New York Attorney General - The federal government should require pesticide manufacturers to fully disclose their "inert'' ingredients since they may pose serious health risks.

..the report found that more than 200 chemicals used as inert ingredients, though not (considered) active when used in a particular pesticide product, are classified as hazardous environmental pollutants under federal environmental statutes.

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Subject:   Spitzer Targets Pesticide "Labeling"----
Date:       Fri, 25 Aug 2000 09:34:31 -0400
From:        Stephen Tvedten <steve@getipm.com>
Organization:     Get Set Inc. (www.getipm.com)

To:     Paul Helliker <phelliker@cdpr.ca.gov>
          Director, State of California, Department of Pesticide Regulation 

Dear Mr. Helliker, I thought you might like to read an article entitled: Spitzer targets pesticide labeling - By ANNY KUO, Associated Press - First published: Thursday, August 24, 2000.

ALBANY -- The federal government should require pesticide manufacturers to fully disclose their "inert'' ingredients since they may pose serious health risks, state Attorney General Eliot Spitzer said Wednesday.

A report released by Spitzer's office found that nearly three-fourths of consumer pesticide products in New York list more than 95 percent of their content as inert ingredients, which don't have to be identified.

Under federal law, only active ingredients are required to be individually listed by name and percentage. Labels can have just one lumped percentage figure for all inert ingredients combined.

Only 10 percent of 113 pesticide products surveyed by the attorney general's office in 1999 listed any inert ingredients on their labels, the report said.

In addition, the report found that more than 200 chemicals used as inert ingredients, though not (considered) active when used in a particular pesticide product, are classified as hazardous environmental pollutants under federal environmental statutes.

More than 20 of the "inerts'' are on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's list of priority pollutants found at Superfund sites, and 14 are considered "extremely hazardous substances,'' the report said. 

While active ingredients target specific pests, sometimes it is the inert ingredients that can be more harmful to humans and to the environment said Michael Surgan, Spitzer's chief scientist and the report's co-author. For instance, Toluene, used in some pesticides, is considered an inert ingredient but can cause skin and eye irritation or abdominal pain.

Well Mr. Helliker, How in the hell can you continue to pretend to "register" these deadly POISON compounds and continue to ignore all of their more deadly "inerts"?

Respectfully, Stephen l. Tvedten

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