HOUSE BILL REPORT
HB 2593
BYRepresentatives Belcher, Rust, Dellwo, Jacobsen, Pruitt, Prentice, Fraser, Leonard, Nutley, Locke, R. Fisher, Cole, Vekich, Phillips and Brekke
Modifying requirements for registration of pesticides.
House Committe on Environmental Affairs
Majority Report: The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass. (11)
Signed by Representatives Rust, Chair; Valle, Vice Chair; D. Sommers, Ranking Republican Member; Brekke, Fraser, Phillips, Pruitt, Schoon, Sprenkle, Van Luven and Walker.
House Staff:Rick Anderson (786-7114)
Rereferred House Committee on Appropriations
Majority Report: The substitute bill by Committee on Environmental Affairs be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass. (16)
Signed by Representatives Locke, Chair; H. Sommers, Vice Chair; Belcher, Brekke, Dorn, Ebersole, Ferguson, Hine, Peery, Rust, Sayan, Spanel, Sprenkle, Valle, Wang and Wineberry.
Minority Report: Do not pass. (8)
Signed by Representatives Grant, Vice Chair; Silver, Ranking Republican Member; Youngsman, Assistant Ranking Republican Member; Bowman, Doty, May, McLean and Nealey.
House Staff: Karl Herzog (786-7271)
AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS FEBRUARY 5, 1990
BACKGROUND:
Federal law requires that pesticides be registered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) before the pesticide can be sold. Before the EPA registers a new pesticide product, the pesticide must be tested for its potential to cause cancer, birth defects, and other acute or chronic symptoms. In 1988, Congress passed legislation requiring pesticides registered before 1984 to be re-registered and to receive the same level of testing as new pesticide products. Such testing must be completed within nine years.
State law regarding the registration and application of pesticides is administered by the Department of Agriculture. With certain exceptions, the Pesticide Control Act requires every pesticide distributed within the state to be registered annually with the department. It also requires that pesticide dealers, dealer managers, and pest control consultants be licensed. State law also requires persons who commercially apply pesticides on the lands of others to be licensed as pesticide applicators.
Pesticides are cross media pollutants that can have harmful effects if they occur in high enough concentrations in the air, water, land, or food supply. According to the Department of Ecology, little information has been accumulated on the environmental effects of pesticides in Washington state. However, preliminary testing indicates that low levels of pesticides are present in some wells, and that a very small percentage of foods sold in the state have pesticide residues exceeding federal regulations.
Due to increased public awareness of the harmful effects of pesticides, alternative practices of pest control are increasingly being developed and used.
SUMMARY:
SUBSTITUTE BILL: Washington State University must develop a plan to create a sustainable agriculture program. The program will contain a number of elements relating to integrated pest management practices. By December, 1990, the university must report to the Legislature on the plan and the cost of the program.
A 19 member task force is created to address issues related to roadside spraying of pesticides. The task force consists of legislators, agencies, and environmental and business groups. The task force must report to the Legislature by December, 1990.
To reduce the amount of unused pesticides, the Department of Agriculture may limit the size of home and garden pesticide containers.
SUBSTITUTE BILL COMPARED TO ORIGINAL: The original bill: 1) canceled the registration of highly toxic chemicals; 2) banned aerial spraying in specified areas; 3) subjected roadside spraying of pesticides to the provisions of the State Environmental Policy Act; 4) created a sustainable agriculture program within Washington State University; 5) promoted the use of alternative pest control strategies; 6) allowed the Department of Agriculture to limit the size of home pesticide containers; and 7) appropriated $50,000 to Washington State University.
The substitute bill: 1) requires Washington State University to develop a plan to create a sustainable agriculture program; 2) creates a task force to study roadside spraying issues; 3) allows the Department of Agriculture to limit the size of home pesticide containers; and 4) appropriates $40,000 to the Department of Ecology.
CHANGES PROPOSED BY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS: None.
Appropriation: $40,000 is appropriated to the Department of Ecology from the General Fund.
Fiscal Note: Requested February 2, 1990.
House Committee ‑ Testified For: (Environmental Affairs) Representative Jennifer Belcher, prime sponsor; Senator Arlie DeJarnatt; Dennis Reed; George Finch, United Farm Workers of Washington; Margaret Hue, Tri-Act; Jim Geiger; David Lascheid; Susan Doner; Peat Eriksen; Rick Bunch, Washington Public Interest Research Group; and Cha Smith, Washington Toxics Coalition.
(Appropriations) No one.
House Committee - Testified Against: (Environmental Affairs) Representative Max Vekich; Representative Margarita Prentice; Mark Triplett, Washington Agribusiness Coalition; Bob Verburg, Washington Agribusiness Coalition; Pete Romano, Washington Agribusiness Coalition; Ray Shindler, Pacific Northwest Aerial Applicators Alliance; and Mike Schwisow, Department of Agriculture.
(Appropriations) No one.
House Committee - Testimony For: (Environmental Affairs) The use of certain pesticides needs to be eliminated or greatly reduced due to the debilitating human health effects believed to be caused by pesticides. Aerial spraying is difficult to control, can cause substantial crop damage, and should be restricted in certain areas. Pesticides are misused and over-applied in urban areas.
(Appropriations) None.
House Committee - Testimony Against: (Environmental Affairs) More time is needed to implement the pesticide legislation that passed last year.
(Appropriations) None.