Pesticide Spraying

Pesticide Spraying

Pesticide Spraying. I'm Greg Martin with today's Line On Agriculture.

The House was considering legislation this week to limit EPA regulation of pesticide spraying in or near navigable waters. The bipartisan bill is a response to an earlier court ruling that EPA could require permits under federal law for pesticide discharges into navigable waters. American Farm Bureau's Don Parish.

PARISH: If you have a FIFRA label pesticide and you spray over water you need a Clean Water Act permit and never in the history of the Clean Water Act has EPA required that but this is trying to correct that.

Parish claims the bill still protects water quality - since it prevents pesticide applications that violate the federal insecticide, fungicide and rodenticide act - or stem from industrial or other discharges.

PARISH: All of the toxicology issues that are associated with protecting aquatic life and making sure that pesticides are labeled and licensed properly in the FIFRA process and we think this would kind of eliminate a redundant layer of bureaucracy.

And Parish says if let stand - the court's ruling would be felt beyond agriculture.

PARISH: This creates a liability and a problem. It also creates the specter of not being able to be responsive to mosquito outbreaks and disease outbreaks at a time when you need to be very in control. Any type of vectors as it relates to disease outbreaks.

That's today's Line On Agriculture. I'm Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.

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