permaculture

[Victor Guest <vic@daena.eepo.com.au>]

FOR RELEASE:  TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1997

EPA RELEASES REPORT ON FINDINGS OF CONSUMER LABELING INITIATIVE

EPA is releasing an initial report on its Consumer Labeling Initiative
(CLI), a cooperative effort between EPA and a wide range of
stakeholders, launched in March 21, 1996 by Administrator Carol M.
Browner, to examine and improve the information contained on the
labels of home and garden pesticide and hard-surface cleaning
products.

The CLI aims to foster better public health protection and
pollution prevention, empower consumer choice and improve consumer
understanding of safe use and environmental and health information on
household consumer product labels.

The report discusses:  the results of preliminary qualitative research
designed to evaluate consumer understanding and use of product labels;
a summary of an extensive literature review of product labeling issues;
and a review of comments received by EPA from consumers, industry and
health and safety professionals on the objectives of the CLI.

Key findings in the report address the difficulties consumers have in
reading and understanding the environmental, health and safety use
information contained on product labels.  The report also outlines
recommendations for the second phase of the CLI to take place during
1997 and 1998.

The recommendations focus on the need to conduct subsequent
quantitative and additional literature review on labeling issues;
interim measures to improve the content of existing product labels;
and educational programs encouraging consumers to use labeling
information.

The report also highlights the unique structure of the
CLI, which is a voluntary EPA initiative in partnership with a federal
and state agency task force and consumer and environmental groups,
consumer product manufacturers and other interested parties.  The CLI
report is available on the Internet at
http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/labeling/phase1.

Reporters can call 202-260-4376 for hard copies.  Others can obtain
hard copies from either of two sources: 1) Pollution Prevention
Information Clearinghouse (for a single hard copy at no cost call
202-260-1023, leave voicemail to request by title; or fax request to
202-260-0178; or e-mail request to ppic@epamail.epa.gov.
The EPA ID# is EPA-700-R-96-001.)  2) National Technical Information
Service (for multiple copies call 703-487-4650.
The PB number for ordering copies through NTIS is PB97-117774.  There
is a charge for NTIS orders).