No More People in Pesticide Studies, Senate Says

WASHINGTON — The Senate voted to block the Environmental Protection Agency from using studies that intentionally expose people to pesticides when considering permits for pest killers.

By a 60-37 vote, the Senate approved a provision from Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) that would block the EPA from relying on such testing -- including 24 human pesticide experiments currently under review -- as it approves or denies pesticide applications.

The Bush administration lifted a moratorium imposed in 1998 by the Clinton administration on using human testing for pesticide approvals. Under the change, political appointees are refereeing on a case-by-case basis any ethical disputes over human testing.

Source: Associated Press