Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA)

Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA)

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citations

https://ceprofs.civil.tamu.edu/rhann/links/laws/pest.asp

Envrionmental issues affected

http://www.epa.gov/lawsregs/laws/index.html

The FIFRA prevents misuse of hazardous chemicals which are common ingredients in the pesticides to be disposed in areas that could harm general population. The disposal of pesticides can contaminate water supply and even air that we breathe. The act allows the enforcement authority to prevent environment pollution.

Pesticides sprayed into the air has has such an impact that people with asthma can not live in those areas. Founding from the Asthma and allergy foundation has even beem provided for compensation before the law was enacted.

Function of FIFRA

The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) provides for federal regulation of pesticide distribution, sale, and use.

Protected citizens from poisoning from toxic chemicals in pesticides and also protected environment from chemicals that degrade surroundings

EPA'S Role

Background Information

The FIFRA is a Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodent Act aims at providing safe environment for usage and disposal of pesticides such that pesticides will be properly labeled and that, if used in accordance with specifications, they will not cause unreasonable harm to the environment. Meaning that chemicals that degrade the environment will not be used in the manufacturing of these products. The act ensures the quality of the products and effectively control the materials used in pesticides.

EPA works with its federal, and state regulatory partners to assure sonsumers are complying with pesticide laws and regulations in order to protect human health and the environment.

Several different approaches are utilized by EPA. They include:

•Assuring the qualityof test data submitted to the Agency under FIFRA through the Good Laboratory Practices (GLPs) program

•They promote the developing and maintaining of comprehensive pesticide programs that address all aspects of pesticide enforcement and special pesticide initiatives (incentive so people can produce earth-friendly products.

•Inspecting pesticide producing establishments, retailers, applicators, farms, and other sites involved in the sale or distribution of pesticides

•Protecting agricultural workers from the effects of exposure to pesticides through the Worker Protection Standard (WPS) Program

•Registering pesticide producing establishments and monitoring the amount of pesticides they produce. ( a restriction on the amount of pesticide being produced)

•Overseeing pesticide imports to and exports from the United States. (assuring importers and exporters are complying with the act)

The law was first passed in 1947 and amended numerous times, first time being in 1975 and most recently by the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) of 1996. (Other years it was amended, '75,'78,'80,'88, and '96)

It is a national law placed by the federal government agency, EPA.

The 1975 amendments were designed to restrict the EPA's authority on pesticides. 1978 amendments related to determining pesticide efficacy and the compensation for use of existing data.

By Tanya Lakkaraju and Monica Vela