I was more scared than angry or frustrated. I've felt like a lot of this stuff coming down from the EPA isn't really well thought out -- they're off in the clouds.
We are disappointed that they have chosen to continue to insist there is peril in fruits and vegetables. The risks are remote and hypothetical.
Many companies have cut back drastically their research efforts on new pesticides and diverted their funds to defensive research….Legislation and regulation may ban products but replacements cannot be regulated into existence…Companies are leaving the pesticide business or cutting down their research and development efforts.
Are we stripping our [pesticide] arsenal of essential weapons? If we strip that arsenal, something is bound to happen. I can’t predict what insect, what disease vector, might attack the food supply or health of this country….The consequences of such a situation may go far beyond a mere food shortage….The position of our State Department could be impaired….Our military potential could be seriously affected.
Panic decisions on regulatory matters, inspired and promulgated by today’s abundant supply of instant ecologists, legal opportunists, activists with or without cause….Many of these people know not what they do, let alone what they say.
Present regulations have been effective in protecting human health and our food supply….We do not have a pesticide environmental crisis at this time.
There have been no reports of illness or death which can be attributed to pesticides when they were properly used and the precautions followed.
If you people ban the use of endrin [see below] until we know a lot more about it then we do now, many orchards will simply go out of production.
You and I know that chemical companies spend millions and millions of dollars in research. How long are they going to continue to do this if we continue to harass them?
