Legislation to Stop Redundant Pesticide Permitting Requirements

Legislation to Stop Redundant Pesticide Permitting Requirements

I’m KayDee Gilkey with today’s Northwest Farm and Ranch Report.

U.S. Senators Pat Roberts and Mike Johanns have renewed their fight against the EPA’s expanded pesticide permit requirement for spraying pesticide in or near water under the Clean Water Act. This new legislation will ensure that Clean Water Act permits are not needed for the applications of pesticides currently registered under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act.

American Farm Bureau Federation’s Paul Schlagle shares more

Schlagle: “Though it is steps that are going to be burdensome to state agencies and the federal permitting process; it doesn’t need to be done. The second question we are concerned about the potential liability a farmer could face if they are doing something completely lawful and yet they may have a legal liability.

While unlawful discharges could bring more than 37-thousand dollars a day in EPA fines. Compounding the dilemma - Schalgle says EPA is still moving to broaden the definition of U.S. waters - raising concern farmers could be sued for spraying even near potholes.

Schlagle: “One of the outstanding questions is if the EPA goes ahead with their guidance document on what a water of the United States is, what are the implications for that in this issuance. That is one of our great concerns.”

EPA now requires 35-thousand farm and non-farm applicators a year to get permits - at a cost it puts 50-million to states, local entities and applicators.