[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 114 (Thursday, August 5, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Page S10358]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    PESTICIDES AND CHILDREN'S HEALTH

  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, this week, the Environmental Protection 
Agency announced the first major steps under the Food Quality 
Protection Act of 1996 to protect children from overexposure to two 
widely used pesticides. Organophosphate chemicals, such as these two 
pesticides, kill insects by disrupting nerve impulses. Unfortunately, 
these chemicals have the same effect on humans, and children are 
especially vulnerable because of their developing bodies and the high 
proportion of fruits and vegetables in their diets. Effective 
protection against these two pesticides is an important step in 
implementing the Act as Congress intended.
  These steps by EPA to comply with the law are critical to ensure the 
health and safety of the nation's children. These actions are welcome, 
and EPA must continue to carry out its important mission to assess 
tolerance levels for pesticides that pose the highest risks to 
children. Much work remains to be done.
  Timely and complete implementation of the Act is essential, but we 
need to know more to assure that all children are protected from the 
harmful effects of pesticides. I have asked the General Accounting 
Office to evaluate the technologies used to assess immune, 
reproductive, endocrine, and neurotoxic effects of pesticides on 
children. GAO will also report on current research on links between 
pesticides and child health and disease. In particular, I have asked 
the GAO to evaluate whether the Act is being implemented adequately to 
protect the health and safety of the nation's children.
  Our children are our greatest natural resource. The goal in passing 
the Act was to set a strong public health standard to protect them, and 
EPA has a clear responsibility to implement the Act in accord with that 
standard.

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