EPA seeks comment on several new pesticide initiatives affecting farmworker families

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Please pass the word and register your comments -- deadlines March 5, March 5 and April 12 for 3 issues. Consider cc'ing Farmworker Justice: bgoldstein@...

Tina

Tina Castañares, MD3301 Kollas RoadHood River, OR 97031541. 354-1666tina.castanares@...

EPA seeks comment on several new pesticide initiatives affecting farmworker families

EPA is requesting comment on a petition filed last October by Earthjustice and Farmworker Justice on behalf of several environmental and farmworker community organizations. The petitioners ask EPA to evaluate children’s exposure to pesticide drift and to adopt, on an interim basis, requirements for “no-spray†buffer zones near homes, schools, day-care centers, and parks. EPA will evaluate the petition and the comments received on it in determining what actions are necessary to protect the health of children who live, play, or attend school in areas where pesticides are sprayed. For further information and to submit comments, please see docket EPA-HQ-OPP-2009-0825 at http://www.regulations.gov.

The docket also allows the reader to view comments already received on the petition. Comments will be accepted through March 5, 2010. If you don't have access to the internet, contact Jill Bloom at 703-309-8019 for information on how you can submit comments and access docket materials.

EPA is committed to environmental justice, the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of the most vulnerable communities, including minority and/or low income populations, in the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. To help address potential environmental justice issues, the Agency seeks information on or from any groups or segments of the population who, as a result of their location or other factors, may be disproportionately affected by spray drift, particularly as related to the potential exposure of children.

Substantive comments that provide a factual basis for making determinations about how to address children's exposures to pesticide drift are the most useful. Examples might include:

1. An explanation of why the commenter agrees or disagrees with the conclusions of the petitioners and what facts lead to that opinion.

2. Suggestions or alternative approaches to addressing the risks for children in farmworker families, including the youngest field workers and younger children that may accompany their parents to the field; and children who live, attend school or daycare, or play in areas near where pesticides are sprayed and may drift.

3. Statistical or other information related to the exposure of children to pesticide drift.

4. Estimates of the potential costs or burdens related to children's exposures to pesticide drift or proposed approaches to addressing those exposures, accompanied by sufficient detail so that the estimates can be reproduced.

5. Specific examples illustrating the commenter's concerns.

There are two related issues on which EPA is requesting public input at this time, each of which has potential to affect farmworkers and their families, among other groups.

EPA has proposed guidance for new pesticide labeling to reduce off-target spray and dust drift in a draft Pesticide Registration (PR) Notice. The new instructions, when implemented, will improve the clarity and consistency of pesticide labels and help prevent harm from spray drift. To review the proposed labeling changes in the PR Notice and submit comments, please see docket EPA-HQ-OPP-2009-0628 at http://www.regulations.gov. The comment period on this Notice is also scheduled to close on March 5, 2010. For additional questions on this effort, please contact Cathryn O'Connell at (703) 308-0136.

EPA is also seeking comment on the policy paper, “Revised Risk Assessment Methods for Workers, Children of Workers in Agricultural Fields, and Pesticides with No Food Uses,†which describes how the Agency plans to revise its current method for estimating risks to agricultural workers and children of workers in agricultural fields. The new method is expected to increase protections for the affected groups. EPA has recently announced that the original comment period is being extended until April 12, 2010. For additional information, please see the Worker Risk Assessment web page, http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/health/worker-rsk-assmnt.html, and docket EPA-HQ-OPP-2009-0889 at www.regulations.gov. For additional information, please contact Deborah Smegal at (703) 308-0175.

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