Federal Efforts To Notify Foreign Nations Regarding Pesticide Suspensions and Cancellations

The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act of 1947, as amended, requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to notify foreign governments and appropriate international agencies "whenever a registration or a cancellation or suspension of the registration of a pesticide becomes effective or ceases to be effective." The EPA prepares the notifications and the Department of State transmits them for forwarding to host-country officials. Improvements are needed in the agencies' joint implementation of the notification program in: identifying regulatory actions to be reported; improving procedures to ensure that data provided in notifications is complete, concise, and understandable; and ensuring that responsible foreign embassies and officials receive all notifications in a timely manner. Since 1972, regulatory action was taken by EPA on 14 pesticides, but EPA required the Department to notify foreign nations regarding only five of these. Also, foreign nations received very little information on the status of pesticides for which notifications were initiated. EPA should: review all pesticide suspensions and cancellations to identify those of national and international significance, compile information on these actions in concise publications for distribution to appropriate nations, and develop an appropriate system with the State Department for timely and efficient dissemination of data to foreign officials.