Multiple agencies join efforts to improve methods for evaluating pesticide impacts.

March 12, 2020

3 Min Read
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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Thursday a new method for conducting biological evaluations under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973 to assure that pesticide registration review actions under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide & Rodenticide Act do not jeopardize endangered species. The updated method ensures that, when available, the agency will use high-quality historical data that reflect where and how certain pesticides are used.

As directed by Congress through the 2018 farm bill, EPA, the U.S. Department of the Interior, the U.S. Department of Commerce, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the White House Council on Environmental Quality established an interagency working group in 2018 tasked with providing recommendations and implementing a strategy to improve the ESA consultation process for pesticides. As part of this effort, in 2019, EPA proposed updates to the method it uses to evaluate the impacts pesticides have on endangered species to better protect and promote the recovery of species while ensuring timely pesticide registration review decisions and public transparency.

EPA said, for decades, its approach for assessing pesticides risks to endangered species resulted in costly, time-consuming litigation and delays in pesticide registration decision-making.

EPA’s new “Revised Method for National Level Listed Species Biological Evaluations of Conventional Pesticides” (revised method) will better protect and promote the recovery of endangered species while ensuring pesticide registration review decisions are science based, timely and transparent. With this action, EPA is fulfilling its commitment under the 2018 farm bill to ensure that pesticides can continue to be used safely with minimal impacts to threatened and endangered species.

“Responsible pesticide use is an essential tool for managing America’s farmland,” EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler said. “EPA’s improved methodology will better protect and promote the recovery of endangered species while ensuring pesticide registration review decisions are conducted in a timely, transparent manner and are based on the best available science.”

The final revised method incorporates high-quality pesticide usage data into the agency’s biological evaluation (BE) process for the first time and was informed by input from a wide range of stakeholders, including states, tribes, environmental non-government organizations and agricultural stakeholders.

“The revised method is an improved framework for Endangered Species Act pesticide consultations,” Interior Secretary David Bernhardt said. “By incorporating actual pesticide usage data into these assessments, they will be accurate and legally defensible. We look forward to working with the EPA to apply this framework and review public comment on the draft carbaryl and methomyl biological evaluations.”

“Under President [Donald] Trump’s leadership, the Administration is committed to supporting agricultural communities and environmental protection,” Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) chairman Mary B. Neumayr. “Since 2017, CEQ has worked collaboratively with EPA, DOI, USDA and DOC to improve the ESA pesticide consultation process, and today’s announcement reflects the federal government’s commitment to a process that promotes timely and effective decision-making and advances rural prosperity.”

CropLife America (CLA) said the updates are an important step toward creating a workable solution to evaluate pesticides under the ESA. While CLA said it is still reviewing EPA’s proposal, it appreciates the agency’s commitment to a process that is efficient, protective of species and based on the best available science.

“Protecting threatened and endangered species while ensuring farmers have access to tools to control pests are two objectives that can coexist using available science,” CLA chief executive officer Chris Novak said. “The best way to balance these objectives is to rely upon real-world data and analyses that reflect where and how pesticides are actually used. Pesticide usage data is an important part of this revised method and represents a major step forward by EPA to use the best scientific and commercial data available.”

Novak continued, “CLA continues to encourage a collaborative process among all the involved governmental agencies to find a long-term, transparent and timely approach for harmonizing the pesticide registration process and ESA consultations. We hope that this work will result in decisions based on the best available science to protect threatened and endangered species and their habitats while allowing farmers and pest control professionals access to the tools they need grow food and protect public health.”

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