Recent and current EPA good laboratory practice policy issues.

Abstract

The Policy and Grants Division of the Office of Compliance Monitoring and specifically the Pesticides Enforcement Policy Branch (PEPB) of that division were active in policy issues affecting GLPs throughout the past year. Among the products have been a number of correspondences which have been made available to the regulated community--edited to preserve the confidentiality of persons writing to the agency--as "advisories." In addition, the PEPB actively worked with members of the regulated community to assist in their compliance with the GLPs. These two areas, GLP policy guidance during the last year and compliance-assistance efforts, are discussed below. Note that recently there have been organizational changes at EPA, and policy issues originally covered by the Pesticides Enforcement Policy Branch are now addressed by the new Agriculture Branch of the Agriculture and Ecosystems Division. This division is in the Office of Compliance of the newly formed Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. This organizational change will not adversely affect EPA responsiveness on GLP policy matters.