Billmon: Paging Dr. Mengele

The Environmental Protection Agency's new rules on human testing, which the agency said last week would "categorically" protect children and pregnant women from pesticide testing, include numerous exemptions -- including one that specifically allows testing of children who have been "abused and neglected" . . .

In unveiling the new rules last week, the EPA promised full protection for those most at risk of unethical testing . . . But within the 30 pages of rules are clear-cut exceptions that permit:

• Testing of "abused or neglected" children without permission from parents or guardians.

• "Ethically deficient" human research if it is considered crucial to "protect public health."

• More than minimal health risk to a subject if there is a "direct benefit" to the child being tested, and the parents or guardians agree.

• EPA acceptance of overseas industry studies, which are often performed in countries that have minimal or no ethical standards for testing, as long as the tests are not done directly for the EPA.

The EPA provided little clarification yesterday in response to questions about the exemptions.

Baltimore Sun
Exceptions in New EPA Rules
Would Allow Testing Pesticides on Children
September 14, 2005