About the SAP

The FIFRA Scientific Advisory Panel (SAP) was created on November 28, 1975, pursuant to Section 25(d) of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), as amended by Public Law 94-140, Public Law 95-936, Public Law 96-539, and Public Law 104-170. The Panel has been reestablished administratively by the various public laws ((http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/7/ch6.html). In Public Law 104-170, the Food Quality Protection Act established a Science Review Board consisting of at least 60 scientists who will be available to the Scientific Advisory Panel on an ad hoc basis to assist in reviews conducted by the Panel (http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-PEST/1999/June/Day-09/p14358.htm).

This site contains materials which were made available to or produced by the FIFRA SAP. The meeting minutes (reports) posted on this site are the products of the FIFRA SAP and represent the views and recommendations of the FIFRA SAP, not the EPA. They do not represent information approved or disseminated by the EPA and, hence, do not necessarily represent the views and policies of the EPA, nor of other agencies in the Executive Branch of the Federal government, nor does mention of trade names or commercial products constitute a recommendation for use.

The FIFRA SAP is a Federal advisory committee operating in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (http://www.accessreports.com/statutes/FACA.htm). The Panel serves as the primary scientific peer review mechanism of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances and is structured to provide scientific advice, information and recommendations to the EPA Administrator on pesticides and pesticide-related issues as to the impact on health and the environment of regulatory actions
(http://www.fido.gov/facadatabase/committeemenu.asp?CID=15158). The major objectives are to provide recommendations on:

a. Methods to ensure that pesticides do not cause "unreasonable adverse effects on the environment," as defined in Section 2 (bb) of FIFRA.

b. The impact on health and the environment of matters arising under Sections 6(b), 6(c) and 25(a) of FIFRA.

c. EPA analyses, reports and operating guidelines to improve the effectiveness and quality of scientific analyses.

d. Guidelines to improve the effectiveness and quality of scientific testing and of data submitted to EPA.

e. Major scientific studies and issues in the form of a peer review.

f. The following regulatory actions:

(1) Notice of intent to cancel a pesticide registration or change its classification under
Section 6(b) (1) of FIFRA;

(2) Notice of intent to hold a hearing to determine whether or not a pesticide registration
should be canceled or its classification changed under Section 6 (b)(2) of FIFRA;

(3) Emergency orders immediately suspending registration of a pesticide before notification of the registrants pursuant to Section 6 (c) (3) of FIFRA; and

(4) Regulations to be issued under Section 25 (a) of FIFRA.

FIFRA requires that the Panel be composed of seven members appointed by the EPA Administrator, with nominees provided by the National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation. SAP members serve a four-year term, utilizing a system of staggered terms of appointment.

Open meetings of the SAP are held on average six times per year. The agenda items for the meetings are chosen by Division Directors of EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) at the beginning of the fiscal year, in consultation with the management of EPA, Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances. Emergency meetings may be called if the need
arises, such as in the case of a proposed pesticide cancellation.

For further information about the FIFRA SAP, please call the FIFRA SAP office at (202) 564-8450.

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