By KEVIN WALKER
Michigan Correspondent
 
WASHINGTON, D.C. — A bill designed to lessen the amount of environmental paperwork for pesticide applicators passed out of the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee last week.

Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) praised passage of House Resolution 872, the Reducing Regulatory Burdens Act of 2011. “The Agriculture Committee must remain committed to finding bipartisan solutions to the challenges facing our farmers and agriculture producers,” she said. “Today, the committee reported out a measure to help address a double-permitting process that is widely regarded as duplicative and unnecessarily burdensome.

“This measure will allow the EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) to continue moving forward with its strong protections of our nation’s waters, while eliminating excessive paperwork and red tape for farmers and ranchers. I have long fought to protect our waters and will continue to protect our lakes and waterways, while giving producers and small businesses the certainty they need to invest in growth and innovation.”

The National Corn Growers Assoc. (NCGA) was also happy with this latest development.

“NCGA greatly appreciates the work of Senate Ag Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow and members of the committee to pass this important legislation,” said President Bart Schott. “We are pleased to see both the Senate and House understand the significance of this bill and how farmers could be impacted by NPDES permits for pesticides.”

NPDES stands for the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System. It’s a kind of permit some businesspeople, including farmers, have to obtain depending on their situation.

According to information obtained from the National Cotton Council (NCC), this situation arose out of a 2009 Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling in National Cotton Council v. EPA. That decision vacated a 2006 EPA rule that stated the application of a pesticide for its intended purpose does not also require a separate permit under the federal Clean Water Act.

Pesticide applicators are required to comply with any label requirements or restrictions already placed on the use of a pesticide under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA).

In April, the EPA released its draft final general permit for pesticide applications; the court-ordered deadline for the agency to implement the new process for pesticides was moved to Oct. 31. If the court mandate is not reversed, pesticide applicators would have to get the NPDES permit. Public officials could also be affected if they use pesticides to treat an area for mosquitoes.

Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), ranking member of the Agriculture Committee, praised passage of the bill.

“I have urged Chairwoman Stabenow to take action on this legislation for some time now and I am pleased this legislation is finally moving forward,” he said. “This bill will eliminate a double layer of red tape that ultimately costs producers and consumers, and I stand ready to protect public health and reduce duplicative regulations by moving this bill to the Senate floor.”

The House passed this bill on March 31 by a vote of 292-130. After last week’s Senate vote, House Agriculture Committee Chair Frank Lucas (R-Okla.) urged Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to bring the bill to the floor for a vote.