US re-registration delayed until 2006: 
due to lack of resources and poor testing procedures

According to the US Office of Public Affairs, many pesticides are in use today that have never been fully evaluated for their potential to cause cancer, reproductive disorders, birth defects and environmental damage. Over 20 years ago, the US Congress asked the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to re-assess and re-register thousands of older pesticides using current scientific standards. The EPA now believes it will be unable to complete the pesticide re-assessment in 1997 or product re-registration by 1998, as expected. Re-registration may not be completed until 2006. Meanwhile, most of these products continue to be sold and distributed despite sketchy knowledge of their health and environmental effects.

    The delay is caused by failure to take account of the complexity and magnitude of the task and the resources required. Also, a large number of the studies that registrants submitted have been unacceptable. In addition, the EPA’s progress in re-registering pesticides used mainly on food products—those with the most potential to cause serious health problems—has been slower than expected. Concentrating on high priority pesticides could help assess risks more quickly and accelerate actions to reduce risks.

Registration may not be completed until 2006, GAO/RCED-93-94 May 21, 1993.

[This article first appeared in Pesticides News No.21,September 1993, page 20]