EPA received the brunt of the criticism from farm group representatives at a House Agriculture subcommittee hearing today focusing on the factors affecting the cost of producing the nation's food.

 

And there was plenty of criticism.

 

Jay Vroom, president of CropLife America, told the Subcommittee on Biotechnology, Horticulture, and Research that the agency has elevated “political science” above actual science. In particular, he mentioned both the April 19-21 meeting of a Scientific Advisory Panel convened by EPA to assess the value of epidemiological studies on chlorpyrifos exposure, and a finding by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), an arm of the World Health Organization, that glyphosate probably causes cancer in humans.

 

On chlorpyrifos, which has been used for decades as Lorsban or Dursban, EPA is relying on a study by the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health “that suggests a correlation between adverse health outcomes for some children allegedly exposed to the pesticide in cities.” But, he added, Columbia will not publicly release the raw data.

 

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