Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA)

Sets regulations for the sale, distribution and use of pesticides in the U.S.  

P.L. 80-44 (June 25, 1947), as amended, is the basic authority that requires the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate the sales and uses of pesticides. The federal government began regulating pesticides in 1910 for the purpose of preventing the exploitation of farmers from adulterated and ineffective products. The original 1947 FIFRA was the first effort to address potential risks to human health. FIFRA was completely revised in 1972 (P.L. 92-516) to become the basis for current federal policy. The law directs EPA to restrict the use of pesticides to prevent unreasonable adverse effects on people and the environment taking into account the costs and benefits of various uses. The sale of any pesticide is prohibited unless it has gone through registration and is labeled to show the approved uses and restrictions.