EPA shifts policy to fully comply with ESA

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EPA shifts policy to fully comply with ESA

The Environmental Protection Agency says it is now taking more steps to comply with the Endangered Species Act when evaluating and registering new pesticide active ingredients.

EPA says this new policy will reverse decades of practice by consistently assessing the potential effects of conventional pesticides on listed species when registering new active ingredients.

EPA says this new policy (effective Jan. 11, ’22) should reduce litigation against the agency for insufficient protections of endangered species AND improve the legal defensibility of new active ingredients which the agency says “often have lower human health and ecological risks than older pesticides.”

EPA says it will provide several mitigation options for growers, where possible, to allow flexibility while protecting listed species.

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