5-10 IAN 2 Laws for 1

 It doesn’t happen often in Congress these days but the House agriculture committee unanimously passed the reducing regulatory burdens act. There’s legislation that would make it clear that  if pesticide  users follow current law that regulates pesticide use, they would not also need an additional Clean Water Act permit. “This legislation is a very narrow fix to a court case that said farmers might need a Clean Water Act permit to use pesticides. What this legislation also does is ensure that farmers, as long as they follow the label uses of pesticides, will shield farmers from any litigation.” American Farm Bureau regulatory specialist Don Parrish says adding another permit requirement would do nothing to further protect the environment. “EPA has always registered pesticides. When they register them, they label them as to how they are supposed to be used and they license them to be sold. All of that takes into consideration how to be protective of the environment. A Clean Water Act permit would be duplicative.  It would add administrative burden to the people who have to get the permit, it also adds administrative burden to EPA, and to states and through a whole chain of other people at local governments.”  That’s because states would have to pay for the personnel to issue and enforce the permits. He says farms, communities and government agencies that control pests like mosquitoes, gypsy moths, and zebra mussels would all be affected.  “ It’s all cost and no benefit. You can be protective of the environment, you can take into account all the things it takes to protect human health and safety in water and flora and fauna with the pesticide registration process.”