EPA'S NEW PESTICIDE PROGRAM PERFORMANCE MEASURES ON THEIR WAY TO THE STATES --- Future funding of EPA's pesticide programs will depend on measuring those programs' benefits, which means that EPA wants the states to gather extensive supporting data. On state official, however, views the new performance measures as "guidance," and not necessarily mandatory. Agency officials discuss the measures with Insider, and address some of the issues being raised by state regulators. Includes a profile of Sherry Sterling , Senior OPP Advisor for Performance Measures.

USER-FRIENDLY PESTICIDE ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARD STATEMENTS COMING ---- The draft statements are intended to replace the technical, and usually confusing, language currently found on pesticides labels. Chris Wible, Scotts' Director of Regulatory Affairs North America, discusses the hazard statements, in particular, and the efforts of EPA's new label workgroup, in general. Includes a profile of Chris Wible.

PENDING GREEN SEAL STANDARD PROMPTS ANTIMICROBIAL INDUSTRY CONCERNS ---- ISSA seeks to neutralize a pending "green" certification program which would explicitly exclude the use of antimicrobial hand soaps by companies seeking to comply with Green Seal standards. According to ISSA, the proposal also contains confusing definitions for disinfectant and sanitizing products, and would create a certification monopoly.

JUDGE OVERTURNS CALIFORNIA'S METHYL BROMIDE EXPOSURE STANDARDS --- Following a recent court ruling, California's Department of Pesticide Regulation likely will need to re-issue stricter methyl bromide exposure standards. A grower group argues, however, that there isn't any health or safety problem with DPR's current standards, which already are much more stringent than EPA's methyl bromide standards.