funds. Outyear collections are anticipated up to $30M.
- Registration Review-FQPA requires EPA to conduct a periodic review of pesticide registrations to ensure that pesticides on the market continue to be safe. Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for this program was published in April 2000 (see separate document). EPA plans to issue a proposed rule in late 2000 or early 2001.
- Registration Fee for Service Proposal-Based on the FY2000 budget conference agreement, EPA is consulting with industry on developing a comprehensive fee-for-service proposal, which would result in EPA recouping the cost of certain types of registration activities (new active ingredients, new uses, experimental use permits), which would include timeframes, performance objectives and accountability reports to Congress
For more information:
- EPA's pesticide homepage www.epa.gov/pesticides has information about pesticide regulation as well as publications about pesticide issues for consumers.
Information current as of June 19, 2000