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Poster Display

Plant-Insect Ecosystems

Poster: P-IE, IPM

D3479: U.S. public pesticide policy is influenced by scientific and stakeholder comments managed by the Western IPM Center

Tuesday, November 12, 2024
9:00 AM – 5:00 PM MST
Location: Exhibit Hall 6
Poster Display

Scientific data and stakeholder input on Western U.S. agricultural practices influence pesticide policy, addressing practical needs of growers while protecting human health and environment. Under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act, The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is required to review all registered pesticides to ensure that they pose no unreasonable adverse effects to human health and the environment. The EPA’s risk assessments and proposed decisions are published in the Federal Register. EPA accepts public comments as part of the pesticide review process, considering data that may influence their models of risk or understanding of benefits. Comments may include scientific data from researchers and extension specialists, along with practical information from growers and pest management experts to explain pesticide use patterns, benefits, and alternatives. Four network coordinators working in tandem with the Western Integrated Pest Management Center developed information from growers and other stakeholders throughout the West to inform comments submitted to the EPA. Network coordinators represent 17 states and territories in four sub-regions (Desert Southwest, California, Pacific Northwest and Pacific Islands). We analyzed EPA’s responses to roughly 100 comments submitted between 2012 and 2022. Results show that the majority submitted comments provided substantive data that were considered in EPA’s registration review process. In a substantial number of cases, the EPA revised risk models or altered proposed decisions in ways that benefited growers while protecting public health and the environment.