RISE joins more than 400 organizations to support pesticide industry

Similar to what it did in January 2022, Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment (RISE) joined more than 400 organizations to send a letter to all members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives voicing support for the current regulatory framework in place under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA).

The letter is in direct response to recently introduced legislation (S. 269) that would, according to RISE’s news release, “undermine the current science-based regulatory system that guides the nation’s pesticide laws. This is the third time legislation involving such restrictive language has been introduced, and the third time hundreds of organizations have reached out to Congress to express concern over the ability to manage public health risks if access to pesticide products were to be limited.”

“Our members’ role is to protect public health and safety, infrastructure, and the environment. To do this successfully requires a robust science-based regulatory system,” RISE President Megan Provost said in the news release.

“This bill rejects 50 years of established federal regulatory processes under FIFRA and would repeal decades of work and scientific advancements made by EPA’s scientific experts. We want the industry to be subject to a science-based regulatory framework that evolves as science evolves to keep our products safe and accessible—unfortunately, S. 269 lacks that scientific foundation and would jeopardize the tools necessary for protecting our families, homes, environment, and infrastructure,” Provost added.

FIFRA has been amended by Congress several times to strengthen the regulatory standard for safety — most recently through the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) that added specific protections for children and sensitive populations. Under existing law, pesticides that are approved for use by EPA are subject to review to ensure they meet the most current scientific standards.