ABSTRACT
The 1988 Amendments to Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) govern the regulation of pesticides in the United States. Among other things, the amendments require a substantial acceleration of the reregistration process for previously registered pesticides and authorize the collection of fees to support reregistration activities. The FIFRA sets an overall risk/benefit standard for pesticide registration, requiring that the pesticides perform their intended function, when used according to labeling directions, without posing unreasonable risks of adverse effects on human health or the environment. Under FIFRA, pesticide registrants are responsible for providing all test data necessary to satisfy Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) registration requirements. The FIFRA authorizes the EPA to cancel the registration of an existing pesticide if test data show that it causes unreasonable adverse effects on human health or the environment. An application for amended registration must be submitted when changes are proposed in the labeling or when changes are proposed in the formulation of the pesticide.
