FSA State Committee named; extended comment period on spray drfit guidance
Washington Ag Today December 16, 2009 The Obama Administration has announced the individuals who will serve on the Washington Farm Service Agency State Committee. The State Committee members will oversee the activities of the agency to include carrying out the state agricultural conservation programs, resolving appeals from the agriculture community and helping to keep producers informed about FSA programs. Lennie Davis of Coulee City has been appointed Chairperson. Also appointed were Larry DeHaan of Lyndon, Steve Hair of Walla Walla, Don Olmstead Jr. from Grandview and Jesus Limon of East Wenatchee. According to Beau Greenwood - Executive Vice President of CropLife America, an industry trade group - it’s the vagueness of some of the language in EPA’s draft guidance that concerns agriculture and pesticide groups most. I’m Bob Hoff and that’s Washington Ag Today on the Northwest Ag Information Network.
The Environmental Protection Agency has extended the comment period on its draft guidance for new pesticide labeling to reduce off-target spray drift for an additional 60 days - from January 4th to March 5th of next year.
Greenwood: “They want to through a rule making change the underlying FIFRA standard of no unreasonable adverse effect and replace it with “could cause harm.” Most people are more aware of this concept as the precautionary principle and it is something that is in practice in Europe and is beginning to take hold among this Administration. And so it is our responsibility to continue to argue for the statutory requirements of FIFRA that says no unreasonable adverse effect. They want to simply say no drift allowed. That is an impossible standard."
