Date: 1988-09-20
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. S. 659 would extend FIFRA for 3 years. through fiscal year In addition. it would address what virtually everyone agrees Is the single most pressing problem facing the pesticide regulatory program today: that is. the need to reexamine. in a timely manner. the majority of the pesticides currently on the market. The legislation would ensure that prompt completion of EPAs reregistration program by prescribing a systematic procedure that the agency must follow over the course of the next nine years to assess the adequacy of the health and safety data that support the continued registration of nearly 600 pesticide active ingredients. More importantly. the legislation will ensure that EPA has the resources needed to do the Job within the schedule established in the bill. The additional resources will be provided in the form of onetime reregistration fees and annual maintenance fees that will be assessed on pesticide products. S. 659 will also substantially l.mit the Governments obligation to incemnify the holders of suspended pesticides as well as the federal cost of safely disposing of those same products. Mr. Speaker. much of the credit for the reforms embodied in the indemnification and storage provisions of the bill must go to the gentleman from Oklahoma . It is largely because of his efforts to identify the costs and shortcomings of the indemnification and disposal provisions of the current Act that these reforms are included in the bill today. and I greately appreciate the help and cooperation that he has shown on the matter. In addition. I want to thank the House leadership for the support and cooperation that it has offered in facilitating floor consideration of this sound and reasonable bill. Mr. Speaker. S. 659 represents yet another attempt by the Committee on Agriculture to fulfill its commitment to restore public confidence in EPAs pesticide regulatory program. As my colleagues may recall. the House on three separate occasions in 1980 approved comprehensive legislation to revise FIFRA. only to have those efforts die in the last days of the 99th Congress when our differences with the other body were not reconciled. In an effort to develop a bill that would have a good chance of passage in the 100th Congress. the committee has putaside. for now. many of the difficult issues that. while important. were almost certain to prevent enactment of legislation this year. I thus want to thank members of the committee. as well as others in the House. for the cooperation and restraint that have shown in the interest of securing passage of necessary FIFRA legislation this year. As the bill now stands. I am hopeful that important improvements of FIFRA will be enacted this year. Briefly. Mr. Speaker. S. 659 would amend FIFRA as follows: First. it would accelerate EPAs current reregistration effort and provide the resources. in the form of fees on pesticides. to ensure that reregistration is completed over a 9year period. Second. the bill would sharply limit the Governments current obligation to indemnify the holders of suspended and cancelled pesticides. Only certain "end users" would remain eligible for indemnification. Similarly. the legislation would end EPAs principal role in ensuring the proper disposal of suspended and canceled pesticides. Instead. the agency would share in the cost of storing such pesticides before their disposal. EPAs portion of the cost of storing the pesticide would depend on how quickly the agency approves industry plans to dispose of the chemical and the ultimate success of the registrant in securing proper disposal. In addition. S. 659 includes certain definitional changes to FIFRA necessary to facilitate Implementation of the reregistration and indemnification and storage provisions. For similar reasons. changes are proposed in the criminal penalties and unlawful acts provisions of current law. and the Administrators authority to request records or conduct inspections is strengthened. In order to prevent unnecessary delay in EPAs ability to promulgate regulations necessary to carry out its new authorities. the agency is required. under S. 659. to submit any proposed rule or regulation to Congress at least 60 calendar days before they are formally proposed. Current law. by contrast. requires submission of a draft rule or regulation for 90 calendar days of continuous session of Congress prior to proposal of the rule of regulation. Finally. S. 659 would reauthorize FIFRA for 3 yearsfiscal years 1989 through 1991and provide that EPAs Scientific Advisory Panel [SAP] be made permanent. rather than require that the SAP be authorized separately in conjunction with FIFRA. Mr. Speaker. I urge prompt adoption of this important legislation.