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Daily News Archive
From June 10, 2002

After Two Years of Discussion, No Recommendations on Inert Ingredients

Over two years ago, the U.S. EPA convened a diverse stakeholder group to produce recommendations on how to better disclose inert ingredients found in pesticides. Members of the work group represented public health and environmental organizations, industry groups, government agencies, and the general public.

As the law stands only "active ingredients," chemicals that prevent, destroy, repel or mitigate pests and chemicals classified as greatest toxicological concern, are required to be named on pesticide labels, leaving a vast majority of the contents unknown to all but the manufacturer. A concern over this lack of available information has plagued consumers, environmentalist, and medical groups for years.

Hope for a timely and useful proposal was dashed Friday when the EPA released the findings of the work group's meetings with three distinct recommendations included. The document outlined three plans that ran the gambit from a low disclosure voluntary agreement to a rule change requiring full disclosure of all but the most important confidential business information.

The EPA is asking for public comments on these findings, the full report can be found at: http://www.epa.gov/oppfead1/cb/ppdc/inert/finalrpt.htm