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Thursday, September 28, 1989 / University Daily Kansan
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Pesticide regulation divides lawmakers
Dillons, 3000 W. Sixth St., sprays produce to fight pesticides.
By Derek Schmidt Kansan staff writer
Pesticide safety is under renewed scrutiny in Congress, but lawmakers are sharply divided about how to regulate the chemicals.
But Janet Hathaway, senior project attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council, a Washington-based watchdog organization, said the farm-state lawmakers were trying to project an image of environmental awareness to fit public opinion.
Rep. Pat Roberts, a Dodge City Republican, is part of a bipartisan group of farm-state representatives sponsoring legislation to regulate agricultural chemicals. But environmental groups say the proposal does not go far enough.
Roberts, a member of the House Agriculture Committee, wants to revise two important laws governing the use of pesticides. Key provisions include expending the removal of hazardous chemicals from the mounds and revising the standards by which cancer risks are determined.
"These are very contentious issues," Roberts said. "Brt it's our water, our produce, our kids, our families. I have we think to do it."
Agricultural support for his legislation reflects a new understanding that consumer confidence in the food industries that food be safe, Roberts said.
"They're circling the wagons," she said. "They've gotten really angry that environmentalists have pointed out flaws in the programs they support. Instead of trying to address the problem, they're trying to dismiss."
But growing concern about groundwater and food supply contamination
"I don't think you have to be from an industrial state to be concerned with environmental," said Steve Cater, KU environment health and safety officer.
have brought in new supporters.
Roberts proposes setting up a new process by which the Environmental Protection Agency could remove a chemical from the market. Currently, he said, legal obstacles could stall the removal process for four to
eight years.
Roberts' proposal would replace the current process of adjudicative hearings with an informal rule-making process. The process sets time limits for public comment, EPA notification to the pesticide marketer that removal is being considered, an evaluation from the Scientific Advisory Panel of the merits of any disputes and ultimate EPA removal of the chemical.
The removal process would be completed within about 270 days, Roberts said.
"Although it seems to be streamlining, it actually complicates the process," she said. "It makes it very unlikely that you'll get a very clear decision based on public health consensus."
Hathaway said she supported hastening the removal time for chemicals, but that the Roberts proposal was ineffective.
Roberts also proposed slightly increasing the allowable risk of cancer from pesticide residue
The proposal would replace the current zero-risk standard with a negligible risk standard of 1 in 1 million.
"With the technology we have now, there is no zero risk," he said.
The Roberts reform bill will be debated by the House Agriculture Committee.
Hall-Kimbrell installs new produce-testing plan
By Travis Butler Kansan staff writer
Hall-Kimbrell Environmental Services, the nation's largest firm for testing asbestos, has started a new produce-testing plan, said Kristi Schroeder, publications manager for corporate communications.
While Hall-Kimbrell's success has been based on work with asbestos testing and removal plans, such as their recent work at Snow Hall, the company is now branching out, Paul Foreman, executive vice-president.
said.
"We've been diversifying a lot in the past year," he said. "What we're attempting to do is diversity using our asbestos work as a foundation."
The produce testing program; ChemCheck, is an example of the diversification, said Eric Cleveland, program director.
The program works through produce distribution centers for grocery store chains, Cleveland said. The centers will take samples from every fourth lot of produce through the center and send it to the testing
laboratory in Lawrence.
Once a sample arrives at the laboratory, technicians analyze it for 113 different pesticide residues, Cleveland said.
The company bases its testing on the tolerance levels for pesticides set by the Environmental Protection Agency, Cleveland said.
The program is aimed at stores wanting to give customers assurance that their product is safe, Cleveland said.
Cleveland said that the results might be "that all the produce checks at this store tested clean, or six out of eight checks showed no pesticides."
line," he said. "Consumers can call our lab directly and find the testing results for any of the stores participating in our program.
"An important part of the program is our toll-free 800 assurance hot-
Hall-Kimbrell's national headquarters are located in Lawrence, 15th Street and Wakarusa Drive. The company employs about 400 to 500 people locally, said Paul Foreman, executive vice president.