February 16, 2017
The Honorable Mike Conaway Chairman House Committee on Agriculture U.S. House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515
The Honorable Collin Peterson Ranking Member House Committee on Agriculture U.S. House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515
Dear Mr. Chairman and Ranking Member Peterson:
The undersigned organizations are grateful for your past support of the fee-for-service program for pesticide registration and re-registration programs at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, commonly known as PRIA. More so, we are appreciative for your work and that of Subcommittee Chairman Davis and Ranking Member Lujan-Grisham to begin the process of the third reauthorization of this legislation in HR. 1029, the Pesticide Registration Enhancement Act of 2017.
Our organizations came together as a unique coalition consisting of the registrant community - including both agricultural and non-agricultural uses, antimicrobial companies, large and small companies, biotech companies, and biopesticides - as well as labor and environmental advocates and state regulatory agencies to develop and advocate for the passage of the Pesticide Registration Improvement Act of 2003 (PRIA). Those same organizations continue to work with EPA to administer the program, to work together to develop subsequent reauthorization proposals, and to advocate for appropriated funds to further support the activities specified in the law.
Under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), a pesticide cannot be legally used if it has not been registered with EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs. Prior to the passage of PRIA, the review process could take several years or longer. PRIA established a new section of FIFRA, which put in place a fee schedule for pesticide registration requests. It lists specific time periods for EPA to make a regulatory decision on pesticide registration and tolerance actions submitted to the Agency. The goal of PRIA was to create a more predictable and effective evaluation scheme for affected pesticide decisions and couple the collection of individual fees with specific decision review periods. It also promoted shorter decision review periods for reduced-risk applications.
H.R. 1029 builds upon the win-win tradition of the first PRIA. It also increases and clarifies categories of EPA actions covered under the law, uses maintenance fees for registration review, protects funds for research and grant programs for worker safety and training, and provides for funds to be used to address new issues and helping to ensure that companies continue to have access to export markets for their products.
This legislation will continue the positive progress that the original PRIA brought to the pesticide registration process. We respectfully urge Congress to move quickly to reauthorize the highly successful pesticide registration program and provide certainty for the regulated community.
Sincerely,
American Chemistry Council Biocides Panel Biotechnology Innovation Organization Biopesticide Industry Alliance Consumer Specialty Products Association CropLife America
Farmworker Justice ISSA-The Worldwide Cleaning Industry Association National Association of State Departments of Agriculture Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment
CC: Rep. Rodney Davis & Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham
Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA
Tier 3/4
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