Lawn Care Pesticides: Risks Remain Uncertain While Prohibited Safety Claims Continue
RCED-90-134
Published: Mar 23, 1990. Publicly Released: Mar 30, 1990.
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Highlights
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed: (1) the information that manufacturers, distributors, and professional applicators of lawn-care pesticides provided to the public about product safety; (2) federal enforcement actions taken against unacceptable advertising claims; and (3) the reregistration status of 34 widely used lawn-care pesticides.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Environmental Protection Agency | Because EPA does not have authority over pesticide applicator claims, and since FTC, which has this authority, prefers to defer to EPA because of its technical expertise, the Administrator, EPA, should seek, in cooperation with appropriate congressional committees, legislative authority over safety claims by professional pesticide applicators. |
At a May 1991 Senate hearing, EPA testified on its progress in regulating pesticide use. The agency stated that, in April 1990, it had established a formal national care referral process with FTC and subsequently has referred six cases to FTC for enforcement action.
|
| Environmental Protection Agency | In order to protect the public from prohibited pesticide safety claims, the Administrator, EPA, should develop an enforcement strategy for monitoring lawn pesticide industry compliance with the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), section 12(a)(1)(B), that will make better use of EPA resources. |
EPA's 1990 pilot initiative has led to an expanded lawn pesticide effort involving national monitoring and enforcement activities. This effort required states in the EPA pesticide enforcement program to conduct inspection of lawn service practices. Enforcement action is being taken as needed.
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