human testing of pesticides

[Guest guest]

The pesticide industry is working to get EPA to accept small studies of human

test subjects (usually involving 8-20 volunteers) to establish safety levels

for toxic pesticides. The Farmworker Justice Fund and many other groups have

opposed the use of these studies as they are both unscientific and unethical.

The EPA's own Scientific Advisory Panel advised against the use of this

research and the EPA under both Clinton and Bush had pursued a policy of not

using these data. However, the industry brought a lawsuit which recently

resulted in a decision to overturn the EPA's policy of not using these tests.

The decision was rendered on procedural grounds, the court finding that the

EPA

should have engaged in a rulemaking, rather than making the policy decision on

its own.

Today, Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) is introducing a floor amendment to the

EPA's appropriations bill to prohibit the use of funds for the purpose of

evaluating or considering human tests on the toxicity of pesticides. This

amendment has already passed by voice vote in the House of Representatives.

Attached you will find a sign-on letter being circulated by the Natural

Resources Defense Council. Unfortunately, because this issue is coming up

today, a response is needed by this afternoon. If you or your organization

would like to sign on please contact Grant at NRDC. (jgrant@...).

It would be sufficient to say that you want to sign on to the letter

concerning

human testing and give the name of your organization and its contact info.

Thanks for thinking about this.

Co-Executive Director

Farmworker Justice Fund

[Guest guest]

My husband will be interested in your testing.812-949-1490