Need for Comprehensive Pesticide Use Data

Gao ID: CED-80-145 September 30, 1980

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) needs to have accurate and comprehensive information on pesticide usage to assess a pesticide's potential risks and benefits to humans and the environment and to improve the overall management of its pesticide programs. GAO examined sources of pesticide usage information were examined at EPA, other Federal and State agencies, and private organizations.

EPA does not have comprehensive information on where and in what quantities pesticides are used. Its current pesticide usage information is not sufficiently comprehensive or accurate to be used in risk/benefit analyses or for establishing priorities for major pesticide regulatory programs. Requiring pesticide producers to provide estimates of pesticide use data would give EPA much more comprehensive information upon which to base pesticide program decisions, when such information is used in combination with other sources of pesticide use information.

Recommendations

Our recommendations from this work are listed below with a Contact for more information. Status will change from "In process" to "Open," "Closed - implemented," or "Closed - not implemented" based on our follow up work.

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