Environmentalists push for pesticide labeling

The Environmental Protection Agency failed to protect Californians from toxic chemicals by delaying a decision on their petition to require the disclosure of hazardous ingredients on pesticide labels, environmentalists claim in Federal Court.

 The Center for Environmental Health and Californians for Pesticide Reform say the EPA does not require the labeling on pesticide bottles of 374 "inert" but harmful ingredients, "despite the fact that these same chemicals have been determined to be hazardous under other environmental laws and regulated as such by the EPA."

 Caroline Cox of the Center for Environmental Health says these ingredients are used in a variety of agricultural, household and commercial pesticides, and many are considered toxic under the Clean Water Act.

 Though it has been nearly three years since the groups filed their petition, the complaint says the EPA has been unresponsive.

 "They were dragging their feet because the petition was sent during the Bush administration," said Charles Margulis of the Center for Environmental Health. "To say that this wasn't a priority is putting it lightly. We hope that with this current administration things will be different."

 The groups demand an injunction ordering the EPA to make a decision on the petition. They are represented by Charles Tebbutt with the Western Environmental Law Center of Eugene, Ore.