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re: first exemption - new food safety act



i very much appreciated sue jarnagin's re-post of the announcement from epa 
(via peacenet) of the exemption for the miticide pyridaben for apples in 
delaware, new jersey and virginia . . . i understand that this kind of an 
exemption is possible under the new food quality protection act where 
(apparently) it would not have been possible under the previous legislation . 
. . i wonder if someone can help me understand exactly what it is that the new 
act made possible in the case of pyridaben . . . for example, the epa press 
release refers to the decision as an exemption; from what regulations or 
standards is it that this limited use of pyridaben has been exempted . . . is 
pyridaben a carcinogen and thus effectively banned under the old delaney 
clause, but not under the new legislation . . . how is the data (in terms of 
safety for consumers, especially infants and children) that is required for an 
exemption different from the data that would be required for a registration
thanks for any help anyone can provide
cheers,
craig


S3.SKJ@isumvs.iastate.edu Wrote:
| I thought you all might like to know about this exemption  under the new 
Food Quality Protection Act.
|  S. Jarnagin
| ------------------------------------------------
|  From: GROUP PRESS 202-260-4355 
| (epa-press@unixmail.rtpnc.epa.gov)
| on Fri, 23 Aug 1996 15:49:17 -0400
| Subject: EPA FIRST ACTION UNDER THE FOOD QUALITY PROT. ACT  OF 1996
|  FOR RELEASE:   FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 1996
|  EPA GRANTS EMERGENCY EXEMPTION FOR PYRIDABEN USE ON APPLES  IN FIRST ACTION 
UNDER THE FOOD QUALITY PROTECTION ACT OF 1996
|  EPA has approved the emergency use of the pesticide  pyridaben to  control 
mites on apples in Delaware, New Jersey and  Virginia.  This is the first 
decision on a new pesticide use under the  revised standards of the Food 
Quality Protection Act signed into law by  President Clinton on Aug. 3.  The 
new law establishes a new,  health-based standard for tolerances (maximum 
legally permissible  levels) for pesticide residues in food and requires EPA, 
for the first  time, to establish tolerances to protect public health whenever 
it  grants approval for the emergency use of a pesticide under  Section 18 of 
the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act.  The  law also 
requires EPA to make specific findings that tolerances are  safe for infants 
and children and establishes the general standard  of a "reasonable certainty 
of no harm" to consumers.  EPA has  determined that the use of pyridaben as 
approved meets these  standards and will
pose no significant risk to consumers.  This action will  allow the use of 
pyridaben on apples in these three states through the  end of September.  The 
exemption was requested as a result of the cancellation earlier this year of 
propargite, another 
pesticide that was used to control mites on apples.  EPA and Uniroyal  
Chemical Co., the manufacturer of propargite, reached a voluntary  agreement 
to cancel a number of propargite uses, including apples,  based on dietary 
health risk concerns.  Other registered miticides are not  viable alternatives 
because they are either ineffective or  incompatible with
Integrated Pest Management programs.  For more  information, call Robert 
Forrest, EPA Office of Pesticide Programs at 
703-308-8417.
| R-123                  #    #    #
| | ** End of text from cdp:headlines **
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craig k harris
dept of sociology    michigan state university    east lansing  michigan  
48824-1111
tel:  517-355-5048    fax:  517-432-2856