EPA postpones glyphosate SAP panel in face of industry criticism
A few days before the hearing, EPA issued a notice saying it was postponing the meetings “due to recent changes in the availability of experts for the peer review panel.” The agency declined to elaborate, but in later statements said one of the SAP members had voluntarily withdrawn from participation.
October 20, 2016
The Environmental Protection Agency postponed the Scientific Advisory Panel scheduled to review its position on glyphosate after CropLife America accused one of the SAP members of being biased against the use of pesticides.
The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act Scientific Advisory Panel was scheduled to meet in Arlington, Va., this week (Oct. 18-21) for hearings to review EPA’s findings glyphosate is “probably not carcinogenic to humans.”
A few days before the hearing, EPA issued a notice saying it was postponing the meetings “due to recent changes in the availability of experts for the peer review panel.” The agency declined to elaborate, but in later statements said one of the SAP members had voluntarily withdrawn from participation.
Crop Life America, the organization representing the nation’s pesticide manufacturers, had said one of the panel members, Dr. Peter Infante, demonstrated repeated bias in statements about pesticides and pesticide studies and cited a ruling in which a federal district court disqualified his testimony.
“EPA is legally obligated to exclude scientists from the SAP whose conflicts of interest or established biases preclude their ability to contribute impartially to the panel’s final report,” CropLife officials said. “CLA therefore respectfully opposes the selection of Dr. Peter Infante, whose patent biases should disqualify him from service on the SAP.
“CLA also asks EPA to take note of certain information regarding Dr. Kenneth Portier and confirm his ability to participate without any pre-formed conclusions, although it does not seek his disqualification.”
Pattern of biased analysis
In a letter to EPA, CropLife said federal courts have concluded that Dr. Infante, a former scientist with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, “has engaged in a pattern of biased, results-oriented analysis that disqualified consideration of his opinions.