Pest Free Food Supply Act - Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to withdraw the proposed order published in the January 19, 2011, Federal Register that would phase out the authorized fluoride tolerances for the pesticide sulfuryl fluoride (resulting in the substance no longer meeting the safety standard under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act).
[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1496 Introduced in House (IH)]
113th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1496
To require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to
withdraw the proposed order published in the January 19, 2011, Federal
Register (76 Fed. Reg. 3422) pertaining to the pesticide sulfuryl
fluoride.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 11, 2013
Mr. Graves of Georgia (for himself, Mr. Schrader, Mr. Duncan of South
Carolina, Mr. Bishop of Georgia, Mr. Poe of Texas, Mr. Westmoreland,
Mr. LaMalfa, Mr. Crawford, Mr. Latta, Mr. Austin Scott of Georgia, Mr.
Southerland, Mr. Stutzman, Mr. Yoho, Mr. Valadao, and Mr. Broun of
Georgia) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Energy and Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to
withdraw the proposed order published in the January 19, 2011, Federal
Register (76 Fed. Reg. 3422) pertaining to the pesticide sulfuryl
fluoride.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
The Act may be cited as the ``Pest Free Food Supply Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds the following:
(1) The food and fiber supply in the United States is the
safest and most abundant and affordable bounty in the world due
to efficient application of science-based technologies through
the Nation's enduring heritage of farming and ranching.
(2) The Environmental Protection Agency (``EPA'') supported
the transition from methyl bromide as a fumigant for pest
eradication in 2005 under the Montreal Protocol.
(3) Sulfuryl fluoride was tested and found to be a safe and
viable broad-spectrum post-harvest alternative to methyl
bromide.
(4) In 2002, EPA presented the maker of sulfuryl fluoride
with a Stratospheric Ozone Protection Award.
(5) Sulfuryl fluoride has evolved into the industry
standard and is critical to elimination of pest contamination
on foods and further processed food products derived from
peanuts, cotton seed, cocoa beans, wheat, rice, corn, oats,
oilseeds, nuts, dried fruits, and many agricultural
commodities.
(6) Sulfuryl fluoride is also an important fumigant to
control pests in various food and agricultural processing
facilities.
(7) On January 19, 2011, EPA published in the Federal
Register a proposed order to revoke the previously approved
food uses for the fumigant sulfuryl fluoride.
(8) EPA issued the proposed order not because it would have
any meaningful effect on public health, but because of the
presence of excessively high levels of naturally occurring
fluoride in certain drinking water systems.
(9) Sulfuryl fluoride is the smallest contributor to total
fluoride exposure, and even EPA admits that ``the elimination
of sulfuryl fluoride does not solve, or even significantly
decrease, the fluoride . . . exposure problems''.
(10) The EPA has stated that, if sulfuryl fluoride is
``phased-out from use, industry will be left with few viable
sanitation alternatives''.
SEC. 3. DIRECT WITHDRAWAL OF JANUARY 19, 2011, FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICE
PERTAINING TO SULFURYL FLUORIDE.
The Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency shall
withdraw the proposed order published in the January 19, 2011, Federal
Register (76 Fed. Reg. 3422) pertaining to the pesticide sulfuryl
fluoride.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Power.
Llama 3.2 · runs locally in your browser
Ask anything about this bill. The AI reads the full text to answer.
Enter to send · Shift+Enter for new line