The EPA has completed less than 5% of its Endangered Species Act caseload in reviewing pesticides. Now the agency is proposing a new strategy for scrutinizing agricultural chemicals’ effects on listed species. The Environmental Protection Agency is renewing its approach to pesticide regulation to address its longstanding challenge of complying with the Endangered Species Act.
The agency made its draft herbicide strategy available for public comment last week. The “multi-chemical, multi-species approach” is part of a years-long plan by the EPA to author new guidelines that would facilitate compliance with the federal act and to avoid the costly litigation that has arisen from EPA's inability to meet its obligations.
Ya-Wei (Jake) Li, deputy assistant administrator for the EPA’s pesticides program in the agency’s chemicals office, said the new strategy proposes a suite of mitigation measures to reduce the exposure of listed plants and animals to agricultural herbicides.
“And try to prioritize how we can still keep the tools in the toolbox for farmers, while protecting the most vulnerable of endangered species,” said Li. “That's really our big picture goal right now.”
The mitigations include different requirements aimed at reducing pesticide transport via spray drift, runoff and erosion. The EPA would still conduct more thorough Endangered Species Act reviews for listed species not covered by the new strategy.
“Traditionally, we have tried to address this problem by evaluating the effects of each pesticide on each of over 1,600 endangered species in the U.S.,” Li said. “And so for each pesticide that takes anywhere between four to 15 years, and we currently have literally hundreds and hundreds of pesticides that we have to complete this review for.”
Source: iowapublicradio.org
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Categories: Iowa, Government & Policy, Sustainable Agriculture