Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act

The federal insecticide, fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) of 1972 was enacted in the United States to regulate the manufacture and use of pesticides, and represented a significant reworking of the existing law, which had been introduced in 1947. The most significant amendment was the Food Quality Protection Act of 1996, which requires potential and existing manufacturers to submit applications for licenses to produce goods for commercial use. The information required by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) includes the contents of any formulation, which is kept confidential, the tests that have been used to determine the safety of the product, and directions for use.

Federal law generally preempts state laws in connection with FIFRA to prevent unscrupulous manufacturers from taking advantage of loopholes or weaknesses in ...