Pests destroy our food supply and threaten public health by spreading deadly diseases. We must use pesticides to control these pests and our industry has a moral and ethical obligation, as well as a government mandate, to know how these products impact humans.

EPA responded to its Congressional mandate and the rule provides assurance that these studies, while limited in number, can be conducted safely at the highest ethical standards established by Congress and by international convention.

Employing proper chemical handling practices, such as the use of personal protective equipment and adhering to the re-entry intervals prescribed by pesticide product labels is required by federal law to protect the health of farmers and farm workers.

Pesticides are thoroughly tested using EPA's best science to determine the proper conditions and instructions for their safe and effective use. Pesticide products must pass more than 120 health, safety and environmental tests to ensure their safety and effectiveness before being granted registration by EPA.

We support a vigorous program of enforcement by state and federal officials to ensure that our products are used safely. Today's actions by the state of Florida demonstrate that regulatory officials continue to monitor and enforce the nation's rigorous pesticide laws. By following EPA's rules, we are confident that both public health and the environment are protected. This is proof that the regulatory system works and violators will not be tolerated.

We believe it has the potential to establish ethical and scientific safeguards and uniform standards to protect research subjects and improve the risk assessment process.