Biological pesticides and risk reduction

During 1995, the Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) part of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking several measures to promote biological and other potentially safer pesticides, by implementing actions such as waiving data requirements, where possible, and placing a priority on completing scientific reviews. The OPP is also encouraging alternatives to pesticides and other ways of reducing pesticide use and risks. To this end the EPA has established the pilot Biopesticides and Pollution Prevention Division (BPPD) which employs 33 people. The BPPD is responsible for: all registration and reregistration actions for biological pesticides; integrated pest management programmes and strategies; continued development of pollution prevention activities.

Freedom of information via email
Efforts to 'open up' the OPP are also an important task for 1995. One key area involves the use of electronic mail (email) via the international Internet telecommunications system. A Bulletin Board System has been set up by the OPP. Reports available on email include: Reregistration Eligibility Decision (RED) documents; RED fact sheets; Special Review Decisions; OPP Annual Report 1994; Pesticides Reregistration Progress Report; Status of Pesticides in Reregistration and Special Review (or Rainbow Report); OPP Selected Terms and Acronyms; Reregistration Information; FIFRA Section 17(b) Notifications (documents notifying foreign governments of US regulatory decisions.
    "This Internet service is a big step forward in public access to government information" said Michael Stein, Program Director at the Institute for Global Communications in the US. "It makes government decision makers more accountable to public scrutiny. By using the Internet as a means for disseminating information, it also assures global access to US government data, bridging the distance and bureaucracy. It's a vital new tool for pesticide use reformers."

Office of Pesticide Programs Annual Report for 1994, US EPA, 401 M Street, SW, Washington DC 20460, US, Tel +1 703 305 5017. The Internet address of EPA's gopher server is GOPHER.EPA.GOV. This information also is available using ftp on FTP.EPA.GOV, or using WWW (World Wide Web) on WWW.EPA.GOV.

[This article first appeared in Pesticides News No. 28, June 1995, page 31]