Document v19m1kj940MNVMLGnGYXNgvj9

r\ ,7, D ; : -- ra \' ' j Lo.-l-'4 \_j U../ 0. S. DEFAUMCiirOF HEALTH, EDUCATXMfANBHU iwuciuuaimct. POOD AND MM* AOMNCnUntB- r J w JhbT^ lialden_301/4*3-4U7 (Uin phone 301/24fr-9l4g> 71-54 roa RTLn.isrs A.K.'a September 5, 1971 . Sis Iodcrnl a-ouscies today agreed to establish. w luttr-d^ATtlMUl t=:.;; ; : _ to coord-tate a government-aide. ImwtlgaSlQei Into .ICB-a-- ttr.iittiduu oi foud ajtd ot`,_er predicts*. Ten's (polychlorinated biphenyls)- are afsnilyof chcadcalswiiMjr . used /or industrial purposes.. lor at least: to years> ike ehaTaaeaa have been used in. tkc animfactuxicg precess- or e* actual, ea^MMat a# neny products,., including soma- plastics and adhesives* petatiag tpim,, electrical and building Materials, .boat 1 products. . ' "he task: lores will be coordinated through the Office i Tcc:..-.cl,' -;r and the Council on Emtiranaertal Quality.- Other the Eayircnrcental Protection. Agency, the Peed! tin d'/i: ltr.il-Institute- of Bmurnn--neal malth fcleawe, Department,of Agriculture.^ The cask force wmu. created at s-meeting called Trpleeher I-.13(7lv- hg the FEA to shaxc- information gathered by- that Agency aadb bj> MIL. Mb- Agencies have been liuiil n l fur Aline flail la fillim up. Isnafl|al la-- il several industrial, incidents whlch-liaae wadlad la law levtl Id adulteration of various- food-pradoct*. ' '. _ HONS 072166 OPD Reports From Europe Pesticide Residues Scrutinized With Other Pollution Problems I By EEC and OECD Membership | International coordination on the problems of control of pesticide residues and other forms of "unintended occurrence of chemicals In the environment" Is beginning to become real in Europe with moves by the European Community and by the Organization for Economic Cooperation ft Development, which aleo includes Canada, the US and Japan. The Community first became seriously Intended In this problem, and Us poten tial for affecting trade patterns, last March. Since then an expert committee has moved with exceptional speed to complats a drift set of binding regulations which could come into force in 1S73 when the Community Is expanded by the addi tion of sew members. The OECD approach is consultative and is designed mainly to share information about the problem and regulations. But the scheme will ilso give any member state the right to object when a regula tion by another member threatens adverse economic effects. UbIUUmu So Far So far such moves hive been limited to he highly industrialised countries at Europe. But there la a growing move to bring developing and tropical countries into the picture, botn for farm product and for public health purposes. General Agreement on Tariffs & Trade in Geneva has Issued a study on the trade aspects of the problem (OPD. 8/30/31. pg. 7). But there are also serious health prob lems in soma countries which are kept under control only by the use of DDT or other pesticide* which are under Are from conservationists and environmentalist!. Dr. P.T. Haskell, director of the new Center for Overseas Pest Research In London, believes there Is a serious lack of evidence on the long-term effects of pesti cides on tropical agriculture. The center is negotiating with several tropical countries now for Investigations Into such long-term effects. There are alio plana for other research teams to study safe, economic and efficient pest control techniques for the health and agricultural problems of tropical coun tries. This work is being supported by the Overseas Development Administration t the British Foreign Office. The Community plan is the first multi national binding regulatory project of this type, redacting the fact that In Europe pollution does not respect boundaries. So far only the Community farm pro gram has taken the form of ****g cen tral regulations: In other spheres, the Council of Ministers has preferred the practioe of harmonizing Individual na tional rule*. Agreement On Problem Difficult But the problem of pollution Is not really amenable to the harmonising pro cedure which can allow nearly endless studies before any action is achieved. On the other hand, getting binding legislation through the Council of Ministers has al ways been difficult The OECD approach is baaed on the trade consequences of chemical control legislation. It rites a food imparting coun try lowering permitted pesticide residues levels In such a way as to penalise the ex ports of another country. This aleo has been happening with tropical food exports and is a cause of serious, If largely un publicized, concern in tropical countries. Without comment on its "reality," OECD also mentions as a possibility that a country could discriminate against food Imports and encourage peelteldt exports by suitably varytng its own Internal rtgulidoa*. OECD has set up a Sector Group on Unintended Occurrence of Chemicals In the Environment as part of Its larger Environment Committee. The sector group is concentrating first on mercury com pounds, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCSa), and. to the extent of the data, cadmium. A two-year trial period has stalled on the new consultation scheme. Under tills. every malar mute notify the OtaCD aenuilat of mw >m1Hm wttli nw pltte data. Bt for stuffy tu eu At this petal, tenmwtt fan toll t formal eoueultatiau or a mnabar statu which believes tt may he stasmty af fected caw ngmt ewe. U tats prc--dura weeks watt in ethtaanting latimHlil frtattau ta a United area OECD wttl consider extending A tu other aariTouBteutai meaeuras. in i i haa ceutsnd oa " in ' was ef paatlsliaa. Dr. for whieh control teobn He rites lemma, weaver birds and aor- titular* tentatea. Dr.--- ~ HONS 072167