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By Root 1101 0

not consult the EPA until the report was nearly completed. EPA internal memos called the new FDA recommendations “scientifically flawed and inadequate” and said that they fell short of the “scientific rigor routinely demonstrated by EPA.”173 The watchdog organization Environmental Working Group went even further, declaring the FDA’s report “an astonishing, irresponsible document. It’s a commentary on how low FDA has sunk as an agency. It was once a fierce protector of America’s health, and now it’s nothing more than a patsy for polluters.”174

If these two agencies can’t get on the same page about something as critical and basic as keeping neurotoxins off our dinner plate, what can we expect of the whole mess of government measures? Just take a look at the various agencies, commissions, and laws we’re relying on:

GOVERNMENT LAWS & AGENCIES

Executive Branch

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) (1969)

A broad national framework to assure that all branches of government give proper consideration to the environment.

Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) (1969)

Within NEPA, ensures that environmental amenities, services, and values are considered in decision making. Administered by the Office of Environmental Quality.

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (mandated by the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act 1938)

Within the Department of Health and Human Services, the FDA is responsible for protecting the public health by assuring the safety and efficacy of our nation’s food supply, medicines, cosmetics, etc. Amended in 2002 to authorize the EPA to set maximum limits for pesticide residues on foods.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) (1970)

Created within the Department of Labor by the Occupational Safety and Health Act (1970) to assure safe and healthful conditions for workers. OSHA handles enforcement while NIOSH (now part of the Department of Health and Human Services’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) conducts research, education, and training on occupational hazards.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) (1970)

Within the Department of Commerce, a science-based agency responsible for predicting changes in the oceanic and atmospheric environments and living marine resources. NOAA encompasses the National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service, the National Marine Fisheries Service (responsible for the management, conservation, and protection of living marine resources), the National Ocean Service (maintains safe, healthy, and productive oceans and coasts, for example by ensuring safe and efficient marine transportation), the National Weather Service, and the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (provides research for NOAA).

Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) (created by the Consumer Product Safety Act, 1972)

Protects the public from risks associated with consumer products such as electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazards.

Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (2008)

Establishes consumer product safety standards and other safety requirements for children’s products (modernizes the original act).

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (1970)

EPA’s mission is to protect human health and to safeguard the natural environment—air, water, and land—upon which life depends. EPA coordinates research, monitoring, standard-setting, and enforcement activities to ensure environmental protection.

Laws Administered within the EPA

Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) (1947)

Registers (licenses), or exempts from registration, the sale and use of pesticides, including antimicrobials, for control of pests that threaten crops, animals, and humans.

Food Quality Protection Act (1996)

Sets safety standards on pesticide tolerances, especially for infants and children.

Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) (1976)

Addresses the production, importation, use, and disposal of specific chemicals including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), asbestos, radon, and lead-based