Pesticides: Better Data Can Improve the Usefulness of EPA's Benefit Assessments
RCED-92-32
Published: Dec 31, 1991. Publicly Released: Jan 30, 1992.
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Highlights
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO evaluated the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) benefit assessments of pesticides used on food, focusing on: (1) EPA use of such assessments during special reviews of already registered pesticides; and (2) the extent to which EPA used adequate data, clarified limitations, and considered alternative pest-control measures.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Environmental Protection Agency | So that benefit assessments can be more useful in regulatory decisionmaking, the Administrator, EPA, should develop, where cost-effective, ways to secure adequate and reliable comparative performance data for chemical and nonchemical alternatives to be used in benefit analyses. |
Closed – Implemented
EPA is revising its guidelines on how to conduct product performance studies but appears not to be including all elements GAO believes should be included. EPA plans no further action.
|
| Environmental Protection Agency | So that benefit assessments can be more useful in regulatory decisionmaking, the Administrator, EPA, should develop procedures to ensure that its benefit assessments fully disclose the limitations of data and the effect of those limitations on potential regulatory decisions. |
Closed – Implemented
EPA has always had a limitations section in its benefit assessments and now plans to make limitations even more explicit. EPA is also continuing to make limits known to decisionmakers via oral briefings. These limits are not always clearly spelled out. EPA plans no further action.
|
| Environmental Protection Agency | So that benefit assessments can be more useful in regulatory decisionmaking, the Administrator, EPA, should develop procedures to ensure that its benefit assessments, where appropriate, conform to EPA guidance and document any deviations from that guidance. |
Closed – Not Implemented
EPA disagrees with the recommendation and does not plan any action.
|
| Environmental Protection Agency | So that benefit assessments can be more useful in regulatory decisionmaking, the Administrator, EPA, should use alternative pest controls beyond registered chemicals to estimate benefits. |
Closed – Not Implemented
EPA claims that it already considers alternative pest controls but continues to ignore the real intent of the recommendation. GAO wants EPA to use alternatives as part of its benefit analysis, actually measuring incremental changes in benefits based on the alternatives, rather than the current practice of merely mentioning that the alternatives are available. EPA plans no further actions.
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Topics
Agricultural pestsCarcinogensComparative analysisContaminated foodsData integrityHealth hazardsPest controlPesticide regulationSafety regulationPesticides