NRDC 'Cautiously Optimistic' That National Academy Of Sciences Will Reject Human Pesticide Studies

Statement by NRDC Senior Attorney Erik Olson On Today's EPA Human Testing Decision

Note: This afternoon the Environmental Protection Agency asked the National Academy of Sciences to address the issue of testing toxic pesticides on human subjects and report back to the agency. See the EPA press release for more information.

WASHINGTON (December 14, 2001) - "We are cautiously optimistic that the Environmental Protection Agency's decision today is the first step toward ending the chemical industry's immoral, illegal and unscientific tests of toxic pesticides on human subjects. If the National Academy of Sciences establishes a panel of eminent, unbiased scientists to review this issue, we are confident that they will advise EPA to reject these studies."

The Natural Resources Defense Council is a national, non-profit organization of scientists, lawyers and environmental specialists dedicated to protecting public health and the environment. Founded in 1970, NRDC has more than 500,000 members nationwide, served from offices in New York, Washington, Los Angeles and San Francisco.