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Show Page 4 June 1975 Utah Farm Bureau News Utah provides network TV stories EPA pesticide reports pose threat to food prices: Hamilton While in Utah on a Farm Bureau speaking engagement, farm director Orion Samuel-so- n of WGN-TChicago (right) traveled through the north end of the state getting several features for his nationwide network TV show. At this location in Logan canyon, he interviewed Sherm Lewis and Brent Conlin of the Soil Conservation Service, who explained snow survey work. V, For use of incorrect pesticide Injury statistics EPA head apologizes to FB The following letter was received recently by American Farm Bureau Federation president William J. Kuh-fus- s from Russell E. Train, administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It followed a de- Dear Mr. Kuhfuss: that EPA always be scrupulously correct in the presentation of information to the public. It is a matter of personal regret to me when incidents such as this occur. You can be assured that every effort will be made to assure that such a misstatement does not happen again. I have attached for your information a statement explaining the need e for the telephone reporting May 27, 1975 I have personally reviewed the materials involved in the recent controversy over health damage from the misuse of pesticides. The original statement reflected poor judgement in drawing uncritically upon the 1972 report of the Senate commerce committee. Normally EPAs procedures for the review of such materials would have identified any inaccuracies and corrected them. Unfortunately, there was a lapse in this instance. 1 believe it is absolutely essential mand by Farm Bureau that EPA either document or withdraw its claim that hundreds of farm workers die each year and hundreds of thousands more are injured by pesticide misuse. The incorrect figures were used in a radio tape from EPA announcing a e citizens reporting service on pesticide damage and injuries. toll-fre- toll-fre- system. Sincerely, Russell E. Train, Administrator Environmental Protection Agency asks Congress to instruct EPA on intent of pesticide law certification of private applicators. At the time the pesticide regulation legislation was enacted, FB pointed out, a Senate report stated that few products currently registered would classify for restricted use. A widely held view of experts within industry and within EPA, FB said, is that many pesticide uses would be classified as restricted uses due to the nature of the proposed regulations for and the registration, classification of pesticides. Even though the proposals were made on October 9, 1974, EPA still has not classified a single use, nor even pu FB The American Farm Bureau Federation has called upon Congressional committees to instruct the Environmental Protection Agency to carry out the intent of the pesticide regulation law as enacted "to ensure minimum disruptions in agriculture while putting it into effect. Concern over EPAs interpretation .and implementation of pesticide legis lation was expressed by Farm Bureau at recent Senate and House Agriculture hearings on bills to extend for two years what is known as the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). We feel, Farm Bureau said, that EPA completely disregarded Congressional intent on having a limited number of pesticide products classified for restricted use and on regulations for the When you need emergency farm power, you need an tractor-drive- n alternator Ag-Tron- ic You may save costly hours of down time when farm equipment needs tractor-drive- n alternator repair during use if you have an on hand to tow out to the field for emergency repairs. Mounted on a trailer or pickup truck with a welder, it gives you a quick solution to planting, cultivating and harvesting problems without having to tow broken equipment in for repair work. Ag-Tron- lc alternator you milk cows or feed livestock or poultry, the can be a real money-save- r during power failures, when hand operations might be impossible. If Ag-Tron- ic Check today on details of an emergency power unit. Big savings to Farm Bureau members up to 30 percent off list pricel UTAH FARM BUREAU SERVICE COMPANY 5300 South 360 West Salt Lake City, Utah 841 07 4 Phone (801) 261-242- reporting system. EPA inaccurately stated that "hundreds of thousands of farm workers are made ill every year from the misuse of pesticides and that "hundreds die from this cause. A prompt challenge by Farm Bureau for the EPA either to document the statistics or withdraw them led to EPAs issuing a retraction a few days later, Hamilton explained. The farm leader, himself a farmer in Riverton, Salt Lake County and head of Utahs largest general farm organization, said that these figures apparently sprang from a government hearing several years ago in which a Congressman suggested the figures to a scientist! The figures were put into a report of the hearing and later picked up by persons either not aware of or not concerned about their inaccuracy. Two years ago the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a temporary emergency standard restricting workers reentry into orchards sprayed with certain insecticides, Hamilton explained. That order was based on the incorrect statistics and was halted by a Farm Bureau lawsuit in a U.S. court of appeals. The chairman of OSHAs subcommittee on pesticides pointed out then that the subcommittee was unable to find a single authentic record of a fatality resulting from a person entering or working a field treated with a pesticide, Hamilton pointed out. Hamilton serves as a member of both the Utah Pesticide Committee and the governors Agricultural Advisory Board. blished the classification regulations. In denying FBs request last October for a y extension of comment period on the proposal, EPA stated its reasons were the Congressionally-mandate- d deadline of October 21, 1974, for publi- -' cation of final regulations and its desire for timeliness. In citing another instance of disregard of Congressional intent, FB referred to a House report on certification procedure which said, "... in some cases only the signing of a poison or pesticide register would be required, while in other cases the purchaser or user might be required to certify that he has read the instructions and will apply it in accordance with such instructions. In other cases general or seasonal licenses, permits, or similar forms of approval may be required. EPAs failure to accept the register-signin- g system, FB said, ignores the safety education work of USDA and other groups, ignores the good safety record farmers have developed in the handling and use of pesticides, and will impose an unjustifiable burden on agriculture. The EPA regulations, announced almost one year after the legally mandated date, require that private applicator competency be determined by written or oral testing procedures, or such other equivalent system as may be approved as a part of a state plan. On the provision permitting states-thaso desire to certify applicators upon EPA approval of state certification plans, FB said that many states do not have acceptable plans because of the lack of EPAs meaningful and timely guidance and responsiveness to states expertise in this area. EPA has ottered no option to the states who desire not to certify, FB said. Nor is it clear what becomes of agriculture in the event certification cannot be, or is not, completed in a state by the October .1976 deadline. 30-da- t |