Pesticides and Other Biocides 2021

Pesticides and Other Biocides Position - Study Completed 2021 - Position Adopted 2023

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The League of Women Voters of Oregon affirms that pesticides and other biocides should be managed as interrelated parts of life-supporting ecosystems, and their use should be controlled in order to preserve the physical, chemical and biological integrity of ecosystems and to protect public health, and that agriculture policies should promote farm practices that are environmentally sound and sustainable.

LWVOR Supports:

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• Initial pesticide and biocide testing for registration has proven insufficient for preventing harm. We recommend increased testing by governmental agencies and third parties. We must identify and weigh benefits that balance safety versus toxicity, protecting food security while safeguarding public health and the environment.  

• Decisions for testing should be based upon a timeframe between 5 to10 years, or as new scientific data dictates. Varying weather conditions can greatly influence pesticide drift, impacting nearby bodies of water, schools, and communities including agricultural workers. The registrant of the Pesticide or Biocide currently bears the burden of proof for safety however the current regimen of tests is insufficient.

• When approving the use of a Pesticide or Biocide we must consider: Risk to humans, animals, the environment, economic harm, cost to business, impact on food security, and the spread of invasive species and disease.

• Pesticide labels should be improved to include: Regulations restricting use, hazards of use, best practices of use to minimize harm. Labels should be clearly written and easy to see and understand in multiple languages and use graphics to clarify explanations.

• Federal and state agencies bear the responsibility for pesticide policy, based on research by pesticide manufacturers. These government agencies should also contribute to pesticide research with support from other groups.

• We support using adaptive pesticide management, focusing on continual observation of current regulatory practice outcomes. As scientific advances reveal environmental and health impacts, as well as impacts on food security, the system should include the ability to rapidly react to new risk assessment data.