How is pesticide use controlled in the United States?

All pesticide use in the US is regulated via a complex system of registration and review under the auspices of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The governing legal act for product registration and use is the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rotenticide Act (FIFRA). The initial version of this act was passed in 1947, for implementation by the USDA. It required chemicals to be registered but provided no means of controlling use. It was not until 1972 that amendments were made to FIFRA to provide mechanisms for risk-benefit analysis and use restrictions, with control handed over to the newly formed EPA. Today, chemical manufacturers bear the burden of proposing new chemicals, testing their toxicity and presenting the case for their use. EPA scientists and other staff are responsible for evaluating the manufacturer’s case and making decisions on where and when a chemical may be used and how it should be applied.