EPA Releases New Insecticide Strategy
EPA proposed a strategy Thursday, July 25th, to reduce insecticide exposure to hundreds of federally listed endangered species that includes a wide range of mitigation measures addressing spray drift and erosion. Click Here to read more about the Insecticide strategy.
The herbicide and insecticide strategies are similar, proposing menus of mitigation options growers can choose from to achieve the required species protection.
IFCA and ag groups have been critical of the approach from EPA. IFCA believes EPA’s current methods to assess risk are exceedingly conservative, often relying on unrefined models and very conservative assumptions in lieu of considering available relevant and reliable scientific and commercial data.
IFCA believes EPA needs to conduct proper risk assessments to ensure ag retailers and farmers are not being asked to adopt costly restrictions that are unnecessary to protect listed species, and we are not confident that is happening under this proposal. We are also concerned about how other aspects of the proposal, such as on-field mitigation, will work in safeguarding farmers’ ability to protect their crops.
As soon as more information on the insecticide and herbicide strategy becomes available, IFCA will pass it along to the membership.
The herbicide and insecticide strategies are similar, proposing menus of mitigation options growers can choose from to achieve the required species protection.
IFCA and ag groups have been critical of the approach from EPA. IFCA believes EPA’s current methods to assess risk are exceedingly conservative, often relying on unrefined models and very conservative assumptions in lieu of considering available relevant and reliable scientific and commercial data.
IFCA believes EPA needs to conduct proper risk assessments to ensure ag retailers and farmers are not being asked to adopt costly restrictions that are unnecessary to protect listed species, and we are not confident that is happening under this proposal. We are also concerned about how other aspects of the proposal, such as on-field mitigation, will work in safeguarding farmers’ ability to protect their crops.
As soon as more information on the insecticide and herbicide strategy becomes available, IFCA will pass it along to the membership.