Activists Oppose EPA-Sought Deadline Extension For Pesticide Spray Rule

摘要

Environmentalists are opposing EPA's effort to obtain an additional six months to craft a Clean Water Act (CWA) discharge permit for pesticide applicators, saying the agency has not demonstrated a valid need for an extension of that length, though they say they could support a three-month extension. The National Environmental Law Center, on behalf of Environment Maine, Baykeeper and the Waterkeeper Alliance, filed a March 16 brief in National Cotton Council, et al. v. EPA charging that the reasons EPA provided for seeking a six-month extension were not adequate, and at most the activists would accept an extension to July 31 in order to allow the agency to fulfill its obligation to consult with other federal agencies over Endangered Species Act (ESA).