Pesticides are increasingly under attack in the United States and that is keeping farm leaders awake at night.
Tag Archives Environmental Protection Agency
Pesticides under fire in U.S.
Recent court decisions have threatened farmers' abilities to use some herbicides
Opinion: Smarm, snarl, and snark
Style can’t replace facts, honesty, and ideas in an off-the-mark New York Times video
As deep winter reasserted itself over most of the continent’s farms and ranches, the New York Times brought some real heat to the Big-Ag-Fights-Climate-Change debate. In a 14-minute, fast-paced video titled “Meet the People Getting Paid to Kill Our Planet,” the film’s subtitle not only names the killers, it convicts them, too: “American agriculture is
Management interference flagged in Environmental Protection Agency’s dicamba decision
Office of inspector general says decision ran counter to EPA’s Scientific Integrity Policy
Three senior United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) managers altered scientific documents to support the EPA’s decision to extend the registration of the herbicide dicamba in 2018, contrary to EPA’s Scientific Integrity Policy. That’s the conclusion of the EPA’s office of inspector general (OIG) in its report released May 24. The EPA’s decision to extend
Ruling casts doubt on dozens of U.S. refinery biofuel waivers
Biofuel boosters say waivers are eating into demand for corn-based ethanol
Reuters – A U.S. court decision striking down three biofuel waivers that the Environmental Protection Agency gave to oil refineries in 2017 has cast doubt on the legitimacy of dozens of other EPA exemptions granted under similar circumstances, according to industry experts and agency data. That spells uncertainty for a handful of independent refiners that
How ethanol plant shutdowns deepen pain for U.S. corn farmers
U.S. ethanol mandate exemptions are starting to add up, resulting in plant closures
Reuters – When the U.S. ethanol industry was booming, Indiana farmer Paul Hodgen made good money selling about a quarter of his crop to a local facility that produced the corn-based fuel. Now that plant has stopped churning out ethanol and has instead converted to a grain elevator for storage. Hodgen still sells his corn
U.S. EPA proposes hike in 2020 biofuel mandate
Washington | Reuters — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Friday proposed refiners increase the volume of biofuels blended into their annual fuel output but did not reallocate the waived amounts under the hardship program, drawing ire from powerful corn and biofuel groups as well as Republican senators. The EPA is charged with setting
Comment: ‘Dirty dozen’ list of ‘dangerous’ produce questioned
Unnecessary concern about pesticides could backfire by reducing consumption of cancer-fighting produce
Since 1995, an activist group (Environmental Working Group) has released a so-called “dirty dozen” produce list. However, peer-reviewed studies show this list’s recommendations are not scientifically supportable while other studies show it may negatively impact consumers since it discourages purchasing of any produce — organic or conventional. “There are many ways to promote organic produce
U.S. EPA wins new chance to argue against pesticide ban
Reuters — The Trump administration has persuaded a U.S. appeals court to reconsider its recent decision ordering the Environmental Protection Agency to ban the widely-used pesticide chlorpyrifos, which critics say can harm children and farmers. In an order on Wednesday, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said it will again review former EPA administrator
U.S. appeals court orders EPA to ban pesticide said to harm children
New York | Reuters – A divided federal appeals court on Thursday ordered the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to ban a widely-used pesticide that critics say can endanger children and farmers. The 2-1 decision by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Seattle overturned former EPA administrator Scott Pruitt’s March 2017 denial of a petition by
U.S. EPA abandons changes to biofuel program
New York | Reuters — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has backed off a series of proposed changes to the nation’s biofuels policy after a massive backlash from corn-state lawmakers worried the moves would undercut ethanol demand, according to a letter from the agency to lawmakers seen by Reuters. EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt said in
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
