WASHINGTON, D.C. (AP) — The House has passed a Republican-backed measure reversing an EPA requirement that those spraying pesticides on or near rivers and lakes file for a permit.

The chamber voted largely along party lines May 24 to approve the Reducing Regulatory Burdens Act. The bill’s sponsors said the rule that requires a permit under the Clean Water Act before spraying pesticides is burdensome and duplicative. EPA already regulates pesticides under a different law.

Most Democrats opposed the bill, which they derided as a political favor to the chemical industry. Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) noted that pesticide-maker Dow Chemical donated $1 million to help support President Donald Trump’s inaugural festivities.

The bill heads to the GOP-dominated Senate, where supporters hope to send it on to Trump’s desk.

TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — The U.S. EPA says it won’t declare Ohio’s western end of Lake Erie impaired by toxic algae. The EPA’s decision means Ohio will continue to take the lead on fighting the algae blooms in the shallowest of the Great Lakes that have fouled drinking water in recent years.

Ohio regulators have resisted calls to designate its portion of the lake an impaired watershed. Several environmental groups have been pushing the EPA to make the designation and pave the way for increased pollution regulations.

Those groups last month sued the EPA to force the agency to make a decision on whether the western part of the lake should be declared impaired. The federal lawsuit urged the EPA to step in and take action under the Clean Water Act.

SCHNELLVILLE, Ind. (AP) — Southwestern Indiana police said an 85-year-old farmer who was working in a field died after falling from a tractor.

The (Jasper) Herald reported Jerome Knies of Celestine died the afternoon of May 23 following the accident about 55 miles northeast of Evansville. The Dubois County Sheriff’s Department said Knies was operating a 26-year-old tractor in a field between Jasper and Schnellville, when he fell from the machine and was fatally injured.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Horton Fruit Co., Inc. of Louisville is voluntarily recalling select bags and containers of fresh spinach because it has the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

The company was alerted to the potential of contamination by their supplier partners, and is conducting a subsequent internal investigation. There have been no reports of illness related to the recalled product and no other products produced by Horton are implicated.

The products were distributed in North Carolina, Illinois, Kentucky and West Virginia: 10-ounce bags of PEAK brand Fresh Curly Leaf spinach with a use-by date of May 11, 2017 and UPC code 0-78951-50002-3; HARRIS TEETER FARMER’S MARKET brand Ready-To-Eat Leaf spinach with the same use-by and UPC 0-72036-88023-9; and 2.5-pound bag PEAK brand fresh spinach with orange sticker dated May 13 and case label pack date of May 1. Consumers should return products to the place of purchase for a full refund or call 502-969-1371 Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. EDT.

JUNCTION CITY, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas food distributor has recalled nearly 100,000 pounds of precooked sausage products that might contain metal.

The recall was announced May 24 by Armour Eckrich Meats in Junction City. The recall includes more than 8,000 cases of 16.6-ounce packages of “Eckrich Smoky Cheddar Breakfast sausage, Naturally Hardwood Smoked.” The labels have the case or UPC code and a “27815 17984” with a use-by date of Aug. 17. The products also have “EST. 3JC” inside the USDA mark of inspection.

The products were distributed in Kansas, Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas. The sausage was produced and packaged from April 26-28. No injuries from consuming the meat had been reported at press time.

CARACAS (AP) — Russia is pledging to send several thousand tons of wheat to Venezuela on a monthly basis, potentially helping alleviate the troubled South American country’s food crisis and further tightening relations between the long-time allies.

In a telephone conversation Thursday, President Vladimir Putin told his Venezuelan counterpart that Russia is willing to begin delivering food and strengthen commercial ties, according to Venezuela’s Foreign Ministry.

Putin’s office confirmed the conversation but did not provide any information about the trade agreement. The gesture of support for the Maduro administration comes at a key moment. Regional governments have been distancing themselves from the embattled socialist president and calling on him to respect democratic norms. Opposition members blame Maduro for the country’s rising crime, food shortages and triple-digit inflation. At least 46 people have been killed and hundreds injured in clashes surrounding the protests.

Under late President Hugo Chavez, Venezuela began boosting its ties to Russia, purchasing military equipment and negotiating oil sector investments. Maduro has sought to maintain those relations. Flour is one of the hardest goods to come by in shortage-hit Venezuela. It is rarely available in regular grocery stores.

U.S. lawmakers have expressed concerns about Russia’s role in the affairs of its South American neighbor, especially as Venezuela’s economic situation continues to deteriorate. Venezuela’s state oil company recently put up a nearly 50 percent stake in Citgo as collateral for a $1.5 billion loan from the Russian company Rosneft – raising worries that a default by Citgo would allow Putin to get a foothold in the American oil industry.

FRANKFORT, Ky. — Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture Ryan Quarles is cautioning area farmers to stay alert for possible scams targeting hay buyers and sellers.

“The Kentucky Department of Agriculture (KDA) has received several reports of fraudulent hay-buying activity in recent weeks,” he said. “Farmers should take extra care to protect themselves from scam artists when buying or selling commodities such as hay or livestock, especially when contacted through email, social media, or text message.”

Warning signs of a possible scam may include: the buyer refuses to speak by telephone; the buyer proposes to mail the seller a check in excess of the negotiated price, then asks the seller to mail the extra amount in cash back to the buyer; or the buyer is vague about transportation arrangements.

“We urge anyone who believes they have been targeted by a scam to contact their local law enforcement agency or Kentucky State Police,” Quarles said, adding if anyone needs assistance locating hay, to contact KDA's Hay and Forage Testing Program at 502-782-9210 or online at www.kyagr.com

KDA Forage Testing Program administrator Kim Field warned some scammers have also posed as hay sellers, creating websites or online posts that mimic legitimate hay businesses. Field said farmers can limit their exposure to scams by having a contract that specifies:

The name, address, and phone number of the buyer and seller; the type and quality of the hay; whether the price will be set by total weight or number of bales; logistics for shipping, including contact information and costs for pickup or delivery; how money will be exchanged between the buyer and seller; and what recourse the buyer has if the product is not as advertised (e.g., refund or replacement).

Kentucky farmers are encouraged to use KDA’s hay testing service. For a $10 per-lot fee, KDA will collect a sample and analyze the forage’s nutritional value. KDA also operates an online “Hay Hotline” to connect buyers and sellers.