EPA Announces Food & Agriculture Security Document

News Date March 13, 2006

        The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released an important new homeland security resource document for government agencies and industries associated with the food and agriculture sector. This document describes the general federal roles and responsibilities for decontamination and disposal in response to animal, crop, and food incidents.
        Most decontamination and disposal actions are handled at the local level, not by the federal government. The EPA document can be a tool for further planning and preparedness for significant incidents that could disrupt the nation's food and agriculture sector. It describes key activities, lead and support agencies, and capabilities for a variety of threat scenarios. Summaries of pertinent federal statutes, plans for protecting this sector, and important government contacts are also provided. The document addresses incidents involving chemical or biological agents--radiological incidents are not addressed.
        For crop, animal, and food incidents, EPA has two primary roles. EPA has statutory responsibility for licensing or approving the sale and use of pesticides for decontamination and control of pathogens, or other pests, on crops or on environmental surfaces of livestock and food-related facilities and equipment. EPA also provides technical assistance in identifying, selecting, and locating appropriate waste handling options, identifying and addressing related environmental and health concerns, and working with the waste management industry to identify special measures that may help protect their personnel and the integrity of their facilities. Although the responsibility for issuing permits and for monitoring and enforcing compliance of municipal solid waste programs has been delegated to the states, EPA can take steps to assist in reaching the desired levels of environmental quality.
        The document is titled "Federal Food and Agriculture Decontamination and Disposal Roles and Responsibilities" and copies are available at http://www.epa.gov/homelandsecurity/pdfs/conops11222005.pdf. (Contact: Charlie Ingram)