By TIM ALEXANDER
Illinois Correspondent

GREENSBORO, N.C. — An independent Minnesota state review has concluded that current atrazine regulations adequately protect human health and the environment, and that detections of atrazine in the state’s public water supply are rare.

According to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA), the study – the results of which were released in January – “finds that atrazine regulations protect human health and the environment in Minnesota.” Agencies involved in the study included the MDA, the Minnesota Department of Health and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA).

“Minnesota’s findings affirm what 6,000 scientific studies and 50 years of experience have told us,” said Dr. Tim Pastoor, principal scientist for Syngenta Crop Protection. “When the science does the talking, atrazine is found safe to use.”

Though small amounts of atrazine, a popular corn herbicide, may runoff of some farm fields during heavy rains following its application, “detections of atrazine in public water supply systems are rare,” the study concluded.

Private residential water wells were also monitored by scientists as part of the study. The review concluded that “atrazine concentrations in private wells are expected to be absent or below established health benchmarks.”

The study also lauded atrazine as a key component in soil conservation programs, while finding that current state standards for atrazine are protective of surface water aquatic life uses.
“Surface water monitoring since 1993 has not shown any waters with atrazine concentrations that violated the state’s water quality standards resulting in any impaired waters determinations,” concluded the MPCA, adding that data suggests atrazine concentrations have actually declined over time.

Atrazine continues to be an important weed control tool in Minnesota corn production, the Minnesota review concluded, quoting University of Minnesota weed scientists as saying “there are no direct replacements for atrazine in pre-emergent weed control that are currently registered for use in Minnesota.”