You may remember the challenging years of ideological deadlock between Congress and President Clinton from 1994 and 1996. Well they agreed on at least one thing — protecting children from pesticides. By a unanimous vote, Congress approved the Food Quality Protection Act of 1996 and the President signed it into law.

Now four years later, we are beginning to yield the fruits of their agreement. The Food Quality Protection Act replaced existing standards that balanced the costs and benefits of pesticides to ensure that:

• A reasonable certainty that no harm will result from aggregate exposure to a pesticide.
• Tolerances of pesticides are determined to be safe for children, and a 10-fold safety factor must be placed on pesticides where there is uncertainty.

In June, EPA announced a major step in implementing the Act by prohibiting most uses of chlorpyrifos — a pesticide better known as Dursban and Lorsban. The changes go into effect in 2001. Homeowners will be affected since the pesticide was commonly used to treat cockroaches and other insects.

Thanks to EPA and DowAgroScience, the primary maker of chlorpyrifos, for reaching the agreement that made these changes possible in a reasonable timeframe.

Keep in mind that the changes for chlorpyrifos do not reflect a better understanding of the potential threats of the chemical. Instead, they reflect a new commitment to children’s health borne out of a dramatic consensus between Congress and the President. While all changes in the uses of chemicals with which we are familiar are difficult, the new standards will provide a safer environment for our children in the long run.

See IKE's broader effort on pesticides for more details.