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Pesticide Policy Issues (open access)

Pesticide Policy Issues

On August 3, 1996, President Clinton signed P.L. 104-170, which contains significant amendments to the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA). Although it does not repeal the Delaney Clause, the new law removes pesticide residues from its purview. It requires EPA to set "safe" tolerances for residues of pesticides on both raw and processed food to provide "a reasonable certainty of no harm" from exposure to the pesticide residue, other dietary residues, and non-food sources. It also will expedite pesticide registration under FIFRA for minor uses; improve data collection on the effect of pesticides in children's diets; and prohibit states from regulating food based on pesticide residue concentrations below recently established federal tolerances.
Date: December 4, 1996
Creator: Schierow, Linda-Jo
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
The 1995 Farm Bill: Research, Education, and Extension Issues (open access)

The 1995 Farm Bill: Research, Education, and Extension Issues

The House Agriculture Committee has proposed extending Title XVI of the 1990 farm act (P.L. 101-624) for two years. Currently, the title will expire at the end of 1995. The title includes funding authority for the U.s. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) in-house research programs, as well as federal support for cooperative research, higher education, extension programs in the States, and several research grant programs. This report discusses efforts underway to extend this title and reform future legislation. It also outlines federal spending in these areas.
Date: November 30, 1996
Creator: Rawson, Jean M.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Grazing Fees and Rangeland Management (open access)

Grazing Fees and Rangeland Management

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM, Department of the Interior) and the Forest Service (Department of Agriculture) manage approximately 70% of the 650 million acres of land owned by the federal government and many of these lands are classified as rangeland. Both agencies have well-established programs permitting private livestock grazing. The Administration issued new, controversial BLM rangeland management rules effective in August 1995. Supporters contended that the Administration's new rules were a step forward in sound resource management, but some believed they did not go far enough to protect rangelands and riparian areas. Many in the ranching community opposed the new rules, believing that they would ultimately reduce private livestock activity on federal lands, and increase operating costs. This report examines the debate over federal grazing management.
Date: December 4, 1998
Creator: Cody, Betsy A. & Baldwin, Pamela
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Food and Agriculture Issues in the 105th Congress (open access)

Food and Agriculture Issues in the 105th Congress

This report examines various budget issues regarding food and agriculture in the 105th Congress, examining recent developments and then taking a look a the context of those developments.
Date: December 28, 1998
Creator: Jones, Jean Y.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Food Biotechnology in the United States: Science, Regulation, and Issues (open access)

Food Biotechnology in the United States: Science, Regulation, and Issues

This report provides basic information on the science of food biotechnology. It discusses regulatory policies and issues of concern about the use of biotechnology to modify foods through genetic engineering. It describes the scientific processes used and current products available. It explains how all three major federal agencies - the Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Environmental Protection Agency - regulate these foods.
Date: June 2, 1999
Creator: Vogt, Donna U. & Parish, Mickey
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
The 'Terminator Gene' and Other Genetic Use Restriction Technologies (GURTs) in Crops (open access)

The 'Terminator Gene' and Other Genetic Use Restriction Technologies (GURTs) in Crops

Plant Genetic Use Restriction Technologies (GURTs) are a group of complex genetic transformations that insert a genetic "on-off switch" in plants to prevent the unauthorized use of genetic traits contained within. GURTs are one of the latest bioengineering products developed for agriculture, with over 30 patents issued in the United States and Europe since 1997. The current state of biotechnology may allow GURTs to be introduced into the commercial seed market in the next 5 to 7 years
Date: October 21, 1999
Creator: Segarra, Alejandro E. & Rawson, Jean M.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Conservation Spending in Agriculture: Trends and Implications (open access)

Conservation Spending in Agriculture: Trends and Implications

Conservation spending under various federal agricultural statutes has increased since the early 1980s, and the mix of activities that are funded has changed during this time period. These funds have become an increasingly important source of income to farmers. This report examines conservation program funding since FY1983 in the context of both changing conservation policies and programs, and other farm program sources of income to farmers. This report will be updated if events warrant. Conservation Spending in Agriculture: Trends and Implications
Date: October 6, 1999
Creator: Zinn, Jeffrey A.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Hog Prices: Questions and Answers (open access)

Hog Prices: Questions and Answers

This report discusses price changes in the pork industry. In late 1998, the lowest hog prices in decades created a crisis in the pork industry and prompted the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Congress to take a series of actions to assist producers, including direct cash payments, and the purchase of extra pork products to reduce market supplies. The industry sought additional aid as low prices persisted into 1999.
Date: December 15, 1999
Creator: Becker, Geoffrey S.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Pesticide Residue Regulation: Analysis of Food Quality Protection Act Implementation (open access)

Pesticide Residue Regulation: Analysis of Food Quality Protection Act Implementation

The Food Quality Protection Act of 1996 (FQPA) amended the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, governing U.S. registration, sale, and use of pesticide products, and the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, under which the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets allowable pesticide residue levels for food (tolerances). The FQPA directs EPA to ensure a "reasonable certainty of no harm" due to pesticide exposure and requires reevaluation of 33% of existing tolerances against this new safety standard by August 1999, 66% by August 2002, and 100% by August 2006. The Act direct
Date: August 3, 1999
Creator: Schierow, Linda-Jo
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Farm and Food Support Under USDA's Section 32 Program (open access)

Farm and Food Support Under USDA's Section 32 Program

This report discusses "Section 32", which is a permanent appropriation that since 1935 has earmarked the equivalent of 30% of annual customs receipts to support the farm sector through a variety of activities. Today, most of this sizeable appropriation (now about $5.7 billion per year) is simply transferred directly into the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA's) child nutrition account to fund school feeding and other programs.
Date: June 22, 1999
Creator: Becker, Geoffrey S.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Emergency Funding for Agriculture: A Brief History of Congressional Action, 1988-June 1999 (open access)

Emergency Funding for Agriculture: A Brief History of Congressional Action, 1988-June 1999

Between 1988 and June 1999, thirteen emergency supplemental or farm disaster acts provided a total of $17 billion in emergency funding for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs. The vast majority of this amount has gone directly to farmers, primarily in the form of disaster payments ($12.2 billion) to any farmer suffering a significant crop loss caused by a natural disaster, and "market loss" payments ($3.1 billion) to help grain, cotton, and dairy farmers recover from low farm commodity prices. The remaining $1.7 billion has gone to a wide array of other USDA programs, including those for other forms of farm disaster assistance, farm loans, and overseas food aid. Congress is expected to consider a multi-billion financial assistance package for farmers sometime this year.
Date: July 19, 1999
Creator: Chite, Ralph M.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA) (open access)

The Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA)

The Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA) of 1930 was enacted in 1930 to promote fair trading practices in the fruit and vegetable industry. Sellers must ship the quantity and quality of produce specified in their contracts, and buyers must accept shipments that meet contract specifications. PACA protections benefit not only growers who are generally sellers , but also a range of parties who are both buyers and sellers, including truckers, packers, processors,
Date: October 26, 1999
Creator: Branaman, Brenda
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
IMF and World Bank: U.S. Contributions and Agency Budgets (open access)

IMF and World Bank: U.S. Contributions and Agency Budgets

This paper shows how much the United States has contributed to these international agencies in recent years. It also shows how much the international agencies budget (and the source of those funds) for their administrative expenses and their operational budgets. This report will be updated periodically.
Date: December 9, 1999
Creator: Sanford, Jonathan E.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Ethanol and Clean Air: The "Reg-Neg" Controversy and Subsequent Events (open access)

Ethanol and Clean Air: The "Reg-Neg" Controversy and Subsequent Events

The Clean Air Act Amendments (CAAA), enacted in 1990, called for cleaner automotive fuels in order to upgrade air quality. This appeared to provide new market potential for ethanol, which is obtained from corn grown in the midwestern United States, and which is already in large-scale use in a blend of ten percent ethanol to ninety percent gasoline. The CAAA left specific details of the clean fuels program to be worked out by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in consultation with the interested parties.
Date: June 22, 1993
Creator: Segal, Migdon
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Air Quality: Impacts of Trip Reduction Programs on States and Affected Employers (open access)

Air Quality: Impacts of Trip Reduction Programs on States and Affected Employers

This report discusses employer trip reduction (ETR) programs, which would require large employers to implement certain transportation control measures as part of a national effort to combat air pollution, largely as a direct result of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990.
Date: August 18, 1993
Creator: Flechtner, Maura K. & Mayer, Susan L.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
California Air Quality FIP - A Fact Sheet (open access)

California Air Quality FIP - A Fact Sheet

On April 10, 1995, President Clinton signed P.L. 104-6, which contained a provision that rescinds the Federal air quality implementation plan (FIP) for the South Coast, Ventura, and Sacramento areas of California.(1) As a result, the FIP issued by EPA has no further force and effect, and California will continue pursuing approval of its own State implementation plan (SIP) in lieu of the FIP. Promulgation of the FIP was perceived by some within the State as having a detrimental effect on California's industries and economy resulting from costly and burdensome air pollution control measures contained in the plan.
Date: April 13, 1995
Creator: Mayer, Susan L.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Acoustic Thermometry of Ocean Climate: Marine Mammal Issues (open access)

Acoustic Thermometry of Ocean Climate: Marine Mammal Issues

After global warming became a concern in the mid-1950s, researchers proposed measuring deep ocean temperatures to reveal any significant trends in core ocean warming. Acoustic thermometry can detect changes in ocean temperature by receiving low-frequency sounds transmitted across an ocean basin because the speed of sound is proportional to water temperature. Acoustic Thermometry of Ocean Climate, or ATOC, is an international program involving 11 institutions in seven nations. It is designed as a 30-month "proof-of-concept" project to provide data on possible global climate change, with funding provided by the U.S. Department of Defense. A debate has arisen over ATOC's impact on marine mammals versus the benefits of better global warming information derived from ATOC. This report dicusses the ATOC program and related concerns.
Date: May 12, 1995
Creator: Buck, Eugene H.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Clean Air Option: Cash for Clunkers (open access)

A Clean Air Option: Cash for Clunkers

The Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 encourage states to pursue market-based approaches to improve air quality. An Accelerated Vehicle Retirement (AVR) program, commonly referred to as "Cash for Clunkers," is designed to provide an economic incentive for the owners of highly polluting vehicles to retire their automobiles permanently from use and to provide greater flexibility for private industry to reduce emissions by sponsoring such a program. The implementation of AVR programs can be controversial. This report discusses the AVR program debate and includes information on completed AVR pilot projects in selected states.
Date: September 16, 1996
Creator: Bearden, David M.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Nitrogen Oxides and Electric Utilities: Revising the NSPS (open access)

Nitrogen Oxides and Electric Utilities: Revising the NSPS

Under the Clean Air Act (CAA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) for emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) from utility boilers, combustion turbines, and combined-cycle units. The current NOx NSPS, set in 1979, does not reflect subsequent advancements in Nox control technology. As a part of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments,
Date: July 25, 1997
Creator: Parker, Larry
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Global Climate Change: Adequacy of Commitments Under the U.N. Framework Convention and the Berlin Mandate (open access)

Global Climate Change: Adequacy of Commitments Under the U.N. Framework Convention and the Berlin Mandate

This report discusses the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC) convened July 8-19, 1996, in Geneva, Switzerland.
Date: October 25, 1996
Creator: Morrissey, Wayne A.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Global Climate Change Treaty: Negotiations and Related Issues (open access)

Global Climate Change Treaty: Negotiations and Related Issues

This report discusses the negotiations leading the Kyoto conference of the parties. The United States and other parties to the 1992 Climate Change Convention signed at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro will meet December 1-12 in Kyoto, Japan, to conclude year-long negotiations on a legally binding protocol or amendment to reduce or stabilize emissions of greenhouse gas emissions. The U.S. proposal to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and five other greenhouse gases to 1990 levels between 2008-2012 is less ambitious than environmentalists and many other treaty Parties urge, but represents a commitment that others, including many in business, fear could damage the economy. A key aspect of the negotiations also is what should be expected of developing nations, whose current emissions of greenhouse gases are relatively small, but are expected to increase rapidly over the next decade with economic development. A sense of the Senate resolution calls for all countries to meet scheduled reductions, and would agree to U.S. participation only if harm to the domestic economy is avoided. If agreement is reached in Kyoto, Senate approval would be required for U.S. ratification, and legislation to implement commitments would also likely be necessary.
Date: November 21, 1997
Creator: Fletcher, Susan R.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Air Quality Standards: The Decisionmaking Process (open access)

Air Quality Standards: The Decisionmaking Process

The decisions by the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1997 to revise the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for ozone and particulate matter refocused attention on the criteria and the process by which these decisions are made Tracing the steps of the decision pieces, this report identifies the statutory criteria established by the Congress and summarizes the administrative procedures the Agency follows in setting these standards and in reviewing them every 5 years.
Date: June 24, 1998
Creator: Blodgett, John E.; Parker, Larry & McCarthy, James E.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Global Climate Change: The Role of U.S. Foreign Assistance (open access)

Global Climate Change: The Role of U.S. Foreign Assistance

This report discusses the role of U.S. foreign assistance to reduce emissions of the greenhouse gases that most experts believe cause global warming
Date: November 21, 1997
Creator: Tarnoff, Curt
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Air Quality and the New Ozone NAAQS: The OTAG Process (open access)

Air Quality and the New Ozone NAAQS: The OTAG Process

The Ozone Transport Assessment Group (OTAG) represented a cooperative effort between states, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and numerous stakeholders to address teh complex issue of ozone transport. However, opponents of the new ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) argue that the OTAG recommendations are far too vague and ambiguous to be cited by EPA as a basis for implementation. This report provides background on the effort, and summarizes OTAG's assessment and recommendations.
Date: July 30, 1998
Creator: Parker, Larry & Blodgett, John E.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library