As EPA Works To Complete Pesticide Spray Permit, Advisers Urge New Delay

摘要

EPA officials say they are continuing to work towards completing their multi-state clean water permit governing pesticide spraying activities in time to meet a court-ordered Oct. 31 deadline, but a group of agency pesticide advisers is calling on the agency to ask the court for another six-month delay. Should EPA seek and win such a delay, it could give Congress more time to reach a deal on legislation to scale back the first-time permit requirements for some categories of pesticide spraying. During a Sept. 20 meeting of the Working Committee on Pesticide Operations Management (WG/POM) - a subcommittee of the State Federal Insecticide, Fungicide & Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) Issues & Evaluation Group (SFIREG) - the committee's representatives agreed to draft a letter requesting EPA ask the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit for an additional six months to complete their National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) general permit for pesticide discharges into or near waters of the United States.