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The agricultural community was cautiously optimistic with a recent U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) decision, according to an Ohio Farm Bureau staffer, but industry officials are concerned that pressure from environmental groups could push the agency to change its mind.

The decision impacts cumulative risk levels for crop protection products that are regulated under the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA), according to OFBF Vice President of Agricultural Ecology Constance Cullman Jackson.

The U.S. EPA was under an Aug. 1 deadline to have risk levels established for the first of many classes of chemicals through FQPA. Individual and aggregate risk levels for organophosphates had been fixed by this past spring. And by the middle of July, the cumulative risk levels were proposed by EPA.

Whereas individual and aggregate risks encompassed supposed risk of one specific product, the cumulative risk combines all similar products and views their exposure as one, Jackson explained.

The process as developed for organophosphates is important because it will be used for all types of chemicals. "Organophosphates are the guinea pig," she said. "However EPA regulates this class of chemicals will be how the process is handled for all."

There is concern about how EPA will apply "uncertainty factors." Typically, levels as determined in lab rats are reduced by 100 times to determine safe exposures to humans. "FQPA allows EPA to consider extra uncertainty factors if it is not satisfied with data to establish new levels for those people who are thought to be ‘at risk,’" Jackson said. Currently, EPA proposes to reduce those levels by another three times. The agency is considering increasing that to 10 times. "Available data and information shows that to be excessive," Jackson said.

"While we’re glad to see that EPA has made a move toward more common sense, we’re concerned officials may give in to pressure from environmentalists to use some statistically outrageous standards," Jackson said.

She suggests members keep their ears and eyes tuned for more details on FQPA implementation.