The Texas Pesticide Information Network (Texas PIN) was formed in 1998 to promote better public understanding of how pesticides are used in Texas and of how pesticide use affects human health and the environment. Through research, reports, networking, advocacy and other means, Texas PIN seeks to inform Texans about when, where and what types of pesticides are used in Texas and about why Texas needs a system to track both agricultural and non-agricultural pesticide use.
Our environmental agencies do not know where, how much or when pesticides are introduced into the Texas environment. Current federal and state laws require industries that release toxic chemicals to land, water or air to report those releases to environmental oversight agencies. This information, which is fully available to the public, is then used by the agencies and others to more effectively implement toxic pollution control programs. These reporting requirements, however, do not apply to pesticides. Thus, we have only rough estimates of how pesticides are used in agriculture and virtually no systematic information about non-agricultural uses, such as application to parks, schools, golf courses and highway right-of-ways. Although several categories of pesticide applicators are required to keep records of pesticide use, those records do not have to be reported to environmental agencies.
Lack of information on pesticide use impairs the effective and efficient implementation of existing laws for the protection of drinking water quality, human health, food safety and fish and wildlife habitat from pesticide contamination.
We believe Texas needs a pesticide use reporting system—such as those available in other states—to provide the type of information essential for full and effective implementation of laws designed to protect human health and the environment from pesticide contamination.
Please refer to our December 1998 Policy
Position Statement for a more detailed discussion.
The Texas Pesticide Information Network held a statewide conference on pesticide use in Texas September 11, 1999 in Houston, co-hosted by Texans for Alternatives to Pesticides. A Conference Report summarizing the issues discussed at the conference workshops is now available in pdf format. Click here for more information on the conference including the agenda and speaker biographies. Send us an e-mail if you would like more information: mek@texascenter.org
If you are not already on our e-mail/fax update list, but would like to be, please send us an e-mail at wongba@consumer.org with your contact information and areas of interest and we will add you to our regular distribution list.
Regulatory Agencies
