Which federal law empowers the EPA to regulate pesticide use?

• A. FIFRA
• B. CERCLA
• C. CWA
• D. TSCA

Answer: (A)

Pesticide use is regulated through a system of registration and labeling that the EPA enforces, ensuring products are safe and effective when used as directed. This authority comes from FIFRA, the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, which requires pesticides to be registered with the EPA and to carry labels specifying how, where, and for what purposes they can be used. The agency can approve or deny registrations, require label changes, or suspend or cancel products to protect people and the environment. Other laws address different areas: CERCLA focuses on cleaning up hazardous substances after contamination, CWA governs discharges into water bodies, and TSCA covers the manufacture and handling of chemical substances broadly, but they do not establish the pesticide-use regulatory framework that FIFRA provides. Therefore, the correct law is FIFRA.