Food Quality Protection Act of 1996

By: Travis Cooke

History

• Passed on August 3, 1996, the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) is a United States federal law.

• The FQPA amended the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act and the Federal Food Drug, and Cosmetic Act by changing the way that the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) evaluates and regulates pesticides.

Examples of Environmental Effects of Pesticides

• Fish die from a pesticide entering waterways• Birds do not reproduce normally after ingesting

contaminated fish • A hawk becomes sick from eating a mouse that

has eaten pesticide poisoning

New Requirements Because of the FQPA

• EPA conducts ecological risk assessments to determine what risks are posed by a pesticide and whether changes to the use or proposed use are necessary to protect the environment.

• Before allowing a pesticide product to be sold on the market, they ensure that the pesticide will not pose any unreasonable risks to wildlife and the environment.

Effects

• The EPA worked for ten years to make the changes in national pesticide regulation that led to tremendous enhancements in public health and environmental protection.

• Agriculture Committee Chairman Roberts stated that "the ultimate success of this reform will rest with the professionalism and the common sense of EPA."

Bibliography

• http://www.epa.gov/opp00001/ecosystem/ecorisk.htm

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_Quality_Protection_Act