Today
the Bush Environmental Protection Agency issued a final rule to promote
testing pesticides on people, which has not adequately changed from
previous drafts. In fact a new loophole further weakens the rule, and
no longer requires companies to document that a test was ethically
conducted before EPA would consider the test for regulations.
This
rule has an ethereal quality, particularly as the Bush Administration
claims to support a “culture of life” on the one hand, and on the other
hand this rule promotes testing harmful substances on vulnerable
people. Despite EPA’s statements, loopholes still allow testing
pesticides on pregnant women and children.
In
addition, the State of California’s Department of Pesticide Regulation
raised concerns this week that this rule could take away state’s
abilities to set stronger provisions for human pesticides tests
conducted within their borders. The federal government should provide a
base-line protection for people from toxic pesticides, and encourage
states to set stricter standards.
The
bottom line is that chemical companies should not be allowed to test
their poisonous wares on anyone. This rule is unethical, illegal, and
just plain dangerous.
