Farmers Beware: EPA In Hyperdrive

The Environmental Protection Agency loves family farmers. Let me count the ways…ethanol, atrazine, carbofuran, water quality issue related to livestock operations…the list goes on. Like a drunken sailor on shore leave one of government’s most crucial agencies seems to be out of control and stumbling from one issue to the next with complete disregard for science, protocol or the future of our most important profession.

 From a bogus land use argument that could curtail future ethanol expansion to an ongoing review of atrazine, arguably the most widely studied and repeatedly exonerated chemical of all time, EPA has clearly lost its grip on its operational directive if not its mission.

 The most recent example is EPA’s decision to move forward with banning carbofuran (Furadan), one of the few effective products against rootworm available on the market. (It also makes non-biotech corn production possible to service important overseas markets).

 “EPA’s unprecedented attempt to deny any review of its science deprives the registrant and the growers who use carbofuran the right to prove that the product is safe, and represents a bold abuse of power in contradiction of the agency’s earlier commitments to transparency and good science,” said Dr. Michael Morelli, Director of Global Regulatory Affairs for FMC Corporation. 

 Dr. Morelli’s comments would sound kind of self serving coming from the maker of carbofuran except the same comments are being whispered by some surprising people in Washington, DC hallways. Hopefully, someone will go public soon and rein in this zealous and misdirected agency.

 “The Agency (EPA) is attempting to review a host of issues in the next twelve months that previously took more than a decade to consider.  This creates a false sense of urgency and causes our members to question the motivation behind this process,” Rod Snyder
National Corn Growers Association Director, Public Policy told the FIFRA Scientific Advisory Panel this week during a presentation on EPA’s approach to reevaluate atrazine.

 Perhaps even more concerning are the public comments by EPA that these efforts represent just shades of things to come in the months ahead related to agricultural issues from chemicals to water management. The strategy seems to be to throw as many grenades in the room as possible and see which one farmers and the Ag industry want to fall on.

 If EPA is interested in adhering to principles of transparency and sound science they can start by providing adequate time for the public to review relevant materials and provide input.   They might also consider not raiding important tools in farmer’s agronomic toolbox during harvest when they don’t have time to respond.