Friday, May 29, 1998

After farmer outcry, Gore slows EPA pesticide review

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Farmers should expect eventual cancellation of some widely used pesticides under a new food safety law, Clinton administration officials said Thursday. But a new review spurred by Vice President Al Gore is aimed at ensuring agriculture doesn't suffer too much.

A 50-member advisory panel created at Gore's behest held its first meeting Thursday to chart a course between the need to protect people from exposure to some of the 39 key pesticides and the need to prevent insects from ravaging crops.

The No. 2 officials at the Environmental Protection Agency and the Agriculture Department both said preliminary analyses of the pesticides -- known as organophosphates -- indicates that some eventually will be banned.

"Some uses will change or be eliminated," said Deputy Agriculture Secretary Rich Rominger. But he added, "Environmental protection and economic growth must go hand in hand."

The vice president's move to give agriculture and the chemical industry a greater voice in the process came after Democratic Reps. Charles Stenholm of Texas and Marion Berry of Arkansas warned Gore in March that rumors of imminent loss of widely used pesticides was causing an uproar in key political states such as Iowa, Texas, Florida and California.

"There were some in the Environmental Protection Agency that appeared to be running amok with their decisions on various chemicals," said Stenholm, senior Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee.

"(Gore) was getting the credit for these decisions," Stenholm added. "I don't think anybody that has aspirations for national office wants to take credit for stopping technology in agriculture."

Especially when agriculture interests have clout in virtually every state and contributed more than $29 million to congressional and presidential campaigns in 1995 and 1996, the Center for Responsive Politics says. The private watchdog group tracks campaign finance issues. Of the $29 million, farm chemical interests alone contributed more than $2 million.

Jay Vroom of the American Crop Protection Association, also a panel member, acknowledged there was "paranoia" among chemical industry and agriculture groups after a series of EPA leaks indicated the agency was adopting a strict approach to the organophosphates.

"We started getting politically involved when it looked like rigidity was winning out over flexibility," Vroom said. "Now, we've got a little more thoughtful process."

The organophosphates have been used for decades on fruit, vegetables and other crops to kill insects. They were used on half of all U.S. acreage treated with insecticides.

A 1996 law targeted them as it sought an update on pesticides' effects on people. Some farmers feared they could be banned as early as mid-May, planting time, though the EPA said that fear was unfounded.

On April 8, Gore issued a memo directing EPA to work with the Agriculture Department on the review. It ordered officials to use sound science, guarantee farmers a transition into alternatives if a chemical is banned and get greater input from affected constituencies.

"President Clinton and I will not waver in our commitment to protecting children's health," Gore said in a statement. "Nor are we willing to sacrifice the strength and competitiveness of our agricultural communities."

The memo led to creation of the new advisory panel. One member, Ken Cook of the Environmental Working Group, which studies farm issues and has criticized U.S. pesticide policy, said the memo arose from industry pressure begun when preliminary EPA internal decisions appeared likely to lead to a ban of the pesticides.

They were also concerned about the 1996 law's requirements that the health effects of similar chemicals in food be looked at cumulatively, instead of one by one, and that children be given special consideration.

Industry interests "just didn't like the way it was going," Cook said. "The effect of it has been slowing down the bureaucrats who are making these decisions."

Gore spokeswoman Jodi Sakol disputed that, saying EPA still intends to meet its goal of deciding on the organophosphates by August 1999. "We are not slowing down this review."