Pesticides and Other Biocides
Published 2021 by the League of Women Voters of Oregon
Updated 2023
Consensus Timeline:
End of October: Local Leagues should plan to complete their consensus.
Local Leagues: Please submit your consensus to the office at lwvor@lwvor.org.
Mid-November: Local Pesticides/Biocides consensus reports are due to LWVOR
November: the study committee tabulates results
December: Member Agreement Committee drafts a position statement
January ’22: LWVOR Board approves the position
For more information on the Member Agreement Committee, contact Alice Bartelt, Action Committee Chair.
The LWVOR Board adopted a completed restudy of the Pesticides and Other Biocides position on January 19th, 2023.
You can find the downloadable copy of the position here.
Resources
LWVPDX: Pesticides:
Balancing Benefits and Risks
Presented September 14, 2021
The League of Women Voters of Portland presents a panel discussion on what Oregonians should know about pesticides.
Produced By:
League of Women Voters of Oregon
Study Committee Chair:
Co-Chair:
Members:
Jennifer Carloni
Debby Garman
Kathleen Hersh
Josie Koehne
Susan Mates
Donna Michel
Acknowledgements:
We would like to thank the individuals who reviewed this document for their time and expertise, and the LWVOR program directors who oversaw our work: Kevin Masterson, Professor Richard Fenske, Michael Odenthal, Professor Jeffrey Jenkins, Sheila McGinnis, and Karan Kuntz. We would also like to thank the numerous individuals who donated their time to be interviewed, providing us with detailed information about the regulations and science involved in biocides and other pesticides in the state of Oregon. Finally, we would like to thank Sarah Andrews and Amanda Crittenden for formatting and graphics.
The use of pesticides is a balancing act between advantages and disadvantages. Understanding the impacts, both beneficial and adverse, requires a broad overview of prevailing policy and the effects that policy has had. This study reviews the environmental and health costs and benefits of pesticide use, the current state of regulation at the federal, state, and local level, and the practices and precautions presently in place for their use. It reviews potential improvements to regulations and changes to practices that could improve outcomes and protect the environment and human health while maintaining a stable, safe, and reliable supply of foods and other farmed products.
Five key areas of pesticide development, use, and policy were identified for review and potential improvements:
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Education, training, and labeling
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Transparency and information gathering
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Funding, research, and evaluation
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Adaptive management and Integrated Pest Management
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Burden of proof and the precautionary principle.
View Complete
Study Archive
Here