Peterson Introduces Bill to Amend FIFRA and CWA

Collin Peterson (D-MN), House Agriculture Committee Chairman, introduced a bill to amend the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and the Clean Water Act (CWA) "to prohibit additional permits for pesticide application when pesticides are applied consistent with FIFRA" according to the House Committee on Agriculture's Press Release. 

In January 2009, "the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a 2006 EPA rule which specifically exempted permitting of certain pesticide applications from the CWA."  In National Cotton Council of America et al., v. United States Environmental Protection Agency, "the court ruled EPA did not have the authority under the CWA to exempt application of pesticides.  The court's decision marks a pre-emption of FIFRA by the CWA for the first time in the history of either statute."

Twelve other members of the House co-sponsored the bill, H.R. 6273, available here.

To read the Press Release, click here.

Posted: 10/01/2010