Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
be. subject. to. FIFRA's. review. and. registration. requirements”. [24].
. The. EPA. also.
observes. that. nanotechnologies. may. produce. “[m]ore-targeted. fertilizers. and. pes-
ticides. that. result. in. less. agricultural. and. lawn/garden. runoff. of. nitrogen,. phos-
phorous,. and. toxic. substances. is. potentially. an. important. emerging. application. of.
nanotechnol[o]g[ies].that.can.contribute.to.sustainability”.[24].
...
oPP nanotechnology workgroup
The. OPP. formed. a. Nanotechnology. Workgroup. in. late. 2006. that. is. speciically.
tasked.with.developing.a.regulatory.framework.that.will.address.the.nanomaterial.
pesticide.issues.that.arise.under.FIFRA..The.OPP.can.be.expected.to.address.several.
core.issues.in.the.context.of.developing.its.nanotechnology.framework.
A.threshold.question.that.the.OPP.is.considering.is.whether.a.nanoscale.version.
of. a. registered. conventional. pesticide. also. is. considered. a. registered. pesticide.. This.
FIFRA.question.is.similar.to.the.question.under.the.TSCA.as.to.whether.a.nanoscale.
version.of.an.existing.TSCA.Inventory-listed.chemical.substance.also.is.considered.
an.existing.chemical.substance..Because.of.basic.differences.in.the.statutory.design.
of.FIFRA.and.TSCA,.however,.the.answer.under.FIFRA.is.considerably.clearer..As.
noted.above,.under.FIFRA.Section.3(c)(5)(D),.registration.decisions.depend.on.an.EPA.
determination.that.a.pesticide.“will.not.generally.cause.unreasonable.adverse.effects.on.
the.environment.”.In.making.this.determination.with.respect.to.nanoscale.substances,.
the.EPA.must.assess.whether.the.beneits.of.a.nanopesticide.outweigh.its.risks,.and.
must.determine.the.conditions.under.which.a.nanopesticide.may.be.registered.to.limit.
any.risks.appropriately..Factors.in.that.determination.include.the.composition.of.the.
nanopesticide,.and.claims.made.with.regard.to.its.application.and.eficacy..Because.
the.balancing.of.risks.and.beneits.of.a.nanopesticide.is.likely.different.from.that.for.a.
corresponding.registered.conventional.pesticide,.it.is.probable.that.the.EPA.would.take.
the.position.that.use.of.a.nanoscale.ingredient.in.place.of.its.conventional.counterpart.
in.a.registered.pesticide.would.require.the.need.to.submit.a.new.or.amended.registra-
tion..The.EPA.has.taken.no.oficial.position.on.this.issue,.however.
The.heart.of.the.EPA's.authority.under.FIFRA.to.regulate.nanopesticides.is.the.
registration.requirement.of.FIFRA.Section.3..FIFRA.prohibits.the.sale.or.distribu-
tion. of. unregistered. pesticides.. As. noted,. the. EPA. requires. registration. applicants.
to. develop. extensive. information. relevant. to. an. assessment. of. the. pesticide's. risks.
and.beneits..Thus,.through.registration.requirements,.the.EPA.can.prohibit.the.use.
of.nanopesticides.that.are.determined.to.present.“unreasonable.adverse.effects”.on.
.Nanotechnology. White. Paper. at. 66.. In. a. November. 2006. presentation. to. the. Pesticide. Program.
Dialogue. Committee,. a. federal. advisory. committee. that. provides. advice. and. recommendations.
to. OPP. on. pesticide. issues,. OPP. explained. that. FIFRA's. no. unreasonable. adverse. effects. ind-
ing. “must. be. made. regardless. of. size. and. whether. or. not. [a. product]. is. engineered. or. naturally.
occurring. (i.e.,. all. pesticide. products. are. held. to. the. same. standard).”. OPP,. Presentation. on.
Nanotechnology.to.the.Pesticide.Program.Dialogue.Committee.(Nov..9,.2006).at.22,.available.at.
http://www.epa.gov/oppfead1/cb/ppdc/2006/november06/session7-nanotec.pdf.
.For.a.more.detailed.review.of.nanotechnology.and.FIFRA,.see.ABA,.SEER,.The.Adequacy.of.FIFRA.
to.Regulate.Nanotechnology-Based.Pesticides.(May.2006),.available.at.http://www.abanet.org/envi-
ron/nanotech/pdf/FIFRA.pdf;. J.. Kuzma. and. P.. VerHage,. Nanotechnology. in. Agriculture. and. Food.
Production.—.Anticipated.Applications,.Woodrow.Wilson.International.Center.for.Scholars,.Project.
on.Emerging.Nanotechnologies.(September.2006)
