Eugene, Oregon -- Pointing to toxic, secret "inert" ingredients in pesticide products, a coalition of 180 organizations today demanded that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) require disclosure of all ingredients on pesticide product labels. The groups filed a petition to change the national pesticide law's regulations.

"Pesticides are hazardous by design and virtually everyone is exposed to them," said Norma Grier, executive director of the Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides, one of the coalition groups. "It's time EPA required the pesticide industry to tell the whole truth about what's actually in their products."

Over 2,500 inert ingredients are routinely added to pesticide products. Many inerts are toxic or hazardous. Inerts can constitute up to 99 percent of a pesticide formulation, yet are rarely disclosed on labels.

The petition documents how so-called "inerts" can harm human health and the environment. It also addresses major flaws in current policy that prevent EPA from adequately protecting the public. For instance, EPA claims it does not know anything about the toxicity of over 1,900 "inerts," even though EPA has previously registered 276 of those inerts as "active" ingredients in other pesticide products, and over 650 of the inerts are classified as "hazardous" under other environmental laws.

"The current system doesn't work," said Grier. "The best way to solve this problem is to ensure the public's right to know all ingredients in pesticide products."

EPA's 1996 Consumer Labeling Initiative found that consumers look positively upon detailed safety information on labels. In fact, consumers are more likely to buy a product with explicit warnings. In addition, label disclosure will encourage manufacturers to use less toxic pesticide ingredients. For these reasons, the petitioners believe that pesticide manufacturers will benefit from full disclosure.

The petitioners also point out that in 1996 two pesticide reform organizations won a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against the EPA in which the agency had wrongfully withheld information on the identities of inert ingredients in six pesticide products. The court found that the identities of inerts are not trade secret, and most are not confidential business information.

"EPA knows it has the authority to require manufacturers to list pesticide product ingredients," said Mike Axline, executive director of the Western Environmental Law Center, the law office that helped the groups develop their petition. "The evidence shows that manufacturers who disclose the ingredients in their products use tess toxic ingredients. It's a simple matter of putting the public's right to know ahead of the industry's desire for secrecy."

The 180 co-signers represent national, state and local environmental, consumer, labor, health, and religious organizations in 36 states.

Note to Editors: On the same day, the New York State Attorney General and attorneys general from seven other states and a territory petitioned EPA for a parallel rule change. For further information, contact: New York Attorney General Public Affairs Office at (518) 473-5525.

NCAP is a grassroots, regional organization that promotes sustainable resource management, prevention of pest problems, use of alternatives to pesticides, and the right to be free from pesticide exposure. Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides (NCAP); PO Box 1393; Eugene, OR 97440 (541) 344-5044

Western Environmental Law Center is a public interest environmental law firm representing grassroots citizen organizations who seek to enforce environmental laws. WELC; 1216 Lincoln Street; Eugene, OR 97401 (541) 485-2471; www.efn.org/~welc/