Barbara Boxer: “Dear Senator Boxer: Thank you for the opportunity to express the views of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on…”

“Dear Senator Boxer: Thank you for the opportunity to express the views of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on your amendment to the appropriations bill for the Department of Defense. This amendment would prohibit the expenditure of funds for the preventative application of certain categories of hazardous pesticides in areas owned or managed by the Department of Defense, if the area may be used by children. Examples of such areas include: parks, base housing, recreation centers, and day care facilities. The EPA strongly supports the goal of the proposed amendment to prevent unnecessary exposure of children to highly hazardous pesticides. We consider protection of children from unnecessary exposure to pesticides to be one of our highest priorities. Before EPA registers a new pesticide for any use, we evaluate its potential human health effects, including effects on children, using the best scientific data available. We conduct an extensive scientific evaluation to ensure that pesticides will not cause short-term effects, such as skin and eye irritation, or more persistent effects, such as birth defects, reproductive system disorders, and cancer.”