A Move that Could Restrict Access to a Critical Crop Protection Tool
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today that it is revising its registration for atrazine, a well-studied herbicide essential to farming.
“We are disappointed by EPA’s decision,” said Iowa farmer and National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) President Chris Edgington. “We can feed and fuel the world and fight climate change, but we can’t do these things without modern farming tools, and atrazine is a tool that is critical to our work.”
The new labeling requirements will impose arduous new restrictions and mitigation measures on the herbicide, limiting how much of the product farmers use.
The latest development marks a step backward in EPA’s commitment to transparency and the use of the best available science, Edgington said. However, he noted that EPA listened to growers’ requests and agreed to additional scientific review. Edgington said NCGA is committed to working with EPA in that process.
The proposal will now enter a 60-day public comment period.