The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“PESTICIDE HARMONIZATION” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Agriculture was published in the Senate section on pages S9490 on July 16, 2003.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
PESTICIDE HARMONIZATION
Mr. BURNS. Mr. President, I rise today to express my support of S. 1406, which is pesticide harmonization legislation. I join my colleague, Senator Dorgan, as an original cosponsor of this legislation. I would like to commend Senator Dorgan and his staff, the Montana Grain Growers, the National Association of Wheat Growers, and our Montana Department of Agriculture for their willingness to work out the gritty details of this bill. It has been a long and laborious negotiation process, but I believe we have come up with legislation that is better for the farmers of this country.
In my home State of Montana and many other Western and Midwestern States, we have faced a number of trade disputes between Canada and the United States. One of the most glaring discrepancies deals with pesticides. Chemicals that are sold for one price just across the border in Canada are sold at a considerably higher cost to American producers. Why does this happen you may ask? The EPA places strong regulations on chemicals used in the United States and therefore, the chemical companies believe they should hike up the prices to pay for their trouble.
The chemicals sold in Canada and the United States, in most cases, have the exact same chemical makeup. The same company manufactures them but often gives them a different name and nearly always prices the American chemicals higher. The crops harvested at a lower production cost in Canada are now competing with American products. I am a strong believer in fair trade, but for free trade to actually occur, this problem must be addressed.
Currently, American farmers are facing a serious economic recession. Grain prices are the lowest they have been in a number of years and there does not appear to be a light at the end of the tunnel. Additionally, much of the West is looking at yet another year of drought. Also, fertilizer costs are skyrocketing with the ever-rising cost of natural gas. To top it all off, they are also being forced to pay twice as much for nearly the same chemicals as their foreign neighbors.
This bill would eliminate current obstacles and even the playing field for our farmers. The bill operates under a similar concept as the previous bills introduced, but many of the details have changed. The pesticide harmonization bill that is currently introduced, S. 332, had the States, not EPA, in charge of pesticide registrations. This new version has EPA in charge of the process. This eliminated some of the concerns of States, whose budgets would not allow these much-needed registrations to be completed. It also protects confidentiality of ingredients in the chemicals.
Our farmers and ranchers have been paying too much for their pesticides and chemicals for too long. From my years as a football referee, I learned everyone needs to follow the same rules to play the game. We need to make sure Canadian farmers and U.S. farmers are playing under the same rules. I believe this bill makes that happen. I look forward to working with my colleagues on this crucial issue to America's farmers and ranchers.
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