New climate for pesticide rules

WASHINGTON - There is a climate of cautious optimism about the future of federal regulations for agricultural biotechnology because the Clinton administration demonstrated it could satisfy both the biotechnology industry and environmentalists when it published a final rule last month for the release of genetically engineered organisms.

The biotechnology industry and environmentalists are hoping for a repeat performance when the Clinton administration evaluates policies for reviewing and approving applications to commercialize genetically engineered organisms, and refines FDA food regulations and regulations mandated by the EPA's Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). ...