Cooperative Extension Service
P.O. Box 391,
Little Rock, AR 72203
Telephone: (501) 671-2000 Fax: 671-2251

University of Arkansas, Division of Agriculture and USDA Cooperating

ARKANSAS PESTICIDE NEWS EDITORS

Robert Frans and Diana Horton, Department of Agronomy, Fayetteville and Ples Spradley, Coop. Extension Service, Little Rock

Volume 5, August 1994

News From All Over

Reregistration Notification Network Notes (Volume 4, Number 5) 

Granular carbofuran:
The USEPA has proposed to deny the request from FMC Corp. to reinstate the use of granular carbofuran on CORN and SORGHUM, but to grant FMC's request for an extension of two years to the phase-out period on RICE. These three uses of granular carbofuran are currently being phased out according to the terms of an Agreement in Principle between FMC Corp. and the USEPA that concluded the Special Review of granular carbofuran in 1991. The USEPA finds no basis for reinstating either corn or sorghum uses of granular carbofuran and the final date of use on these crops remains 9/1/94. The USEPA is proposing the extension of use on rice until 9/1/97 because there are currently no efficacious alternatives; they are encouraging the registration of reduced risk alternatives to control rice weevil. For additional information, contact: Mr. Ed Cherry, FMC Corp., phone 215-299-6647 or 202-956-5218, FAX 215-299-6256 of 202-956-5235 or Ms. Margaret Rice, EPA, Special Review Branch, phone 703-308-8039, FAX 703-308-8041. Written comments should be sent to: OPP Docket, Public Response Section, Field Operations Division (7506C), EPA, Office of Pesticide Programs, 401 M Street, SW, Washington, DC 20460.

Biologicals Were 40% of Registrations Over the Past Four Years, Campt Says

Over the past four years, 40% of the new active ingredients registered were biologicals, Doug Campt, retiring Office of Pesticide Programs Director, stated with pride. There are now a number of firms in the field, which was previously only the University of California, he said.

Finally, Campt pointed to the creation of a "better relationship with the lawyers." "Where we could have done better," Campt listed first:
Getting improved regulations for worker protection in place. "The pace of reregistration could have been better and was "not what anyone would have wanted it to be," he said. His reason: "Underfunding." Campt asserted:
 "This organization has a fair share of can do' people who are highly motivated and prepared to take on big things. We need to improve our ability to cost out initiatives and not fear telling Congress and OMB what the cost is."

Under FIFRA 88, fees were to support the reregistration program. The fees and appro-priations are not sufficient to do the job.

Continuing the "could be improved list", Camp said, "We need to continue to improve our relationship with USDA. It's gotten better, and there are lots of opportunities: IPM, tailoring USDA research to the initiative to reduce risk, getting growers to accept new pest management technologies, including biologicals, where the expectation that they will perform as older tools did is problematical. Campt concluded that we need to keep an eye on our broad authority to require data. We have to guard against inundating ourselves for the sake of requiring data. We have to ask, Will the new data improve the decision?"

Asked about possible impacts of OPP's isolation from EPA headquarters, Campt said there was an adverse impact at the functioning level, the lack of access to libraries, things going on in headquarters. "People start to feel they are not in the mainstream," he said.
"What I'll miss most is participation in the number of interesting decisions with broad ramifications and the heat of the battle," Campt declared.

His most difficult decision:
"EBDCs it had all the tentacles: state of the art data, Delaney clause issues, very high benefits, impacts on diverse populations, market basket survey, and data from Craven laboratories."

Discussing Section 18 exemptions, Campt emphasized that they were each individual decisions which were sometimes controversial, interesting and political. In making the decisions, the focus is "on the grower, on the here and now" and whether the state made the case of an emergency, he said.
Pesticide & Toxic Chemical News, May 18, 1994.

Organic, Biological Pesticides Also Pose Risks, Gianessi Says

Leonard Gianessi, National Center for Food and Agricultural Policy, said "the adoption of biological controls [by farmers] may increase certain environmental risks" by introducing species that also attack and wipe out beneficial insects.

The widespread adoption of IPM and organic farming methods may significantly increase pesticide use, mainly because greater organic treatments, more frequently applied, are needed to reach the same results with pests as are achieved with chemical pesticides.

He used the example of California grape growers to illustrate his point. Grape growers currently use 100,000 lbs of synthetic fungicides for powdery mildew control, and 32 million lbs of sulfur, an organic pesticide. If the growers switch from synthetics and substitute 72 lbs of sulfur for every pound of synthetics, the use of pesticides would grow by eight million lbs per year in California.

Gianessi also remarked that one of the risks associated with the introduction of biological species for pest control programs is that the introduced species may do something unexpected. The deliberate introduction of species into the environment for biological control has been implicated in the extinction of 100 species worldwide. Pesticide & Toxic Chemical News, May 4, 1994.

New Study Shows No Breast Cancer-Pesticide Link

A study using frozen blood samples taken from 300 women in the late 1960s found no link between pesticide residues in the blood and breast cancer risk. In the April 20 Journal of the National Cancer Institute, researchers reported that blood samples were analyzed to assess levels of DDE, PCBs and other organochlorines used widely in electrical systems.

Unlike other studies that showed elevated DDE levels were linked with higher breast cancer risk, the new study showed no increased risk except for a slight positive association among black women.

The study also found higher organochlorine levels among the black and Asian women studied. Age-adjusted breast cancer rates are 30% higher among black women compared to Asian women. The authors said these opposing trends in blood organochlorine levels and breast cancer incidence rates may be due to additional protective or risk factors to which different populations are exposed.

The authors said the strengths of the study are its larger size, use of blood samples taken prior to federal restrictions on organochlorine use, blood sampling up to 26 years prior to cancer diagnosis, and a multiracial study population.

A recent study done by the New York State Health Department came to opposite conclusions when researchers found a 60% higher incidence of breast cancer in post-menopausal women who had lived near chemical plants between 1965 and 1985, compared with women who lived elsewhere.
"It is the first time that an association has been found between environmental effects and the risk of breast cancer," said New York Health Commissioner Mark Chassin. But other researchers criticized the study, saying its sample was to small to be significant.
Pesticide & Toxic Chemical News, May 4, 1994.

Breast Cancer and Estrogenic Chemicals

What Do We Really Know? What is known about breast cancer? What can be interpreted from the latest research? Few diseases have had more intensive epidemiological study than breast cancer. Yet, research must continue. And, this is an effort to which government, public and private institutions, and the chemical industry fully subscribe. The following questions and answers may help put this issue into perspective, especially as it relates to estrogenic chemicals:


What is an estrogenic chemical? An estrogenic chemical is a synthetic compound that mimics the human hormone estrogen. The estrogenic properties, however, vary greatly from compound to compound. 

Are pesticides considered estrogenic chemicals? Not as a group. Some specific pesticides may exhibit weak estrogenic activity. For example, DDT has 1/10,000th the estrogenic activity of the estrogenic drug diethylstilbestrol (DES). 

Does the recently publicized study by Dr. Mary Wolff, Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, show a cause-and-effect relationship between DDT and breast cancer? No. Dr. Wolff's study reported a correlation, not a clear cause and effect. In fact, she has said, "Until the data are confirmed time after time, [DDT] is not going to be considered a major causal relationship to breast cancer." The National Cancer Institute, the Chlorine Chemistry Council, and the National Agricultural Chemicals Association (NACA) are among the many that support continued research to determine any possible connection between estrogenic chemicals and breast cancer. In fact, NACA is helping the Chemical Manufacturers Association sponsor a DDT epidemiology study this year to follow-up on Dr. Wolff's research. 

Does EPA-required pesticide testing detect estrogenic activity? Yes. The key test is the two-generation reproduction study which uses research animals most likely to mirror human responses. Young male and female animals receive varying amounts of a pesticide. The diet continues through mating, pregnancy, birthing and nursing. The offspring eat the same treated food as their parents through adulthood, mating, pregnancy and, finally, birth of the second generation. Both generations are watched closely for any toxic effects or any limits on natural abilities, including reproduction.

In addition, chronic carcinogenicitiy tests in laboratory animals signal if mammary tumors result from lifetime exposure to a specific pesticide. These animals are fed the test pesticide daily throughout their lifetime. 

What happens if reproductive concerns or mammary tumors appear in tested animals? If there are any positive results to extensive testing, EPA demands further tests to determine if reproductive or mammary concerns are, indeed, the result of estrogenic effects of the chemical. The majority of pesticide testing is done on a rat species called "Sprague Dawley" which is highly susceptible to tumor development. This testing represents only one area of as many as 120 tests required by EPA before a product can be considered for registration and label approval. These include many specific tests for human health and the environment, which can take years to complete. In fact, it takes a final product an average of eight to ten years to move from discovery to market at a cost to manufacturers of $35 million to $50 million. Even then, only about one in 20,000 potential pesticides ever makes it from the laboratory to the marketplace. Growing Possibilities is a quarterly publication of the National Agricultural Chemicals Association. The newsletter's purpose is to highlight the innovative work being done by the people of the crop protection industry to enhance the efficiency of America's growers, safeguard the global environment and sustain the confidence of food consumers everywhere.

Washing, Peeling Won't Remove Pesticide Residues, EWG Says

The 30-page report, "Washed, Peeled Contaminated," is based on an EWG analysis of 1992 data from USDA's Pesticide Data Program in which scientists wash, peel and core produce before testing to provide information on residues on fruits and vegetables as they are actually eaten by consumers.

EWG found that more than 80% of peach, apple and celery samples contained residues of one or more pesticides. Apples had up to eight residues in a single sample, followed by seven different pesticides in one peach sample, and six residues each in samples of grapes and celery. The report said that one out of every 10 apples, peaches and servings of celery, when prepared as consumers eat them, had four or more pesticide residues.

Two or more pesticides were detected on nearly 60% of peaches and over 50% of apples, as well as 49% of celery, 40% of grapes, and 32% of green beans, according to EWG.

"Analysis of the USDA data also revealed 12 different carcinogens, 17 different neurotoxins, and 11 different pesticides that disrupt the endocrine or reproductive system in just 12 fruits and vegetables studies," stated EWG's Richard Wiles, one author of the report.

EWG found that infants and young children are routinely exposed to combinations of pesticides in single servings of fruits and vegetables, according to Wiles, who added, "Government standards, meanwhile, do not protect young children" nor "account for the relatively commonplace multiple exposures documented in this report."
 The report recommended that grocers carry and promote certified organic produce, and phase out the sale of foods containing pesticides that are considered "particularly hazardous based on current scientific understanding." It also calls for reform of food safety laws, and endorses the Waxman-Synar-Torres food safety legislation.

The produce industry countered that "many pesticides are water soluble and can be washed off under running water." In a joint statement May 19, the United Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Association and the Produce Marketing Association reported that "although miniscule amounts of pesticide residues may remain" after washing, "credible scientific evidence indicates that they represent no risk."

The National Food Processors Association blasted the EWG report as "advocacy science, not sound science." In a May 19 statement, NFPA President John R. Cady charged that EWG's focus is on "eliminating the use of pesticides, rather than on ensuring their safe use".

For copies of the report, contact EWG at 1718 Connecticut Ave. N.W., Suite 600, Washington, D.C. 20009, 202-667-6982, FAX 202-232-2592. Pesticide & Toxic Chemical News, May 25, 1994.

* Editorial note: The EWG report, by not discussing the extent of these pesticide residues, fails to acknowledge that the dose makes the poison. Ples Spradley

Ignore EWG Report, GMA Advises; U.S. Food Safest, Administration Says

The U.S. food supply is the "safest in the world," EPA, FDA and USDA declared in a joint statement responding to the report, "Washed, Peeled Contaminated" by the Environmental Working Group (EWG). The Grocery Manufacturers of America (GMA) charged that the report was misleading, "absolute nonsense and should be ignored Fruits and vegetables are safe for all consumers".

The statement from the three agencies noted the value of washing fruits and vegetables before eating them. The result of doing so, according to USDA data, is "residues that are significantly lower than the safety levels in the regulation of pesticides."

FFDCA, Delaney Fix Only Predicted as Possibility This Session

If there is any food safety reform this year, it will probably be limited to a Delaney clause fix in the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), Steven K. Russell, Assistant General Counsel, National Agricultural Chemicals Association (NACA), predicted this week at a pesticide regulation conference in Washington, D.C. He said he did not think that Congress would pass a comprehensive food safety bill this year.

He told the conference, sponsored by Executive Enterprises, Inc., that there were only 68 days left in this session of Congress.

The chance of passage of food safety legislation depends in part on resolving these three issues in environmental legislation which would move ahead of food safety: unfunded federal mandates, cost-benefit analysis, and regulatory taking, Russell told the May 24 session of the conference.

EPA has not implemented the Delaney clause court decision and has not responded to the petition from the National Food Processors Association (NFPA), apparently hoping that Congress will act first with a fix, Russell said.

Congress generally wants to move one environmental bill each year and the Safe Drinking Water Act bill may be it, he predicted.
Pesticide & Toxic Chemical News, May 25, 1994.

Exposure Report Available From Poison Control Centers

The annual report which summarizes the reported acute toxic exposures can be found in the American Journal of Emergency Medicine, Volume 11, #5.

A brief summary of the report is as follows:
 In 1992, 1,846,188 human exposures of all types were reported. Of these, 92% occurred in the home; most were accidental (87%), and occurred due to ingestion (75%).  The substances most frequently involved in human exposures during 1992 were:


 
          cleaning substances          10.5%
         analgesics                     9.6%
         cosmetics                      8.2%
         cough and cold preparations    5.8%
         plants                         5.7%
         pesticides                     4.3%
         bites and envenomations        4.0%
         topicals                       3.8%
         hydrocarbons                   3.4%
         foreign bodies                 3.4%
         antimicrobials                 3.4%
         sedatives/hypnotics/
               antipsychotics           3.1%
     

The categories producing the largest number of deaths were:


    antidepressants                194
                   analgesics      186
  stimulants and street drugs       81
         cardiovascular drugs       80
         alcohols                   59
         gases and fumes            42
         asthma therapies           35
         chemicals                  24
         pesticides                 22
         cleaning substances        19
         anticonvulsants            18
     

In 1992, pesticide poisonings accounted for almost 80,000 of the reported cases, or 4.26% of the total. A breakdown of the reported pesticide exposures shows:


Fungicides:
1,434 total exposures. 34% under the age of 6; 9% between 6 and 17; 56% over 17. Nearly 98% accidental, 1% intentional, 1% adverse reaction. 28% treated; no deaths. 

Herbicides: 7,260 total exposures. 26% under the age of 6; 9% between 6 and 17; 65% over 17. Almost 98% accidental, 1% intentional, 1% adverse reaction. 30% treated; 2 deaths = 0.03% of the herbicide exposures. 

Insecticides: 54,577 total exposures. 49% under the age of 6; 9% between 6 and 17; 41% over 17. Slightly more than 96% accidental, 2% intentional, 1% adverse reaction. Just over 26% treated; 18 deaths = 0.03% of the insecticide exposures. 

Rodenticides: 16,110 total exposures. 89% under the age of 6; 2% between 6 and 17; 8% over 17. 96% accidental, 4% intentional, >1% adverse reaction. Just under 41% treated; 2 deaths = 0.01% of the rodenticide exposures.

The data given did not differentiate between occupational accidents and other types of accidents. However, the exposure by age breakdown does show the number of youngsters exposed. It seems safe to assume few (if any) of these are occupations, and that most (if not all) were preventable.
Chemically Speaking, May, 1994.

Chemically Speaking Potpourri 

The USDA, with the help of state agencies, has begun surveying private applicators to check compliance with 1993 federal recordkeeping rules for restricted use pesticides. The goal of this program is to determine whether applicators understand the rule or whether additional education is needed. The USDA plans to survey a total of 16--20 states in their initial effort by sometime this spring.
Chemically Speaking, May, 1994; Ag Consultant, April, 1994. 

Herbicide run-off into flood ravaged Midwest rivers last summer did not violate the federal Safe Drinking Water Act, according to a year-long study conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey. The report was completed last September, and found that the traces of herbicides in six Midwest rivers in 1991 and 1992 were "far below health based limits." These results are a far cry from the early, imcomplete reports of elevated levels of herbicides.
Chemically Speaking, May, 1994; Farm Chemicals, April, 1994.

NACA Voices Harsh Criticism of Clinton Food Safety Proposal

The National Agricultural Chemicals Association (NACA) does not like the Clinton administration's food safety proposal. That was the clear message in remarks by Dr. John F. McCarthy, NACA vice president for Global Scientific and Regulatory Affairs.

"The rhetoric coming from this admini-stration is appalling," McCarthy said, adding:

"The notion that we don't have a health-based system is false." He said the admini-stration's rhetoric is "demonizing the industry. That simply is unconscionable." He said the nation needs pesticides to keep up with the increasing demand for food. Relying on only current technology means the U.S. will need 10% more land to produce the food it needs in the future, he said. He called the administration's food safety proposal "too long, too complicated, and it goes too far."

McCarthy said the cancer standard in the proposal is more rigid than the Delaney clause, equating animal cancer risk with human cancer risk. "I would rather rally around the Delaney clause," he said, maintaining that it has some flexibility by requiring tests for carcinogenicity to be appropriate for evaluating food additives.

On one point most of the speakers seemed to agree: getting a bill passed will be extremely difficult and seems unlikely in this Congress.
Pesticide & Toxic Chemical News, May 4, 1994.

One Life Worth $45 Million to Toxics Regulators

In applying cost/benefit analyses to regulatory decisions under FIFRA and TSCA (Toxic Substances Control Act), EPA is willing to have consumers and firms spend up to $45 million to prevent death of one individual, according to a study by two economists, released by Resources for the Future.

The authors calculated, that for each class of regulations examined, the cost EPA is willing to incur to save an additional life, or the value of a statistical life, is implied by the regulations. Another factor studies was whether the Agency implicitly attached more weight to saving the life of a worker exposed to pesticides or asbestos on the job than to the life of a consumer exposed to these pollutants.

The study findings confirm that EPA does indeed rely heavily on the cost/benefit analysis. Implicit value of a life for purposes of FIFRA or TSCA regulations measured per cancer case avoided, is in excess of $45 million.
Chemically Speaking, April, 1994; Georgia Pesticide Digest, November, 1993; Pesticide & Toxic Chemical News, October 27, 1993.

USDA, Military to Continue War on Insects

The Cold War may be over, but the war against insects isn't. Mosquitoes, ticks, flies, and other pests continue to spread diseases throughout the world posing a threat to our soldiers on military missions. Last year, the World Health Organization predicted that by the year 2010, 4 million people will die each year from the top five tropical diseases unless new drugs and other controls are developed. Four of these malaria, leishmaniasis, sleeping sickness, and lymphatic filariasis are spread by flies or mosquitoes.

Malaria, still top killer among the tropical diseases, infects an estimated 300 million people worldwide, according to a 1992 WHO report. The WHO said malaria poses a threat to 40 percent of the world's population. We in the United States are fortunate to be generally free of malaria and other tropical diseases. But when our soldiers are sent to foreign lands, they are exposed to numerous insects and the exotic diseases they carry. Helping protect servicemen and women against diseases was one of the main reasons for the birth of cooperative research between the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the military. It began in 1942, when USDA offered its scientific expertise to help develop protections for soldiers against insect borne diseases and stored-product pests. One of the biggest success stories coming from that research was the 1950's discovery of the insect repellant called deet now the active ingredient in nearly all commercial insect repellants.

The cooperative relationship between USDA and the Defense Department remains today and the benefits are continuing for our soldiers. During both Operation Desert Storm against Iraq and the Somalia mission, our soldiers used a cream containing deet to protect against mosquitoes that are malaria vectors, sand flies carrying leishmaniasis, and other insects. In Somalia, uniforms, tents, and bed netting treated with the insecticide permethrin offered added protection.

Our scientists are building on earlier findings. They are continuing to synthesize and screen new potential repellants and insecticides for mosquitoes, ticks, flies, and other insects that are safe and effective in any environment. They're also planning field trials this year on a potential biocontrol for house flies and another for mosquitoes that transmit yellow fever, dengue, and malaria.

Indoor insects such as cockroaches and fleas both of which contribute to allergy problems and could play a role in disease transmission have also been targeted with repellants, insecticide baits, and by managing airflow and other environmental factors inside buildings. ARS plans to seek approval for new fire ant repellants and continues to study a biocontrol organism that reduced fire ant populations by 94 percent under field conditions in Argentina. We're also developing computer models to predict outbreaks of malaria, dengue, Lyme disease, and other insectborne diseases. This will help military medical personnel track insect and disease trends in foreign countries and better plan protective measures for our troops. In addition, genetic "fingerprinting" research on anopheline mosquitoes has helped in identifying those species most likely to transmit malaria.

Our research to aid the military extends beyond medical and veterinary entomology. Our scientists are also studying ways to stop stored-product insects the kinds that infest grain bins and contaminate food supplies. And we're working on improved packaging to keep insects from eating a soldier's well-earned meal or from destroying uniforms, blankets, and other equipment held in storage anywhere in the world. These recent accomplishments and others were highlighted in January during the Armed Forces Pest Management Board's annual meeting to review USDA pest management research of interest to the military. It was clear from that meeting that though we've made great strides over the years, the insect war has, indeed, outlasted the Cold War and that we have to keep fighting if we're going to stay one step ahead of the next potential insect attack.
Pesticides Coordinator Report, Volume XVII, No. 5, May 1994.

Permit For Use of Bromoxynil on Tolerant Cotton Plants Supported

The Section 5 experimental use permit for the use of bromoxynil on tolerant cotton plants has been supported in comments filed by the National Cotton Council of America, a North Carolina State University professor and a Mississippi cotton farmer.

The council told EPA that the permit for the use of 4,000 pounds of bromoxynil will allow evaluation of broadleaf weed control using standard commercial production methods. According to the council, "broadleaf weeds are a significant problem in all major cotton production areas, and this system of herbicide resistant BXN cotton and bromoxynil offers potential for effective weed control with less weed competition. Additional advantages of bromoxynil include a broad spectrum of activity, short residual life, lower rate of active ingredient per acre, and a safe-to-use gel formulation in a water-soluble bag. When all factors are combined, use of BXN cotton and bromoxynil herbicide will effectively reduce the total amount of herbicides per acre, creating cost savings for growers and reducing environmental risk."

North Carolina State University's Harold D. Coble, Professor of Crop Science, stated, "Because broadleaf weeds are particularly difficult to control in cotton, present practices include two or three separate herbicide applications and several cultivations. Bromoxynil is a very highly effective broadleaf weed control chemical, and, used in conjunction with the tolerant cotton, can replace two herbicide applications and one or two cultivations. Bromoxynil has favorable environmental and health characteristics, and its use will help us achieve IPM implementation on a high percentage of our nation's cotton acreage." He urged EPA to issue the permit for the 1994 crop season. Robert A. Carson, Jr., cotton farmer, Marks, MS, said, "A system of cotton production using transgenic BXN' cotton and bromoxynil as a centerpiece of weed control has special appeal for weed management on my farm. Use of this system will allow me to treat weeds when they are small without worry of crop injury. Since small weeds are more susceptible to control than large weeds, less active ingredient of herbicide will be required." He continued:
"Being a responsible farmer, the gel formulation of Rhone-Poulenc's product allows for safer handling and reduces my container disposal problem. Additionally, I am encouraged that new technologies as demonstrated by the cotton system . . . will further reduce groundwater concerns. And finally, these systems will facilitate refinement of IPM programs for my farm."

Pesticide & Toxic Chemical News, May 11, 1994.

Ag Byproducts Could Clean Wastewater

What do soybean and rice hulls, rice bran, and sugar beet pulp have in common? All are inexpensive ag byproducts that bind to metals and other industrial wastes so they can be removed from water. Lab tests show the byproducts can be used only a few times in cleanup, because they break down rapidly. But the fast breakdown gives them an advantage over resins currently used in industry and wastewater treatment plants. While resins can be used repeatedly for nearly a year, their slow breakdown creates a disposal problem.
Joseph A. Laszlo, USDA-ARS Food Physical Chemistry Research Unit, Peoria, IL; phone 309-681-6322.

Pesticide Label Design Criticized

A paper entitled "Pesticide Labels: Proven Protection or Superficial Safety?" appeared in the January 1994 Journal of the American Optometric Association. Based on optometric and readability analysis, the paper criticized pesticide labels of the high visual acuity required to read them and the high level of education (11th grade) required to understand them. In other words, the print was too small and the words too big. The report concluded that essential pesticide use and safety information is not being effectively communicated to the public and that labels often fail to provide protection by being physically and cognitively inaccessible.
Extension Pesticide Report, Rutgers Cooperative Extension, April 1994, via Georgia Pesticide Digest.

Farming, Not 2,4-DAssociate With Cancer

Exposure to 2,4-D does not increase cancer risk, but farming may, EPA Administrator Browner was told by the special joint committee of EPA's Science Advisory Board (SAB) and the Scientific Advisory Panel.

The 26-page committee report said, "When epidemiologic studies alone cannot establish a carcinogenic effect in humans, it is often possible to combine that data with animal studies to establish with high probability that the agent is carcinogenic. In the case of 2,4-D, the chemical has possibly produced astocytomas, but only in rats. Since this cancer site is different from that reported in man, and since the effects has not been seen in studies of 2,4-D in other laboratory animals, these findings do not lend further support to the evidence from the human studies. However, both rats and mice have shown changes in growth and thyroxine levels from 2,4-D. Two cohort studies have reported non-significant increases in thyroid, testicular and other endocrine cancers which deserve further study with an increase in the follow-up of these groups. At this time, with the expectation of the suggestive association of lymphomas and exposure to 2,4-D in free-living dogs, the animal data offer no support for the (conflicting) observations in humans, since the carcinogenic effects are very weak, and are limited to a different cancer site and effects which are demonstratable in only one species." The committee's report said:
"Therefore, our conclusion at this time is that while there is some evidence that NHL may occur in excess in populations which are likely to be exposed to 2,4-D, the data are not sufficient to conclude that there is a cause and effect relationship between the exposure to 2,4-D and NHL. The data are, however, sufficient to require continued examination of the issue through further studies."
Pesticide & Toxic Chemical News, Vol. 22, No. 23.

Golf Course Part of Superfund Economic Redevelopment Package

In a Superfund first, a golf course will be built as one of the remedies selected for a vast mining site in Montana. Although the arrangement is designed to spur economic redevelopment in the area, other provisions of the ROD could discourage prospective purchasers, an EPA official said.

The Old Works operable unit of the Anaconda NPL site covers approximately 1,300 acres of arsenic-contaminated soil and abandoned mine tailings. The Atlantic Richfield Co. is expected to pay up to $25 million for the golf course and other aspects of the remedy.

In addition to the 250-acre golf course, the recently-signed Old Works ROD provides for capping or covering with vegetation large portions of the site. Charles Coleman, project manager, said the huge quantities of mining wastes involved would make it difficult to do much else with the contamination. When EPA is finished, most of the site will have arsenic levels around 1,000 ppm classified as recreational use. A few acres to which access can be strictly controlled will be left completely untouched to preserve their historic value. The county plans to build tourist trails through those areas.

As part of the effort to promote economic redevelopment, the county government which has taken title to the site has adopted what it calls a "development permit system (DPS)." Under DPS, prospective developers must submit plans guaranteeing that any work done will not make the property any less safe than EPA left it.

The catch, however, is that any work done by a developer is certain to disturb EPA's containment be it a gravel cap or vegetative cover. The developer would then be responsible for bringing the property back down to safe levels.

Work on the golf course begins next week, with capping and revegetation of the rest of the site continuing for three years.
Pesticide & Toxic Chemical News, May 18, 1994.

Two Groups Sue EPA

Seeking Information on Pesticide Inerts Two groups have jointly filed a freedom-of-information (FOI) lawsuit in the D.C. Federal District Court seeking to compel EPA to identify the inert ingredients of six pesticides, ingredients whose identity, the agency insists is "confident business information."

The products involved are: Aatrex 80W (Ciba-Geigy), Weedone LV4 (Rhone-Poulenc), Roundup (Monsanto), Velpar (DuPont), Garlon 3A (DowElanco) and Tordon 101 (DowElanco). Plaintiffs in the FOI lawsuit are the Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides (NCAP), headquartered in Eugene, OR, and the National Coalition Against the Misuse of Pesticides (NCAMP), in Washington, D.C.

More than three years ago, representatives of the two organizations submitted a formal FOI request to EPA asking for the identity of the inert ingredients as listed in the manufacturers' Confidential Statements of Formula for the six pesticides.

Denying the initial request, EPA said the information was "confidential business information" that was exempt from disclosure under 5 U.S.C. 552(b)(4). The agency also promised to consult with the five companies regarding their confidentiality claims prior to issuing a final determination.

In December 1991, the NCAP/NCAMP suit alleges, EPA sent the two organizations the "confidential statement(s) of formula" for three of the six products Weedone LV4, Garlon 3A and Tordon 101. "All of the inert ingredients of Garlon 3A were blacked out except for water," the complaint said, and, "for the other three confidential statements of formula, EPA informed NCAP that the registrants of those pesticides claimed blanket confidentiality for all information on the form, including the active ingredients, which are disclosed on the product labels. . . ."

Contending that EPA's denial of the requested information "is without legal or factual basis," the lawsuit seeks court declarations that EPA has violated its own rules for determining the confidentiality of business information . . ." and that withholding of the requested information is unlawful.
Pesticide & Toxic Chemical News, May 18, 1994.