US experts to review agchems/endangered species

The US National Academy of Sciences (NAS) has selected a committee of experts to review scientific and technical issues that have arisen from the review of risks from pesticides to endangered species. Meetings are due to start this autumn. The heads of four government departments called on the NAS to convene the committee earlier this year ( Agrow No 612, p 15). The request came from the EPA, the USDA, and the Departments of Commerce and the Interior. The latter two include the National Marine Fisheries Service and the Fish and Wildlife Service, respectively, which are the agencies that must consult the EPA on pesticide risks under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). There has been considerable criticism of the ESA consultation process by industry and farming groups ( Agrow passim).