Apr 23, 2024EPA Herbicide Strategy update aims to increase grower flexibility
An update on the EPA’s draft Herbicide Strategy includes improvements aimed at increasing flexibility for growers and reducing mitigations that may be needed by growers.
The changes are expected to be included in the final strategy, required to meet agency obligations under the Endangered Species Act and expected to be released by Aug. 30.
The update, available for download online, came in response to more than 18,000 public comments, including those filed by the National Potato Council last fall.
“Beyond the overriding policy shift to the precautionary principle and the unreasonable timelines, this proposal is characterized by its chaotic nature and the potential jeopardy it places upon growers,” the NPC said in the submitted comments (.pdf).
Ben Sklarczyk, NPC vice president of Environmental Affairs, said the update indicated a positive step.
“Based on the update provided, we are optimistic that EPA is listening to industry concerns to make any strategy simple to understand and implement,” Sklarczyk said in a statement. “It also appears that additional conservation practices utilized by our growers are being included in the list of recognized mitigations to minimize spray drift and surface water runoff by EPA.
“We await the final rule to fully understand how these revisions will reduce the burden on our growers.”
